“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as being heard.” William Hazlitt Do you ever find yourself listening to someone, but not really focusing on what they are saying? Instead, you’re thinking of what you want to tell them about yourself or your story. Maybe you have the opposite problem. You would […]
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? If you are an introvert, you energize yourself by spending time alone. Extroverts, on the other hand, feel refreshed and rejuvenated after spending time with others. Personally, I think I am almost equal parts introvert and extrovert. But, no matter what personality type you may be, study after […]
Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It’s part of normal life. Most people’s stress levels increase this time of year due to the added pressures that come with the holidays such as parties, gifting, decorations, and missing loved ones. When you factor in daily stressors like relationships, work issues, illness, and child care; our stress levels can really […]
Sigmund Freud believed that one of the primary explanations for human behavior could be attributed to the fear of death. My favorite poem on the subject is called “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It tells the story of a traveler who encounters the scattered pieces of a colossal sculpture, created in the image of a […]
I recently read a quote online that went something like this: I don’t set a boundary to offend you. I do it to manage the goals and priorities I have set for my life. Reading this quote took me back many years to the beginning of grad school. One of my professors told us that our […]
When a person first begins therapy, she is likely to say to the therapist, “I just want this feeling/problem/burden to go away. Can you fix it? Now?” Sometimes it’s said in a half-joking half-serious manner, but oftentimes it’s whispered as a desperate plea. The truth is that if there were a magic cure all, there would be […]
I love relationships. How could I not? I did after all choose to become a therapist. And, after decades of relationships–both personal and professional–with many different kinds of people, I have gleaned a few basic truths. Most importantly, I have learned (which I think deep down I have believed since I was a teenager) that […]
Do you know anyone who would say they are not stressed? I can honestly say I do not know any one person who does not have stress in at least one life area. Stress can be good when it helps us finish a project, master a new skill or rescue someone in danger. But prolonged […]
I believe it takes your whole life to achieve your destiny. I feel there are things we are supposed to accomplish in each season of life. And, we “achieve” our destiny only when we finish the race of life and have nothing left to learn, experience or contribute.
I remember one day when my son was around 3 years old he was playing with a metal bowl that reflected the light from the window onto the ceiling of our living room forming the shape of a crescent moon. When he saw the moon on the ceiling he wanted to reach and touch the […]
