This week I talked to a friend who confided in me that she was depressed. She told me that her feelings of depression had crept in slowly, and it took her some time to realize she needed a change. She started seeing a mental health counselor and is working on implementing some positive coping skills […]
Oh, boundaries! There is so much I could say about them, when I think back over my life from now to my first memories. There are family members I learned excellent boundaries from while growing up, and others who, as my friend affectionately says, “wouldn’t know a boundary if it jumped up and hit them […]
I could write a novella about drama I have personally experienced during past holiday seasons. I am definitely still learning how to prevent and diffuse interpersonal conflict, especially during the holiday season, but here are some things I have discovered.
Last month I wrote about damage control and managing conflict. I have found that many of my clients (and friends) have to deal with more interpersonal conflict and damage control than usual during the holiday season. This is because the holidays are a time when we are expected to spend time with family members. And, […]
In the practical blog on conflict I offered some simple steps to dealing with conflict. Now I want to talk about how I (and I think most people) handle conflict.
Interpersonal conflict is guaranteed in life. Some would even say the holidays foster it as we find ourselves spending time with family members we may try to avoid the remainder of the year. In December’s blog I will talk about ways to prevent conflict. But for now, let’s talk about how to handle conflict once […]
Christmas dinner and you are the host. Here is what you are thinking as your guests arrive. You must remember not to offer your best friend’s mother a glass of wine because she is a recovering alcoholic. You must remember not to talk to your grandfather about his failing health because last year when you […]
Stores set out Halloween merchandise as soon as the back-to-school displays come down. And immediately after that shelves are stocked with Christmas items. In fact, in a store near my house, they put the Halloween and Christmas stuff up simultaneously, side by side. We are made aware of the holiday season between October and January […]
