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There are subtle ways that parents can make the mistake of parentifying their kids. This term means to reverse roles, causing the child to parent the adult. There are two forms of parentification: instrumental and emotional. Instrumental refers to the child actually doing physical tasks that a parent should do, such as taking care of younger siblings or even an adult relative, maintaining the household, or paying the bills. Emotional parentification happens when the child becomes the…

Oftentimes, psychological issues as opposed to medical problems cause erectile dysfunction. With the invention of Viagra it seems so easy to treat ED these days- just pop the blue pill and the problem is solved. It is much more difficult to think about addressing deeper psychological issues that can be causing ED, and certainly takes a lot more time- but can be a more fulfilling and permanent fix. There are many reasons you or your partner may…

Just about 7% of the adult American population is struggling with depression. This means that many of you have experienced this yourself or are in an intimate relationship with someone who has dealt with the challenges that depression brings. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and confused about your partner’s depression, and oftentimes, partners end up feeling frustrated about their inability to help their loved one to feel better. Although it is normal to feel worried…

It can be hard to understand why your child is cutting. You may think it is for attention, a possible suicide attempt, immature and they will grow out of it, or that stopping is as easy as making the choice not to do it anymore. Perhaps you really can’t imagine why anyone would cut his or herself or how it would help a person. Actually, cutting is a type of coping skill that makes sense for many…

The lonely elderly woman whose house is overrun with cats; the eccentric gentleman who can’t throw anything away, including his mountain-like stack of newspapers; the shopaholic mom who has three or more of everything and still keeps on spending despite rising debts; hoarding conjures up stereotypical images which paint a picture of isolated individuals leading troubled lives. However, the fact is that behind closed doors, hoarding is a relatively common disorder, affecting 2-5% of the population across…

We recently discussed ways to identify whether or not you are defensive in your relationship with your romantic partner. If you saw yourself in some of those descriptions and recognize that you are consistently being defensive with your partner, what are some steps you can take toward shifting that behavior into something more productive? A first important step, beyond employing practical strategies, is to understand why you are being defensive in the first place. Often, a maneuver…