Readers ‘of a certain age’ will certainly remember mood rings. Back in the ’70s everyone seemed to be sporting a ring, a pendant, earrings, bracelets or even lipstick containing thermotropic liquid crystals. Depending on the temperature of your skin, the … Continue reading →

A Cornell University study asks, ‘Why do teens do stupid things?’ Well, not so fast. Not all teens do stupid things, nor is there anything about being young that makes stupidity inevitable. It’s true that teens don’t have the knowledge … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day is a great time to celebrate all the positive aspects of being together. But every day I see many of the negative aspects as well. It’s not my intention to cast a shadow over this romantic holiday, but … Continue reading →

How often have you heard somebody say, ‘He’s not a bad person, but I still don’t like him’? Most often, the missing element is respect. To genuinely like or love someone, they must first earn your respect. Like beach erosion, … Continue reading →

We read every day about notorious and documented failures of drug and alcohol rehab, made even more public by Hollywood’s perpetually neurotic glitterati. Is it all a scam? Well, in fact, some people do successfully untangle themselves from drug and/or … Continue reading →

A regular reader of this column asked me why I considered a killer to be ‘incapable of benefiting’ from psychotherapeutic help. She was referring to my 2007 article published shortly after the Virginia Tech shooting. She wondered why I, as … Continue reading →

It’s no secret that marital counseling and couples therapy often fail. Even if the therapist is a pretty good one, two factors usually stand in the way of success: First, the partners usually wait until at least one or both … Continue reading →

After this season of celebration and self-indulgence, it seems natural to swing the pendulum to the other side and talk about anorexia (a pathological refusal to eat), its causes and cures. According to Dr. Walter Kaye, professor of psychiatry at … Continue reading →

In the comic strip ‘Peanuts,’ Lucy van Pelt referred to this time of year as ‘post-Christmas letdown,’ when you mourn for the gifts you wanted but didn’t get. It’s also during this season when I get questions from parents asking … Continue reading →

I really appreciate it when people respond to these columns. It’s nice to know that somebody’s on the other end of this keyboard. A few weeks ago I reiterated the fact that addictions to drugs, alcohol or whatever have been … Continue reading →

Around the holidays, people often ask me about greed and why the season is so ‘materialistic.’ Well, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as ‘materialism.’ All of us need and want material things. It’s only a matter of degree. … Continue reading →

I often get questions about personal growth and how it changes relationships with friends, romantic partners and family. When people improve themselves in ways that increase their self-esteem and confidence, their relationships will surely change. Every person plays a role … Continue reading →