Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, author of “Authentic Happiness,” asserts that happiness has three components: mood, meaning, and how engaged people are in what they’re doing. “You could think of [these] as three different ‘takes’ a person has on his or … Continue reading →

People occasionally tell me that they don’t believe in psychotherapy. When I ask them to clarify, it often comes down to the mistaken idea that therapy requires “uncritical belief.” Sadly, that’s true of many things nowadays, but certainly not with … Continue reading →

I encounter many people who admit to resentful feelings and anger toward friends and family members. Almost inevitably, these feelings end up stemming from a fear of confrontation. We’ve been so brainwashed into always being “nice” that emotions and bitterness … Continue reading →

It’s sad, but true: Stress is part of the price we pay for living. And stress, like living, is here to stay. The challenge is how to manage it. Though helpful lists can sometimes be stressful themselves, I hope this … Continue reading →

Couples therapy can be stressful for everyone involved. One of the questions that parents often ask me is whether it’s right or wrong to stay together solely for the sake of the children. Their premise is that their primary obligation … Continue reading →

A visitor to my website writes that he has fallen in love with a woman who is fourteen years his senior. He tells me that he generally goes for people his own age, but that he’s never felt so good … Continue reading →

Barely a day goes by when somebody doesn’t ask me how much they should blame their parents for problems that might have arisen in childhood. No matter what the specific issue, my response is always the same: Hold your parents … Continue reading →

Celebrated songwriter Neil Sedaka wasn’t far from the truth when he co-wrote the hit song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” The emotional impact of a breakup can be devastating, with feelings ranging from bewilderment to shock, from hurt to … Continue reading →

A reader emails about a sticky situation: She and her husband are empty nesters, both with professional careers. Her career in the arts is unstable by nature, and the loss of that job is imminent. Her husband is happy in … Continue reading →

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 →