We are living in a new normal. One night, we went to sleep in our accustomed reality and, with a jolt, woke up in another. If this dizzying change of events left you feeling disoriented, you are in good company. Even a psychologist can use a therapy session right now, or rather a teletherapy session, given the circumstances. We…
As COVID-19 sweeps across the nation, we are all in the different stages of quarantine. Some regions of the United States embarked on this new lifestyle several weeks ago and others, specifically New Jersey and the metro area, are just beginning this adventure. We are in an unprecedented time without known rules or procedures while…
Did you make a New Year’s resolution for 2020? Every January, it’s nearly impossible to turn on a television or have a conversation without hearing about the positive changes you NEED to make in the new year. How-to guides, trendy ideas, and new technology to “finally make it stick” are everywhere. Local gyms are overcrowded…
It’s no wonder anxiety in the United States is at an all-time high. Just a quick scan of the daily headlines can send your pulse racing and exaggerate everyday fears. News of the COVD-19 virus seems to be spreading faster than the common cold, with nonstop coverage inducing widespread panic. “Chinese man, 56, catches the…
Psychotherapists are rarely portrayed with accuracy in films and on television. Typically, we are seen as deranged psychotic murderers, (i.e. Michael Caine in Dressed to Kill), bumbling fools who can barely function, (i.e. Hugh Grant in Nine Months), or genius detectives who solve great mysteries, (i.e. Richard Gere in Final Analysis and Primal Fear). None…
Many of us read before we go to bed. This activity is helpful in allowing our minds to relax and cue our bodies that it’s time to sleep. But, have you ever noticed that sometimes you forget what you have read just before falling sleep? When you pick up your book the next day, does…
For many kids, adjusting to different social situations, whether it’s a playdate or a birthday party, can be difficult. Even if the child wants to attend the party or playdate, it may require significant patience and persistence from parents in order for the child to succeed. It also may be painful for parents to then…
Homework time. For many children and families, it is a dreaded part of the day, particularly for children who struggle. It’s just like the day before and the day before that, ever since the second week of school. You guide your child to the kitchen table or the desk in their room or some other…
Each year the National Institute for Mental Health reports that anxiety and depressive disorders make up the largest percentage of mental health disorders recorded in the United States among adults. This is no surprise to me since that’s pretty much all that I treat in my practice – adults with anxiety and depressive disorders. Common…
I have owned only two Samoyed dogs in my life and raised from pups, and I have to say it was one of the most rewarding decisions we made in bringing them into our family. In the same breath, dealing with the passing of those dogs, especially with children in our family, was one of…