A reader emails me about disagreements she has with her friend. Their differences are on very fundamental levels, and she wonders if there is a point that two people reach when the gap between their values is simply too wide. … Continue reading →

Some of the best times I had as a kid were spent in the movie theater, escaping into the realm of fantasy. Professional filmmakers refer to that feeling as the ‘willing suspension of disbelief,’ where, for ninety minutes or so, … Continue reading →

I received an email from a reader who asks, ‘I’m not sure I can give proper advice to my brother. He’s gay and really loves our parents, who are slightly religious but don’t practice. They’ve made anti-gay remarks in the … Continue reading →

Unless you recently landed on this planet, you’re probably aware that text messaging is a quick and easy way to communicate using a cell phone. Abbreviated phrases are typed out and instantly transmitted to the recipient’s cell phone screen. For … Continue reading →

Several months ago I was sitting at a red light on Rt. 113 when a large pickup truck sped by — on the shoulder, around stopped cars — and ran the light. He never looked. He never slowed down. This … Continue reading →

Pop-psychology loves to tout that the purpose of therapy is to ‘deal with the past.’ I suspect that at least part of that comes from those feel-good authors who appear on Oprah, Ellen, and the rest of daytime TV’s vast … Continue reading →

So many people say to me, “Why is what I can’t have more appealing than what I can have?” The answer is easy: Wanting what you can’t have is the easy way out. In other words, fantasy is often preferable … Continue reading →

The wonderful ‘shoulder season’ is just around the corner! The weather is still great, but the crowds are (mostly) gone. Whether you’re a resident or just visiting, you probably came here because of a desire to take things slower. Why … Continue reading →

I regularly receive letters and emails asking me about post-traumatic stress disorder; predominately an issue for military personnel returning from active duty. While everybody agrees that some people certainly do suffer from PTSD, I’m often asked if others might be … Continue reading →

People often ask me, ‘What does a psychotherapist do? What happens in psychotherapy? The short answer is that we help people identify what’s bothering them about other people in their lives, and help them figure out how to change the … Continue reading →

One of the subjects that couples bring up in my office is how to make — or keep — a marriage happy for both parties. My first reaction is to remind them that they are on the same team; that … Continue reading →

Barely does a sitcom or TV talk show go by without the word ‘passive aggressive’ popping up. Despite its overuse, it is a very real behavior. Do any of these situations sound familiar? 1. A friend assures you that he’s … Continue reading →