People are often surprised when I suggest that one of our goals will be to help them think, i.e., trusting their senses, and then integrating reality into abstract conclusions. Rational thought is necessary to intelligently answer big questions like, “Should … Continue reading
People often ask me if clients sometimes 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 … Continue reading
Marriage and commitment are very often at the top of the list when I talk to people in my office. And for good reason! Research published by Scientific American Mind shows that in the U.S., about half of first marriages … Continue reading
Rarely does a day go by that people don’t talk to me about their jobs. I always say that the best motivation for work is happiness and fulfillment, no matter what your job. Though that fulfillment might happen all at … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, I am afraid of blood pressure measurements. It started three years ago when I had a panic attack. My blood pressure was high, and the emergency medical team mistook it for a heart attack and sent me … Continue reading
People often ask me if older widowed people should remarry. The obvious answer is, of course, yes – if they want to. But some widows and widowers feel it’s disloyal to the deceased spouse. Also, remarriage has a strong and … Continue reading
Depression, anxiety and anger management get a lot of press, but what about bitterness? Things seem to be looking up for the bitter among us: The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has considered classifying bitterness as a mental disorder. A statistic … Continue reading
Much of what people talk to me about in my office is about coping: Just making it through life, day-to-day. Things can get pretty scary out there (have you watched the news lately?) and people can get overwhelmed. From my … Continue reading
A reader emails, “My family has been encouraging my brother to seek psychotherapy for problems we feel that he has, and his doctor agrees with us. My brother is resistant to that, and we can’t understand why he doesn’t see … Continue reading
A reader emails, “I have friends who are in relationships and have no qualms about cheating. If I even had a partner, I’d be respectful of him and would never lie. It just doesn’t seem right that they get to … Continue reading
A reader of this column writes, “I’m frustrated with my teenage son. Is it unfair for me to remind him that though I encourage independence, I’m still paying for everything, and that he’s obligated to at least listen to my … Continue reading
I recently came across a fascinating case involving a friend who has been very overweight for years. Though the typical reaction is that she overeats because she loves the taste, this doesn’t apply to her. Several months ago she contracted … Continue reading