We all know at least one person who likes to disagree, simply for the sake of disagreeing. That person is easy to identify: disputing minor facts such as the weather, carrying on an argument over something that doesn’t matter to … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Keep Tabs On Your Self-Esteem
A few years ago after the release of my third book, “Bad Therapy, Good Therapy (and How to Tell the Difference),” I took particular interest in columnist Robert Fulford’s article in Canada’s Globe and Mail where he coined the phrase, … Continue reading
Kids Need Encouragement and Support to Develop True Self-Esteem
One of the biggest mistakes parents make is to tell their young kids to not get “a big head,” implying, “Don’t think too much of yourself.” Then, years later, they’re surprised when their children lack the ambition to apply to … Continue reading
Respect & Romance
One of the signs of psychological health is a desire for happiness and success in romance and relationships. If you seek to genuinely love someone, it’s important to remember that that person must first earn your respect. The loss of … Continue reading
Happiness and Romantic Relationships
A visitor to my website writes that he has fallen in love with a woman who is fourteen years his senior. He tells me that he generally goes for people his own age, but that he’s never felt so good … Continue reading
BOO! Facts Conquer Fears Every Time.
‘Tiz the season for goblins, ghosts and whatever else might strike a little fear (and maybe some fun) into the Halloween season! Pretty much everyone has something that they simply do not want to touch or otherwise encounter in the … Continue reading
When Love Pushes the Panic Button
I received an interesting email from a longtime reader about an incident involving her boyfriend. They had been dating for several years, and as their relationship progressed, they began to discuss the possibility of moving in together. It was during … Continue reading
Force Compels; But It Never Persuades
Barely a week goes by where somebody doesn’t ask me what mistake people make most often. Regular readers of this page can probably predict my answer: The biggest mistake people make is trying to control others. We can’t control the … Continue reading
Nobility: The Pursuit of Happiness, Not the Pursuit of Sacrifice
Many people assume that mental health is a matter of either medicine or moral weakness. The medicine side assumes that pills can eradicate mental illness. The moral side assumes that troubling emotions stem from weakness of character. Neither side is … Continue reading
Not Everyone Welcomes Change
Around this time of year 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 also change. I … Continue reading
The Psychological Dangers of Hypocrisy
A website visitor writes, “I have a friend who projects her shortcomings and personality faults onto others; holding them accountable for those actions or inactions. For example, she’s always late, yet she expresses anger when others are late. Why does … Continue reading
Hypnosis: For real? Fantasy? Or somewhere in Between?
A website visitor tells me about her friend who is divorced from a man who was somewhat abusive. Her friend enjoys being with her new boyfriend because he is kind to her. However, the reader’s friend confides in her that … Continue reading