| « Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next Page » |  | Optimism and Health
By Maryann B. Schaefer, Ph.D.
How many times has someone said that you have a bad attitude, which pushes people away? How many times have you read that your attitude can impact on your physical health, as well as the quality of your life? There is a growing body of research which examines the effect your attitude has on your health, your sense of well-being, and even on your longevity? Some studies have revealed that individuals who view events through a prism of optimism generally have a more positive sense of their own well-being, are less likely to experience anxiety, are less prone to depression, and live longer and healthier lives. See full article
|  | Coping with Stress and Change
By Debra Milinsky, LCSW
Life is a problem-solving process... Even under the best of circumstances adjusting to changes and transitions are sometimes overwhelming, exceeding a person's usual ability to cope and adapt. Learning to anticipate responses and consequences, and to acknowledge and manage disappointments as these arise, are hallmarks of maturity and cornerstones of resilience. Troubling emotional and physical symptoms are more likely to develop when changes are unexpected, occur simultaneously, or are unremitting without opportunities for recovery and repair. In some cases, these stressful circumstances and experiences can trigger bouts of clinical depression or severe anxiety, which can upset relationships and impair performance at work or school. See full article
|  | Transitions at Midlife
By Maxine Sushelsky, MA, LMHC
Midlife can be a time of upheaval and uncertainty. People might find themselves re-evaluating everything--themselves, their relationships, their careers. They often feel a sense of regret for paths not taken or parts of themselves never developed. They might feel a desire to pursue these discarded paths or explore undeveloped parts of themselves. Past trauma, hurts or other memories might surface or re-surface. People often find themselves drawn to new and unexpected ideas, interests, careers, or ways of being. For example, a person who has been goal-oriented or achievement-oriented for the first part of their adult life, at midlife might feel drawn to engaging in creative work or doing things simply for enjoyment without worrying about achieving a particular outcome. See full article
|  | What is Meditation?
By Paula L. Marcolin, MS, LPC
A lot of people have a misconceived notion of what meditation actually is. Some people believe you are suppose to make your mind go blank or that meditation is a fabrication which is suppose to slowly lull you into a dreamy state, but mediation is neither of these ideas. Meditation is really about awakening your mind and your senses and concentrating on the here-and-now. Meditation has been empirically proven to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, dilate the arteries, decrease anxiety, improve immune function, increase vitality, and improve sleep. See full article
| | Deep Breathing
By Paula L. Marcolin, MS, LPC
Have you ever been at the top of a hill on a roller coaster and as you are about to descend down you start to feel as though your breath is slowing being depleted from your body? Alternatively, can you remember a time when you have fallen and had the wind knocked out of you leaving you gasping for air, or how about a time when you had the unfortunate experience of having a panic attack? In all of these circumstances we are keenly aware of our breath or lack there of, but during most of our waking life we are completely unaware of our breath, even though we are just really one breath away from being lifeless. See full article
|  | The most important question you should ask yourself if you are living with chronic illness, and three steps you need to take...
By Abby Caplin, MD, MA
People often feel intimidated when they visit their doctor. After all, doctors have worked hard: an undergraduate degree filled with science prerequisites, four years of medical school, then three to ten more years of grueling subspecialty training, often in world-renowned hospitals. They know so much about the human body and have studied for years. And of course they are so busy... Why shouldn’t people feel intimidated? The truth is that doctors do have a knowledge base and a relatively common standard of medical practice to which they adhere. But each person is unique, and illness is uniquely expressed in each individual. See full article
|  | Anxiety: Friend or Foe?
By Terry Tempinski, PhD
We have all known the experience of being anxious, worried, and even panicked. While these symptoms can become overwhelming and debilitating, the good news is, generally speaking, anxiety is not difficult to treat. Let me explain. No one likes to be anxious. I am here to help you appreciate your anxiety as a very good friend who is trying to call your attention to a source of inner turmoil. Typically, anxiety is not difficult to treat because it is only a symptom. Its exploration in the course of psychotherapy offers clues as to the source of the problem, and once that cause is understood, and the work of resolving the underlying cause begins, the anxiety tends to remit. See full article
|  | Going Home Again: Family Communication Tips for Adults
By Karen Wulfson, LMFT
You're an adult now - really you are! Your employer thinks you're an adult. Your friends have no doubts about your age and adulthood. You pay your bills, maintain a busy calendar, negotiate your rent or mortgage, and accomplish other "adult" tasks. And - most of the time - you actually believe you are an adult... Then the phone rings, there's a knock at the door or you are in the process of honorably fulfilling that adult responsibility - a visit to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or other extended family members - and suddenly you seem to shrink to small-child stature. See full article
|  | How to Become Resilient
By David Poles, LMHC, CRC, LADC1
In my work at SECAP (St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, MA) and in my private practice at Newton Counseling Center, I often teach patients and clients the importance of becoming resilient. I believe that resiliency is a life skill that all of us need to learn. Those with addictions and those without addictions need to be able to bounce back from adversity. The following is a handout that I often use to teach the concept of resiliency. See full article
|  | Four Ways To Stop Your Anger From Making You Impotent!
By Dr. Jeanette Raymond
The fantasy of warm, exciting but familiar sex had been shattered. The carefully planned romantic dinner topped off with sex had been destroyed. Dan’s wife fussed about the restaurant, killing his desire. Like an awkward stranger riding home in the same car with Cherie, Dan let out long frequent sighs of exasperated frustration. Indignation boiled up inside him, but he didn’t say a word. Back home every noisy exaggerated movement was calculated to highlight his sense of martyrdom. Weary of the tension between them Cherie cuddled up to Dan in bed that night. She wanted to feel close to her husband again. Sex was the best way of making up, feeling good and repairing the breech. See full article
|  | Newsflash For Men: 3 Ways A Woman Can Save Your Life!
By Keith York, Marriage and Family Therapist
I’ve written a lot about what women want from men, to help men understand what makes a strong foundation of an Extraordinary Relationship: what only you as a man can bring to the table and what women are crying out for. Now, becoming aware of the deeper significance of what I call an Extraordinary Relationship, and the "What’s In It For Me?" factor, deserve equal attention. Transforming yourself into a man who is able to get what he wants in life, love, and relationship will certainly make you and your partner happy, but it can also save your life. What if I told you that what’s in it for you is not only a great sex life and a loving companion, but a longer, healthier life that you can’t get any other way? It’s true! Here’s how… See full article
| | Understanding Mindfulness
By Paula L. Marcolin, MS, LPC
The term Mindfulness refers to a way of being conscious in the present moment, not allowing your mind to wander into the past or into the future. This is not such an easy thing to do when you first incorporate Mindfulness into your life because we are conditioned in this society to always be on the go, rushing here and rushing there, trying to get as many things accomplished in one day as possible. This way of being can become such a part of our lives that we stop living in the present and miss what is happening in our lives today, only to wake up one morning wondering where the time went or how we arrived at where we currently are in our lives. See full article
|  | How Pleasure Can Be a Much Better Motivator Than "I Should"
By Ondina Nandine Hatvany, MFT
So what happened to the New Year Resolutions to lose that weight, go to the gym, and stop eating sugar? Or did you not even bother with resolutions this year because you didn’t want to set yourself up for failure? Who does? I was talking about all of the above with my client, Mary, who came to me for food, weight, and body image issues last year. I asked her if she was interested in trying something different, body image psychology, for weight loss. She said “Yes!” She was tired of her “excess weight” and poor body image. So I suggested she try a more right brain approach that would not only be more pleasurable but also most likely more successful. See full article
|  | The Rudder
By Michelle Bohls, Certified Imago Relationship Therapist
Any new couple begins their journey heading into uncharted waters. Because each of you is 100% unique and no one has ever existed who is just like you, there is no map for what a life between two unique people will look like. However, like any journey, you probably know where you want to land.... at happily-ever-after, right? A rudder is a part of the boat's steering system. A slight adjustment to the rudder and the boat turns to adjust its course. When steering you want to be conscious of the rudder so that you remain on course. Did you know that when sailing, if you are even just one degree off course, it can lead you to being thousands of miles off course in a very short period of time? There is one relationship dynamic that will always knock you off course. See full article
| | Depression Doesn't Lie: What are the Causes of Depression?
By Terry Tempinski, PhD
One of the things I continue to be impressed with despite my 30 years of practice is how harsh we are toward ourselves when we are struggling in some way emotionally. It is really striking when you stop to think about it. Our response to our struggles is much kinder and wiser when we encounter physical problems. When we have a toothache, we swiftly get ourselves in to see the dentist. A bad cold? We try to get some antibiotics, drink fluids, and lay low. But depressed? Oh my!?! I am well aware that no one goes to see a psychologist without many months of trying to overcome whatever is ... See full article
|  | Cutting & Self Mutilation
By Joan E. Shapiro, LCSW, BCD
Cutting refers to an odd behavior characterized by self mutilation by razor blade, knife, stapler, or some similarly sharp object. The wounds are usually not life threatening, and can be, for example, fine shallow cuts where blood is produced and physical pain is felt. Cutting is usually practiced alone and secretly. Depending on the patient, the cuts are either left to heal, or may be renewed. Cutters, usually young females, will attempt to hide the practice by wearing clothing over the cuts. See full article
| | Positive Psychology During Troubled Times
By Paula L. Marcolin, MS, LPC
Most people have heard the cliché “beauty is only skin deep,” but I believe true beauty starts with an inner happiness. What truly constitutes an inner happiness? We have been conditioned in this society to believe external material gains will make us happy, e.g., having a big house, nice car, affording a luxurious vacation or just having more money. These things may make a person happy in the short term, but research has failed to show a significant correlation between happiness and material wealth once a person’s basic need for food, shelter, and clothing have been met. See full article
|  | And not But: Celebrating Contradiction in Relationship
By Nancy Colier, LCSW
Nature abhors a vacuum, or so they say. Similarly, it seems that human beings abhor contradiction, particularly in the context of intimate relationships. People attempt to package their feelings as positive or negative, believing that contradictory feelings cannot and should not co-exist. In approaching their relationships, people use the word but to connect their contradictory feelings, as if the positive wipes out the negative and vice versa. In fact, for a relationship to succeed, and not but must be the approach we take when linking the inconsistent feelings that are at the heart of all relationships. See full article
|  | Dissociation: A Strategy for Coping With Trauma, Childhood Neglect and Abuse
By Katherine T. Johnson, M.A., L.P.
In the last two decades, increasing attention, recognition and study has been given to the effects of traumatic experience on the development, maintenance and injury of the human psyche. Researchers, clinicians and the general populace at large are far more savvy in their overall level of awareness and understanding of PTSD with war veterans, children with histories of neglect and abuse, and all who have experienced rape, accidents of nature and physical assaults. Traumatic injury however, is not just limited to a direct, first-hand experience. We now know that individuals can experience secondary-trauma by witnessing a loved one experience a psychological or life threatening situation. A classic example of this would be ... See full article
| | Does Your Teenager Want To Get Caught?
By Dr. Lynn Margolies
Travis was 15. He'd always been a good kid – no trouble – unlike his brothers. His parents saw him as the perfect child. That's why it was jolting and perplexing to his parents that this semester he started breaking rules, getting into trouble, and seeming downright provocative. Travis was recently caught drunk after being at friends' houses – and engaging in risky and dangerous activities. He recently remarked to his father, "I can't wait to get my dirt bike. Then I'll be able to go anywhere I want and go scary-wild!" Travis' dad was shocked by this comment and angry that Travis seemed to be purposely and intentionally rebelling. What should his parents do? See full article
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