Mindful Eating for the Holidays

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 … Read more

Successful Co-Parenting

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 … Read more

The Dark Side of Popularity

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 … Read more

Practicing Gratitude

Happiness is something that everyone strives to achieve, even if its definition is vague or person-dependent.  The paths to achieving happiness are equally varied.  For some people, happiness is being surrounded by loving friends and family.  To others, it’s financial independence, experiencing a big belly laugh, or eating a delicious piece of cake.  While the … Read more

Daily Dose of Self-Compassion Goes a Long Way

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. … Read more

Microbreaks Improve Happiness and Productivity

Many of us know that it is important to take breaks during the workday. Taking breaks helps improve focus, reduce fatigue, and decrease the risk of work-related physical problems, such as carpel tunnel. While we often think of breaks as requiring large chunks of time (such as a lunch break), recent research has focused on … Read more

Lessons for Today from Mister Rogers

(This entry is adapted from an article by Shea Tuttle published by the Greater Good Science Center) I remember Mister Rogers vividly from my childhood – eating lunch on TV trays sitting on the floor of our living room with a friend, seeing the puppets and listening to the songs. At the time, of course, … Read more

Wordly Wise

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 … Read more