I received a kind email from a reader who enjoys my columns. (Thank you, by the way!) She remembered I wrote that how you feel is determined by how you think, and asks if that concept doesn’t open the door … Continue reading
Success is great. We all want it. But the road to success can be blocked by failure. Detouring around those roadblocks can be a challenge, but it’s not without its rewards. In her article “Inspirational Stories of Famous Failures and … Continue reading
In my over thirty-five years of professional counseling, I’ve never witnessed so many instances where friendships – even family relationships – have ended because of disagreements; in many cases, political disagreements. A reader recently emailed me about differences she has … Continue reading
My recent column about hypnosis apparently hit a nerve or two. The most interesting response was from a Delaware Wave reader who tells me about her friend who is divorced from a man who was abusive. Her friend has a … Continue reading
I get a lot of questions about hypnosis. The most common misperception is that it’s a state of unconsciousness, like sleep. Actually, many experts define hypnosis as a “special psychological state with certain physiological attributes, resembling sleep only superficially and … Continue reading
Barely a day goes by when somebody doesn’t ask me if they should blame their parents for various problems that might have arisen in childhood. No matter what the specific issue, my response is always the same: You can hold … Continue reading
Regulars here at Life’s a Beach! know that I describe myself as a cognitive therapist. Has an impressive scientific ring, don’t you think? But aside from sounding official, just what is it? People ask me, “Cognitive therapy is all well … Continue reading
A surprising number of newly retired people I see in my office are stressed over what they’re going to do with themselves. Some tell me that they’re not qualified for the jobs they want, and others aren’t interested in the … Continue reading
People often tell me that they don’t feel motivated to do something because they lack the conviction that they have a good reason to do it. In other words, that reason must be connected to one’s self-interest. If your child … Continue reading
A visitor to my website writes, “My wife of two years goes out of her way to control me. Everything from constant phone calls asking where I am, to ordering me to go to sleep when it suits her, or … Continue reading
When it comes to teenagers, one of the subjects that comes up quite often in my office is interpersonal relationships. In a study presented at a meeting of the American Public Health Association, researchers at the University of Kentucky studied … Continue reading
One of the subjects that comes up in my office is the ongoing sadness of children caring for their parents who are suffering from Alzheimer’s. One of my client’s comments went like this: “I’m the primary caretaker for my aging … Continue reading