Texting has become a basic part of modern communication. I even use it to communicate with my clients. But given the apparent need some people have to stay relentlessly in touch, mental health experts are asking if texting can become … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Be Careful Mixing Money and Friendship!
I have several acquaintances who recently started businesses with their friends. It all seemed like a good idea on paper, but sadly, their friendship deteriorated. And indeed, my experience over the years has shown that it’s generally not a good … Continue reading
Reasons to Have – or Not Have – Another Helping
The end of Halloween signals the beginning of the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. Another thing it signals is the desire to eat anything we want. And that’s apparently OK – if the eating takes place under certain conditions. Today we will … Continue reading
Facts and Common Sense are Healthier than Guilt and Denial
When a child covers his or her ears when you speak, most of us think of it as cute. But when an adult evades, denies or ignores something significant, that’s where cute ends and denial begins. It’s the equivalent of … Continue reading
“Closure”: Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be
A Delaware Coast Press reader sent me a rather anxious email. He’s seeking “closure” from his girlfriend who recently dumped him. Closure is a vague but popular concept that hopes for a neat, painless ending along with the detached perspective … Continue reading
Respect Works … Try It Sometime!
It’s a rare day when social media is not sputtering over horror stories about bad experiences with service providers. Since it’s my job to peek behind the proverbial curtain, when I look closer at some of the individual situations, sure … Continue reading
Music Hath the Power….
By the time you read this, the final notes of this year’s Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival will have faded away. Why does music have such a magnetic effect on us? From the amateur flailings of semi-sober karaoke all the way … Continue reading
The Psychology of Being Someone Else
In just a week, the high holy days of masquerade will be upon us. Rarely does a Halloween go by without people asking me about the psychology of costumes and disguise. Ancient mystical beliefs held that if you disguised yourself … Continue reading
Be Sure Your Dollars Make Sense
Couples, families and friends tell me that they fight over money more than anything else. But when I look closer, it becomes evident that the fighting is less about actual money and more about personal expectations and priorities. If differences … Continue reading
Warning: What You FEEL Might Not Be REAL!
A Delaware Wave 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 your … Continue reading
The Only “Win” in Relationships? Mutual Happiness
It’s a rare week in my office when couples don’t ask me how to make – or keep – a marriage happy. My first reaction is to remind them that they are on the same team; that they share the … Continue reading
Do Manners Really Matter?
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 sense of escape as the “willing suspension of disbelief,” where, for ninety minutes … Continue reading