On The Couch

Babies…cute, cuddly, sweet, adorable.  Right? Well, yes… and no. Now I know some people love taking care of babies and I have incredible respect for anyone who can do this and do it well. Major confession time: I am not a baby person. There.  I said it and I mean it. Colic is Hell Don’t get me wrong,  […]

Have you survived something very difficult in your life? A tough childhood? A major trauma? An abusive marriage? It takes a lot to go through the steps of naming your pain and feeling your pain and moving from being a victim of something very traumatic or painful to being a survivor. Just Surviving Is No Fun The past is

Don’t Try! I mean it. Don’t try to change. Not one thing. Not your bad habits, your bad behavior, or your bad attitude. Surprising advice from a therapist? Not at all!  Here’s why. Trying Doesn’t Work If there is something in your life that isn’t working, trying to change it isn’t going to work, either. The only thing that is going

Have you ever decided you were going to make a change in how you eat or how active you are and you make a plan and set your goals and… you don’t follow through with it? If the answer is yes… it means you’re human.  But wouldn’t you like to be able to stick with something for once?

I’ve Got Some Emotional Baggage Here… “I’m sorry I’m dumping all of my problems on you.” How many times have I heard this from a client? It seems like it is a version of the statement, “I don’t know how you can sit and listen to people’s problems all day long….” Both, I think,  are really a person’s way

I love my job.  And I know how lucky I am to be able to say that and mean that. I love what I do every day.  I look forward to going to work and when the workday is done, I usually feel very satisfied about what I have been able to do. I don’t create anything.  I

You know you need to leave him or her. It’s a bad…no…it’s a truly toxic relationship. But you just can’t quit it. You know you need to stop _____________. (Smoking, drinking so much, overeating, cutting, gambling, working so much, killing yourself.) You just can’t stop. You Are Not a Transformer Here’s the simple truth. You don’t have to

The Curtain Falls You might have just hit a rough patch. Or maybe those feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt are part of a larger problem that relates to anxiety or depression. Whatever the reason, you might feel like a big curtain has fallen that makes it hard  (maybe even impossible) to see a better future for yourself. I

In recent weeks, the American Psychological Association has produced some wonderful material to help the general public understand what psychotherapy is, how it works, and why it is so effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health issues.