This may sound strange coming from someone trained as a mental health professional, but I’m perpetually disgusted with the majority of self-help babble in bookstores, or worse yet on daytime TV. My gripe is with the emphasis on “how to.” … Continue reading
A faithful reader of this column emailed me that he and his wife argue quite a bit. Though it seems destructive, he says they always make up with the problem solved. He asks if arguing is a constructive way to … Continue reading
For some, dealing with stress can be a time for reflection. In my business, we call it “introspection”; a time for quiet exploration of your true feelings, wants and needs. When clients present to me with stress or frustration, I … Continue reading
I see so many people who spend more years caring for their elderly parents than they spent raising their own children. This is becoming more and more commonplace as advances in medical science continue to extend the lives of Baby … Continue reading
A weekly reader of this column emails that insignificant things often annoy her. For example, she was upset in a restaurant recently because a child was making some noise. She admits that the kid was just being a kid, and … Continue reading
In the comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy van Pelt referred to the beginning of the new year as “post-Christmas letdown,” when you mourn for the gifts you wanted but didn’t get. Interestingly, it’s also around this time when I get questions … Continue reading
Dealing with couples’ conflicts can be stressful for everyone involved. One of the questions that parents often ask me is whether it’s right or wrong to stay together solely for the sake of the children. Their premise is that their … Continue reading
I get this question all the time when speaking to people: “How much is too much?” In other words, at what point does something become an addiction? If a person consumes X number of drinks (or cigarettes, or slices of … Continue reading
One of the subjects that comes up very often at this website is smoking. A website visitor emails that she has successfully reduced her cigarette intake from 22 to only 6 a day. Now she’s stuck, and asks for advice … Continue reading
There’s been a lot of attention paid to home schooling and public education in general over the last few years. Good, bad or indifferent, it reminds me of the occasional person telling me they don’t feel motivated to do something, … Continue reading
A reader emails that her father always cautioned her that “the grass is always greener,” i.e., that she should keep searching for something better than what she already has. She asks me if an endless quest for that “something better” … Continue reading
A Delaware Coast Press reader emails, “Dear Dr. Hurd, my “new age” friends are always telling me to “go with my feelings and say what I feel.” But is it advisable to just blurt out whatever happens to pop into … Continue reading