In the comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy van Pelt referred to the beginning of the new year as “post-Christmas letdown,” when you mourn for the gifts you wanted but didn’t get. It’s also the season when I get questions from parents … Continue reading
The holidays are great times to bring family together. But in my experience this can sometimes be a recipe for the release of pent-up tensions. Two ways that people sometimes lash out are by using blame and shame to get … Continue reading
I know this subject might be a bit too late for this season, but if you found the gift-giving process stressful and/or downright unpleasant (not everybody does, mind you, but some definitely do), allow me to suggest a better way. … Continue reading
Now, more than ever, people are fighting over politics. But fighting within families and among friends is not new. Susan Heitler, Ph.D., writes in Psychology Today online: “The impulse to convince others of the rightness of your view and the … Continue reading
This subject has always fascinated me, and it happens in everyday life. People get mad if you tell them the truth about how they look, or how they did. It seems in many cases that they don’t want the truth; … Continue reading
Friends and clients often tell me that one of the most annoying things in their lives is when people interrupt them. It got me to thinking; is it just rudeness? Or is it something more? Something can indeed be rude, … Continue reading
One of the subjects most often brought up in my office is how to deal with toxic, psychologically damaging relationships. Kristen Fuller, M.D., writes: “I myself had all the tools to avoid a toxic relationship, but I entered into an … Continue reading
The recent election season drama might be in the past, but there’s still no lack of opinions and observations to be had. Many of them fall into the category of, “She never lets a fact get in the way of … Continue reading
A Delaware Coast Press reader writes, “I hate to admit this, but I feel like my second grader’s mistakes and blunders are a reflection on me, as if I have somehow bungled his upbringing. Obviously, I’m as ashamed to feel … Continue reading
As anyone who drives Coastal Highway after Thanksgiving can attest, the holidays are certainly the time to buy stuff! And indeed, it’s good for your mental health to appreciate material things such as your car, your clothes, your house – … Continue reading
As the holidays approach, many of us get to spend more time at home – and more time with our furry, four-legged companions. English novelist George Eliot wrote, “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. That sounds very nice, but it’s a bit too general for my taste. I like to look at Thanksgiving as a time of perspective: To think about what’s right, both with the world … Continue reading