I don’t know about you but I usually feel like if I don’t do something myself, it probably won’t get done. About a lot of stuff that might be true. Work/school, keeping up with family and friends, making sure bills are paid time, etc. But where does it all end? The truth is, it doesn’t. […]
It's not about you. Possibly, the most important way a person can help their partner work through depression or anxiety is to understand that he/she is neither the cause nor the cure. Partners often take on too much and when the other person is struggling it can be easy to take responsibility for the other person’s feelings. To […]
Roughly 70% of our communication is non-verbal. Things like tone of voice, eye contact, facial expression can totally change the meaning of a sentence. Think about the last time you were on the phone with someone. You can hear when they are focused on your or distracted, you can hear when they are smiling. All that is […]
Chill out. People often get defensive when we approach them with a conflict, if you are aggressive, angry or stressed they are likely to be unable to hear you out and even less likely to be motivated to give you what you want. Drink some water; go for a walk, make some notes about what […]
Children and teens needs to feel heard and understood just as much as adults. With teens it is particularly important to listen more than speak in order to give them time to be understood. When parents do decide to speak, it can be most helpful to relate and empathize instead of teach or criticize. All […]
I have worked with individuals and couples who were in open relationships and the reality is that each person and relationship is unique and much like clothes, relationships are not "one size fits all." I have come up with 4 questions to ask before starting an open relationship to help people decide if it is a good choice for them. Do I think […]
In grad school, I had a professor that gave us an assignment that required us to put ourselves in situations in which we are the minority and we were not allowed to tell people it was a school assignment. While I dreaded the task, I also appreciated the challenge. I am a white, heterosexual with […]
Click here to read an article I contributed to on stopping your panic attack in his tracks.
There are probably and infinite number of things not to say to someone who is/was hospitalized but here is a short list: You don’t look sick! Did you catch up on your Netflix binging? My dog had that! Once we treated her, she was so much better!! I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well! I […]