Pop psychology loves to tout psychotherapy as “dealing with the past.” I suspect that at least part of that comes from the feel-good prattle that pervades the vast wasteland of daytime TV, including shows like Oprah and Ellen. But when … Continue reading
People often ask me to define cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in simple terms. A great example of CBT in action comes from an unlikely source: Chef Robert Irvine’s Food Network series, Restaurant Impossible. FoodTV.com says that, “Turning around a failing … Continue reading
According to a study done by LinkedIn.com, three-quarters of employees dislike or hate their jobs because of the boss. That might make for great cartoons on Facebook, but let’s take a closer look: If you dislike your boss because he … Continue reading
People ask me all the time about the fear of flying. They usually follow it up by stating that without flying they would never go anywhere interesting. Then they ask me what to do. Under normal circumstances, that can be … Continue reading
I recently posted a Peanuts cartoon on Facebook that said: “Worrying won’t stop the bad stuff from happening … it just stops you from enjoying the good.” The comments I received were even more interesting, and most boiled down to, … Continue reading
We hear a lot about cyberbullying these days. It’s basically bullying through electronic means, e.g., Facebook, texts, IMs, email, etc. Alarmists lead us to believe that cyberbullying is fundamentally different from classic “playground” bullying. But is that true? The premise … Continue reading
A reader writes that her best friend is unhappy in her marriage. “It really pains me to see her this way. I think she’s looking for someone to tell her to leave him. Is it my place to do this? … Continue reading
So many people say to me, “Why is it that what I can’t have always seems more appealing than what I can have?” The answer is easy: Wanting what you can’t have is the easy way out. In other words, … Continue reading
A reader emails me about disagreements she has with her friend. Their differences are on fundamental levels, and she wonders if there is a point that two people reach when the gap between their values is simply too wide. She … Continue reading
A recent Cornell University study asks, “Why do teens do stupid things?” And I say, “Well, not so fast.” Not all teens do stupid things. There’s nothing about being young that makes stupidity inevitable. It’s true that teens don’t have … Continue reading
I received an email from a Delaware Coast Press reader who has a 24-year-old son who has no friends (beyond those he has met online), no girlfriend, no driver’s license, no job, nothing. He’s quite good at condemning his siblings … Continue reading
There seems to be a lot of blame and shame flying around nowadays. But blame and shame are not healthy or effective motivators. People sometimes try to motivate you with shaming and blaming, and sadly, these methods are such a … Continue reading