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…
In our most intimate relationships, partners ask each other all kinds of questions to deepen their bond and get to know the other’s true self. Coffee or tea? Beach or mountains? Dogs or cats? What are your hopes for the future? Strangely enough, one important question is rarely asked: what makes you feel loved? Without…
Teenagers are living their lives online; they spend a lot of their time on social media, posting updates, checking others’ updates, watching videos and shows, playing games, etc. Given that 75% of teens have profiles on social networking sites and that they value the social connections that social media provides, it is important for parents…
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude” – Brené Brown “Gratitude is a potent vaccine that inoculates us against negativity” – Donald Altman In the 1990s, the field of positive psychology ushered in a new awareness of how…
More Americans than ever before are feeling lonely. In 2010, approximately 40 percent of Americans reported regularly feeling lonely, whereas only 20 percent of Americans in the 1980’s regularly felt lonely. The feeling of loneliness is all about perception. We become lonely if we do not feel meaningfully connecting with our friends or if we…
