10 Things Worse for You than Sugar
Lately, sugar’s been getting a bad rap. It’s been referred to as “toxic,” “poisonous,” and “addictive.” A quick online search suggests that consuming sugar is more dangerous than smoking, that its properties are more addictive than nicotine, cocaine, even heroin....Continue reading→
Recovering from Perfectionism
I had a mentor once, whose mentor who had instructed him, “It’s important to make five mistakes a day.” While for many, this might seem to be an easy assignment, accomplished quickly through wrong turns while driving, incorrect references in...Continue reading→
Are You Suffering from Meta-Depression?
Do you struggle, or have you been diagnosed, with depression? The DSM-5 criteria for a major depressive episode include: Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad, empty, hopeless) or...Continue reading→
Permission for the New Year
For many, the New Year is filled with cocktails and celebrations, hope and possibility, and family and friends. For others, the holiday might be difficult, potentially fraught with anxiety and regret. Part of the challenge that some of us experience...Continue reading→
Beginner’s Mind
Be willing to be a beginner every single morning. – Meister Eckhart Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) refers to the concept of “Beginner’s Mind,” a Zen Buddhist practice of keeping your childlike openness and readiness to experience. Think about how often you...Continue reading→
Coping with a New Medical Diagnosis
Receiving a medical diagnosis can stir up all sorts of emotions, including sadness, fear, and hopelessness. Whether the diagnosis came out of the blue or after a significant period of symptoms and diagnostics, attaching a label to the experience –...Continue reading→
Tips for Managing Anxiety and Maintaining Sobriety During Holiday Family Functions
Some people feel dread when it comes to celebrating the end-of-year holidays. Their dread often centers on having to spend the holidays with difficult family members, who somehow always manage to bring negativity to holiday events, creating the opposite of...Continue reading→
Panic Attack Coping Statements
Panic Attacks Defined You’re on a plane. . . or in your car. . . or in a restaurant. . . or seated in class or at work . . when all of a sudden it happens – a panic...
How Psychology’s Focus on Obesity Does More Harm Than Good
Psychology, taking its tune from medicine, has honed in on obesity as a problem its providers need to fix. Medicine views obesity/overweight as a disease; psychology has co-opted the disease model and posits weight as a behavior demanding therapeutic intervention....Continue reading→
12-Step Approaches: Pros and Cons for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
Success of 12-Step Approaches Most people are familiar with AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), NA (Narcotics Anonymous), and other 12-Step (self-help) groups. In fact, many treatment providers, when learning of a client’s alcohol or substance misuse, will immediately suggest that the client...Continue reading→
Mental Heath Insurance – To Claim or Not to Claim?
Mental Health Insurance: Before the millennium, many Americans lacked mental health insurance. The Affordable Care Act (aka, Obamacare) expanded on the Mental Health Parity Act to require most insurance plans to cover therapy and treatment for psychiatric disorders. With it,...Continue reading→
The Good Enough Mom
The Perfect Mom Are you a Pinterest-worthy mother? Do you create edible dioramas, crafted only out of bamboo shavings, low-glycemic fruit, and unconditional love? Have you found the perfect tipping point in meditating alongside little one, balancing modeling a spiritual...Continue reading→