Blog Archives

I use the term “vulnerability” often with my clients, and many of them sigh at the use of such a therapeutic word. It is therapeutic in the sense that it is a term I learned in my training to become a therapist to describe certain sensitivities inherent to all people, but it is also the most accurate word I can use for what I am talking about. We all have vulnerabilities. We all have parts of ourselves…

When changing a habit or trying a new routine, many people claim willpower as the biggest obstacle to achieving their goal. Willpower is seen as a strength. It is how people exercise control over temptation and exercise persistence to learn new things. It is the conqueror of procrastination and a cherished ally when it is available. And that is where many people find a problem. Willpower is not always available. Much like attention or physical energy, willpower…

Many of us are caregivers in our personal or professional lives, or both. On a personal level, caregiving may involve caring for small children, an older or ailing parent, a sick friend or sibling, or even for a pet. Professionally, we may work in high-stress environments with significant pressure to provide output, we may care for and heal patients or represent clients, and often we take on our client or employer’s needs. In order to succeed in both personal and professional realms, it’s important to be able to identify “caregiver fatigue” in ourselves and to remedy it with self-care before we burn out.

Financial Therapy Blog 2.14.16 Why is it so difficult to talk to your family, loved ones, friends, or colleagues about money? What is it about money that makes it so taboo? Around two thirds of American adults, regardless of race, gender, or economic status, are stressed about money and yet we aren’t talking about it. Financial therapy is a way to learn how to bring up and feel comfortable with talking about money and finances, learn skills…

When conflict occurs in an intimate relationship, something is triggered in each partner. To some, it may feel like a slow boil, a tingle or a buzz that grows stronger with each word that you interpret as insulting, disrespectful, or mean. To others, it is like flipping a switch. One moment you are calm and collected in your thoughts while talking to your partner, and the next, you are full throttle trying to protect yourself from a…

The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed health panel, recently recommended that all pregnant women be screened for depression regardless of prior risk factors. The task force notes that using evidence-based screening tests, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, can help reduce depressive symptoms in women with depression and decrease the prevalence of depression in a given population.

In 2005, Sky Travel publicized a press release sighting the third Monday in January, or thereabouts, to be the unhappiest day of the year. They and other companies used an equation with variables such as weather and motivation to calculate this unhappy day and thus inspire customers to take a vacation or buy an alcoholic product. The day was dubbed Blue Monday. The idea that this is the unhappiest day of the year might make sense to…

New Year resolutions are about embracing change and self-improvement. The motivation comes from reflecting on the past year and the inspiration of a new year to come. This same act of thoughtful reflection and preparation can greatly benefit your intimate relationship. It is unfortunate that the same level of attention given to self-improvement around the new year is not typically shared from a relationship standpoint. Just like you change and grow over time individually, relationships evolve and…