One of the positive characteristics of good mental health is a sense of humor. Even as early as the 13th century, physicians and philosophers described the health benefits of laughter. Clinical psychologist Rod A. Martin, Ph.D., of the University of … Continue reading
Is it a sign of true friendship to ignore a friend’s flaws? Not necessarily. If someone is your friend, doesn’t it make sense to try and stop her from making a mistake? You can’t control her or do her thinking … Continue reading
Stress reduction isn’t necessarily about doing less. In fact, many people become depressed or anxious simply because they don’t have enough to do. (Just ask anyone trying to adjust to retirement!) It really boils down to what you do with … Continue reading
Clients and friends often express their desire to become therapists. 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 believes … Continue reading
A lot of people like to read peppy little affirmations first thing in the morning. But some clients tell me that fluffy, hyperbolic one-size-fits-all affirmations feel like nothing more than false hype when they are in a negative state of … Continue reading
Contrary to what the drug companies would have you think, anxiety can often be a useful and necessary thing; specifically, when that anxiety triggers a call to sensible action. For example, you feel anxious at the sight of an oncoming … Continue reading
A friend told me about an experience she had at a local fast-food eatery. While standing in line, she was engaged in conversation with an elderly friend who was seated. Their voices were somewhat raised due to the noise in … Continue reading
It’s a rare day when a client doesn’t ask me about bringing up kids to be responsible about money matters. I’m in the interesting position of having talked to hundreds of people about their childhoods while simultaneously observing how they … Continue reading
Regular readers of this column know that I have written over and over that love is not sacrifice. When you love someone, you want them to be happy. When someone loves you, you want them to do something for you … Continue reading
People often say to me, “Why am I feeling down? Why do I feel sorry for myself?” It’s a perfectly reasonable observation, but it doesn’t get to the heart of why some people cope better than others. The key to … Continue reading
A reader emails that her doctor wrote her a prescription for depression and tells her that it is a “disease.” But she feels that her problem is more emotional than medical, and she hates the way the pills make her … Continue reading
The Christmas holidays are barely over, and here we are, already staring at heart-shaped boxes of candy. We humans are imaginative creatures, and we’ve perfected a long list of reasons to eat excessively, over and above the boring reasons … … Continue reading