The summer season will most probably be accompanied by get-togethers with family and friends. All that can be lots of fun, but it has its limits. It’s my nature to stand back and listen to people (it’s what I do…), … Continue reading →

One of the dubious hallmarks of the summer season is the increase in police reports of petty shoplifting here in the Cape Region. The nationwide Police Foundation reports that shoplifting continues to be a major crime problem in spite of … Continue reading →

The atrocities committed in Orlando last week have brought the issues of homosexuality and religion into the forefront. In the aftermath, I received an interesting email from a website visitor who asks, “I’m not sure I can give proper advice … Continue reading →

My daily experience repeatedly debunks the myth that good relationships require constant work. Good relationships already work well, because each partner is getting what he or she wants. Anyone in a happy, mutually satisfying relationship will tell you that he … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Hurd, I’m the primary caretaker of my aging mother. My efforts and sadness are compounded by the fact that she is suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s. Unlike death, where you grieve and then in time return to your daily … Continue reading →

Several readers asked me to clarify the difference between short-term compromise and all-out self-sacrifice when it comes to relationships. More than one Life’s a Beach! column has emphasized that the latter should never be part of any partnered relationship. A … Continue reading →

According to research reported by theguardian.com, loneliness can have dramatic consequences on one’s health. Feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, lower immunity, increase depression, lower subjective well-being and increase the stress hormone cortisol (at sustained high … Continue reading →

As the summer season approaches, some of us will have to deal with neighbors who drop in uninvited. Or children (or worse yet, adults) who can’t keep their hands off of your property. Do you have friends who call and … Continue reading →

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 →

Many of the day-to-day topics in my office have to do with grief and grieving. I received an email from a reader who asks why people sometimes back away from friends who are very sick or who are mourning the … Continue reading →

John R. Schafer, Ph.D. writes on psychologytoday.com: “Changing negative first impressions is difficult. A person who forms a negative impression of another person will be less inclined to meet that person a second time because that person has been judged … Continue reading →