Apparently somebody out there is reading this page, because over the last week or so I have received a number of emails asking me to reprint this article from a couple of years ago. The response then was amazing, and … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Getting Angry Over What You Cannot Control (DE Wave)
Holiday festivities with family and friends can be fun. But increased interaction (and perhaps cramped quarters) can create frustration over what some people may say or do. So how do you deal with it – short of creating a CSI-style … Continue reading
“Homewrecker”: The Psychology of Affairs (DE Coast Press)
Dear Dr. Hurd, I’m at a crossroads. I’ve fallen in love with my best friend whom I have known for years. The catch? She’s married with kids and dedicated to her family. I’m not entirely sure of the depth of … Continue reading
Beware the Smart Slacker (DE Wave)
A website visitor writes to complain about a “smart slacker” in her office. I suspect many of us have known a smart slacker; pushing the limits, just as children often do, to see how much he or she can get … Continue reading
Demystifying Anorexia (DE Coast Press)
One of the subjects that occasionally comes up in my office is the issue of anorexia; generally defined as a pathological refusal to eat. According to Dr. Walter Kaye, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, people with anorexia … Continue reading
Feeling “Connected” in Marriage: Why It Matters (DE Wave)
Of all the subjects people talk about in my office, one of the most common is issues with (and questions about) relationships. Partnered couples often tell me that they don’t feel “connected,” or that their relationship failed because they were … Continue reading
Honesty: A Useful Tool and Skill, NOT a Duty (DE Coast Press)
So many relationships – business, personal or otherwise – end up boiling down to honesty. For example, are you obligated to deal honestly with somebody who has been proven to be dishonest? The person who asked me this question suggests … Continue reading
Do you need “the perfect child?” (DE Wave)
A Delaware Wave 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 this … Continue reading
A Rational Thanksgiving Prayer
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
Love an Actual Person, Not a Potential Person (DE Wave)
No matter how hard you try, you can’t change another person. Even a trained psychotherapist can’t change somebody without their consent and effort. It is, however, still possible to influence others. But success presupposes that the subject is open to … Continue reading
Imagination: Uniquely Human (DE Coast Press)
It’s hard to believe, but (for those of you who are counting) this is my 400th weekly column for the Delaware Coast Press! Though you’d be hard pressed to find a nicer bunch of folks than their able staff, I’m … Continue reading
Is your relationship hard work? (DE Wave)
Is your romantic relationship smooth and effortless? Or is there a constant sense of “walking on eggshells” and trying not to offend the other? Over 30 years of clinical experience have convinced me that truly good relationships do not require … Continue reading