People often ask me, “What does a psychotherapist do? What happens in psychotherapy?” The short answer is that we help people identify what’s bothering them about other people in their lives, and help them figure out how to change the … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Addiction: How Much is Too Much? (DE Coast Press)
One of the down sides of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar programs is that they have convinced many people that alcoholism is a medical disease. There’s no proof of this, i.e., no empirical evidence of disease verifiable by MRI, blood test … Continue reading
Leave those Regrets at Home (DE Wave)
People sometimes get into the habit of making themselves sad by dwelling on “what could have been.” What a profound waste of time! If you spend, say, just 10 minutes a day thinking about the things you wished you had … Continue reading
How to Improve Yourself WITHOUT Excuses! (DE Coast Press)
It’s a rare mental health professional who even talks about the issue of making excuses, much less taking the position that excuses are bad. Other than myself, one of the few who has addressed the issue in writing is psychiatrist … Continue reading
It’s Not All about the Warm Fuzzies (DE Wave)
Talking to people about problems related to their childhood has taught me a lot about what kids need and what they got – or didn’t get (emotionally speaking) – from their parents. It’s a challenge to guide a human being … Continue reading
Good Intentions Do Not Mean Opinions Are Welcome! (DE Coast Press)
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 sort of looking for someone to tell her to leave him. Is it my place to … Continue reading
Eating Your Feelings (DE Wave)
With heart-shaped boxes of candy finally in the past (at least for this year), we’re now looking at the summer season just around the corner. The huge variety of restaurants here in the Cape Region can make it hard to … Continue reading
The Frantic Need to Keep Kids Busy (DE Coast Press)
I often meet people who have an obsessive need to keep themselves and their kids busy. Every spare moment must be filled! I wonder if, for the kids, it’s pressure to get into the top schools, or are the parents … Continue reading
Is the Internet the Cure for Loneliness? (DE Wave)
In spite of this month’s media bombardment about “Valentine’s Day” this and “Valentine’s Day” that, there are many people out there who are single and maybe even live alone. Not every unattached person longs for companionship, but some out there … Continue reading
Teach Your Children Money (DE Coast Press)
It’s often hammered into our heads from childhood: “Money is the root of all evil,” or, “Money can’t buy happiness.” So how come it’s such a major part of our lives? Couples fight over it so much that it’s one … Continue reading
The Art of Disagreement (DE Wave)
In these days of political squabbles where everybody seems to have an opinion, the saying, “Let’s just agree to disagree” appears to be a reasonable statement. But by saying that, one is “agreeing” to disown, or renounce, what they believe. … Continue reading
The Job Isn’t the Career (DE Coast Press)
A website fan sent me an interesting email. During a routine visit, he asked his family doctor what she would do if she suddenly had millions of dollars. Would she still work? Would she stop working? The doctor said she … Continue reading