Valentine’s Day got me thinking about something we all seem to crave: Unconditional love. Readers and clients tell me all the time how unconditional love, especially for a child or a parent, is the highest ideal we could live up … Continue reading →

One of the down sides of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar programs is that they have brainwashed most of us into believing that alcoholism is a disease. There’s no proof of this, i.e., no empirical evidence of disease verifiable by MRI, … Continue reading →

I’ve encountered clients over the years who report that certain noises make them feel uncomfortable and angry. A bit of research introduced me to the term “misophonia”: a debilitating situation where a “trigger stimulus” (some sort of sound) becomes intolerable … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →