A few years ago I spoke to a woman who was thoroughly fed up with a friend of hers. She just didn’t enjoy being with him any longer. Though she had already decided to back away from him altogether, she … Continue reading
A Delaware Wave reader emails that insignificant things often annoy her. She writes that 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 that … Continue reading
I see so many people in my office 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 … Continue reading
A reader asks me why some health professionals refer to her son’s behavioral problems as a “disease.” She says it makes her son feel worse about himself and even seems to deepen his depression. The whole idea behind calling behavioral … Continue reading
I have a friend who, when confronted with something he did wrong, often ends his explanation with, “Well, it’s not an excuse, but it IS a reason.” Though it always gets a chuckle, the expression doesn’t really resolve anything. A … Continue reading
A few months ago, I responded to a reader about her compulsion to raise “the perfect child.” Many of your responses centered on the various implications of “Nobody’s perfect”. The most obvious (and truthful) interpretation of that is that we … Continue reading
Clients with relationship problems sometimes bring up the problem of interrupting. It’s no secret that there are few things more annoying than a person who interrupts. Though it might seem rude, there are different kinds of interruptions, some of which, … Continue reading
Interestingly, in spite of our current health scare and how some people are reacting, the topics of conversation in my office haven’t changed all that much. We’re still exploring day-to-day ways to make it through life when it’s easy to … Continue reading
The summer season at the beach is all about up close & personal time together. With families, this can be good – or not so good – especially when it involves restless teenagers. My family therapy experience has revealed six … 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
People sometimes ask me if clients lie to their therapists. Though it seems kind of self-defeating — considering they’re paying for the sessions — I’ll admit that I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out when somebody’s not telling the truth. … Continue reading
Rarely does a day go by that people don’t talk to me about their jobs. The best motivation for work is happiness and fulfillment, and though that fulfillment might not happen all at once, the activity should be productive, and … Continue reading