People often use the terms “feeling safe” or “feeling emotionally safe.” But exactly what does that mean? Usually, we think of “safety” in a physical sense. We seek safety from a criminal or anyone who threatens our comfort or way … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. That sounds very nice, but it’s a bit too general for my taste. I like to look at Thanksgiving as a time of perspective: To think about what’s right, both with the world … Continue reading →

Holiday festivities with family and friends can be fun. But increased interaction (and perhaps cramped quarters) can also create frustration over what some people may say or do. Sometimes it’s hard to watch someone say things or make decisions that … Continue reading →

A growing volume of research appears to indicate that self-esteem might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Studies have shown that many valedictorians, low-achieving students and everyone in between think quite highly of themselves. Violent criminals are no … Continue reading →

Clients often ask me if their children or adults in their lives are just looking for attention when they “act up” or become emotionally distraught. This is often true, but the issue isn’t attention as much as visibility. People have … Continue reading →

People often ask me if anything annoys me about my job. I love what I do. But if anything gets to me, it’s when a client pays me good money for advice, and then doesn’t take it – returning again … Continue reading →

I received an email from a reader who says that she doesn’t get the idea of gift-giving for the sake of gift-giving or to not look bad in front of others. She’s referring to Black Friday (just a couple of … Continue reading →

I received an email from a Delaware Coast Press reader who writes, ‘In a recent column, you wrote, ‘The death of a beloved pet is certainly among the more difficult situations I face in my office. I try to help … Continue reading →

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Martin Seligman, author of ‘Authentic Happiness,’ asserts that happiness has three components: mood, meaning, and how engaged people are in what they’re doing. ‘You could think of [these] as three different ‘takes’ a person has on … Continue reading →

Many people are trained to believe that when dealing with other people, the reasonable thing to do is to compromise; to meet the other person halfway. That might sound nice, but in my experience it doesn’t always work. All action … Continue reading →

The high holy days of masquerade are upon us, and rarely does a Halloween go by without my getting a few inquiries about the psychology of costumes and disguise. Ancient mystical beliefs held that if you disguised yourself on All … Continue reading →

I received a letter from a reader to whom I responded in another local publication. She told me that her boss was a bit of a micromanager, and that she (the writer) felt insulted, i.e., she was taking her boss’ … Continue reading →