Many people I know are talking about the steep rise in impatience that characterizes our culture today. Due, in part, to advances in technology, life has become accelerated, and we demand speed. We choose computers that promise the fastest processors and we order goods from companies who promise the fastest delivery times. Why watch a television show that…
At first glance, “Eye Movement” Therapy, formally known as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), may seem strange and even “hokey.” Actually, EMDR is recognized as a best practice for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, the World Health Organization, the International Society for Traumatic Stress…
People often assume that problems in love relationships occur because of difficulties in verbal communication. The way we communicate certainly plays a role, but before I delve into a few specific tips on improving communication, I want to address a deeper issue – that of connection. When people feel connected, they seem to experience their…
As a clinical and sport psychologist, my job most often entails helping an individual make some changes. These changes can range from improving one’s mood, reducing stress and anxiety, quitting smoking to performing at one’s personal best in a competition. Often, I have to help the patient or athlete generate specific and attainable goals, as…
Personally and professionally, I have put tremendous time and thought into helping those who successfully make lasting changes in their lives. I often hear of people who have sought help to make one change or another, yet they have not been able to make much headway. What traits do people who overcome anxiety, depression or OCD…
As quoted by Dr. Russell Kolts during his TED talk on “Anger, Compassion, and What It Means to be Strong” in 2015, “Anger tries to convince us that we have to act right now, but we don’t have to believe it. We can take a moment, work to balance our emotions first and then work…
In his recent book, “Fire and Fury,” Michael Wolff asserts that President Donald Trump is “wholly lacking” in what neuroscientists would call Executive Functions. Mr. Wolff defines Executive Functions as the brain’s ability to see cause and effect, to be flexible in your thinking, and to think in an orderly and organized manner. This assertion…
It was 1982 and my college pal’s recently divorced Dad, a successful executive, was about to go out on his first date. “Dammit! Is this tie dimple precisely centered?!?,” he boomed as he anxiously fine-tuned his necktie. His panic piqued my 20-year-old naive, judgmental mind: “What an insecure baby – no wonder he’s divorced!” Today, faced with…
Welcome back from college! Who are you and what have you done with my child? Parents welcoming a college freshman back into the home following a successful first semester may find a very different person upon returning home. Hopefully, the first semester has been a resounding success from an academic, extracurricular, and social perspective. New…
In a previously published blog, Dr. Jayne Walco reminds us that each transgender person’s journey is unique and different issues can arise at different ages. Is it a boy or a girl? That is often the first question of new parents or parents-to-be and leads to a host of assumptions about the nature of their…