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…
DetailsIn 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…
DetailsIt 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…
DetailsWelcome 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…
DetailsIn 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…
DetailsAs the holidays approach, so do some of the busiest travel days of the year. Many of us will be flying to visit friends and relatives and some just to get away for a break during a busy time of year. Booking a trip is exciting, but what if the mere thought of flying causes…
DetailsIt is virtually impossible today to turn on the news without encountering a story of a man who has behaved badly sexually. Understandably, the initial response of many of us is to be offended, angry, repulsed, and/or demanding he be punished. However, it concerns me that our reactions can be so swift, punitive and judgmental.…
DetailsLast year I wrote about leadership and I lamented that leadership traits seemed to be lacking among too many of our political leaders. I also noted that the presidential election featured two candidates with high unfavorability ratings and I questioned why a country that produced innovative companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook, could not…
DetailsParents today too often find themselves speaking to their children about the violence that seems to permeate the news. The recent massacre in Las Vegas raises questions for kids of all ages and has triggered many parents to ask us how to talk to them about it. First take a moment to consider your own…
DetailsCan you teach empathy? I get this question a lot from friends, parents, and parents of patients. The answer is not that simple. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Some kids just seem to be born more empathetic than others. These kids are the ones who cry because someone…
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