The pursuit of excellence can be encouraged in various ways throughout society. High ambitions are not only validated, but are used to promote individual achievement and societal progress. In educational settings, academic achievement is commonly viewed as a main indicator of success. With the increased challenge of college acceptance and the fast-paced, competitive nature of…
Last week, three long-time friends and I were trying to pick a restaurant for dinner. The conversation went something like this: Friend 1: Where should we go to dinner? Friend 2: Anywhere! Me: Yes, anywhere. What sounds good to people? Friend 1: Well, there’s the Mexican place, or this other Mexican place, or this…
Spring is traditionally thought of as the season of new beginnings. The winter barrenness is replaced with leaf and flower buds, animals come out of winter hibernation to enjoy the longer, warmer days, and we humans begin our ‘spring cleaning’ in our homes. The idea of a ‘new beginning’ is inspiring and freeing and tends…
ADHD is not, in and of itself, a gift. It is a disorder that often leads to significant challenges in various aspect of one’s life. And each person with ADHD has a unique profile of symptoms and difficulties. That said, once you’ve received the diagnosis, it is possible to reduce the impact of the challenges…
How many times have we looked at the scale after the holidays and cringed? While the holidays often offer a cornucopia of delicious foods, eating with abandon can cause January distress. Is there a way to enjoy the delectable tastes of the holidays while not tipping the scales in the new year? I believe there…
I recently saw a picture that at first glance seemed like nothing out of the ordinary until I read the accompanying text related to the picture. The picture depicted four adults and multiple children laughing while unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. However, the text related to the picture revealed that two of the adults were…
While wanting to be liked and needing to fit in tend to be important no matter what your age, these issues are often especially important to adolescents. Teenagers often spend a good deal of time and energy worrying about how they are perceived by their peers – especially in this age of social media and…
Too often our inner critical voice takes over and adds to our daily stress and over time contributes to anxiety. Are you hard on yourself or often find yourself saying things like “I wasn’t good enough” or “I wasn’t smart enough,” etc…? These internal messages act like a bully that minimizes our self-esteem and self-confidence.…
Word choice can make a huge difference in how we communicate with one another. I recently attended an excellent seminar presented by Terry M. Levy, Ph.D., D.A.P.A, the director of the Evergreen Psychotherapy Center and the Attachment Treatment and Training Institute in Evergreen, Colorado. During his presentation, he discussed one of the styles of communication…
Once there was an 8-year-old boy named Timmy. He was a good boy who always did what his mother asked him to do. She trusted Timmy and gave him age appropriate freedom. One day Timmy said to his mother, ‘Bye, Mom, I am going bike riding with Johnny”. His mother replied, “OK, Timmy. Just be…
