Clients and friends often express their desire to become a therapist. One friend in particular is interested in childhood trauma and its possible connection to post traumatic stress disorder. He says that he comes from a family of alcoholism and … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Success is Damn Hard (DE Coast Press)
I’ve always liked the saying, “If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.” Sadly, the natural response to that is often, “Well, it must be nice to have… [whatever you earned that they resent your having earned].” A successful … Continue reading
Finding the Therapist of Your Dreams (DE Wave)
People often ask me how they can find a skilled and effective therapist in their area. Of course, I see this as an ideal way to promote my most recent book, “Bad Therapy, Good Therapy (And How to Tell the … Continue reading
How Maria Montessori Understood Children (DE Coast Press)
Noted educator Maria Montessori once said, “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” This beautiful statement has many implications for children and for education in general. I’d like to generalize a bit more … Continue reading
How to be a “Child Whisperer” (DE Wave)
Remember “The Dog Whisperer” on National Geographic Channel? It featured the celebrated dog behavior specialist, Cesar Millan. His common-sense approach to controlling the conduct of dogs worked unfailingly, time after time. Interestingly, in every episode it quickly became obvious that … Continue reading
Listen to What You’re Saying! (DE Coast Press)
We should be careful about the way we phrase things when talking about ourselves or others. And “being nice” has nothing to do with it; the way we phrase things has an impact on how we view them, and sometimes … Continue reading
If You Regret a Major Decision, Consider This (DE Wave)
I appreciate your many responses to last week’s column! Shortly after I moved here, an associate from my former practice in Washington, D.C. likened resort dwellers to “outlaws.” I took it (and she meant it) as a compliment. Resort living … Continue reading
Make Yourself Lucky! (DE Coast Press)
Well, the new year is upon us. Did you eat your black-eyed peas and turnip greens? Apparently, peas and greens bring financial luck in the coming year. Furthermore, they’re good for the digestive system. (The correlation between digestive health and … Continue reading
Be an Outlaw! (DE Wave)
For many people, the new year brings a bit of soul-searching and an objective look at where your past decisions have brought you today. An old friend of mine once told me that people who live full-time at a seasonal … Continue reading
9 Tips for Keeping Resolutions (DE Coast Press)
Champagne and too many of those little quiches can result in some pretty outlandish new year’s resolutions. It’s tricky to say what you mean and mean what you say when you’re counting backwards from 10 and balancing a lampshade on … Continue reading
Dust your stuff! It’s good for you (DE Wave)
The new year brings all sorts of resolutions and promises, and one of the most popular is to get things clean and in order. People often ask me if it’s obsessive or neurotic to enjoy cleaning, and I have good … Continue reading
Merry Christmas…Or Else! (DE Coast Press)
The seasonal pressure to make everything (and everybody) instantly cheerful and merry can be stressful. The timeless words, “I’ll be home for Christmas” can sometimes set the stage for tension, particularly among family and between married couples. Couples fight for … Continue reading