We live in a culture riddled with secrecy, denial and childhood sexual abuse.  The revelations and reality about the pattern of institutional cover-ups at Penn State University underscore the nature of the problem.  The voice of children, who are the victims of sexual abuse, are ofte… Read full post »

 

Lisa was referred to me by a physician who specializes in treating inner-ear disorders.  The neurologist was familiar with the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and its application in treating pain-related disturbances.  This patient was referred to me as a part of a multidisc… Read full post »

 

Lisa was referred to me by a physician who specializes in treating inner-ear disorders.  The neurologist was familiar with the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and its application in treating pain-related disturbances.  This patient was referred to me as a part of a multidisc… Read full post »

 

 

 

 Many couples get caught up in arguing over the typical problems that plague relationships.  A list of topics that couples encounter is actually quite simple.  Couples feud over finances, household tasks, in-laws, parenting issues, lack of trust and so on.

&n/…

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 Most Americans choose to divide our voting citizenry along party lines - Democrats and Republicans.  The Democrats have been characterized by the tendency to overspend and their devotion to a big government that likes to take our freedoms away.  Republicans are be/… Read full post »

 

 

 

 John came to therapy as a troubled young man.  In every way, his life was a series of successes.  He was a kind, caring individual who was passionate about life.  In spite of the emotional unavailability of his parents, he cruised through high school… Read full post »

 Melissa frequently screamed at her children.  This impulsive, angry behavior would occur over the tiniest of infractions - spilling things, making messes, and forgetting chores.  She felt guilty for mistreating her children, but was incapable of changing her perplexing parental/… Read full post »

 Life is time-limited.  The years slide by with haste.  There is no way to bargain with the aging process.  We can get our skin tightened or use popular potions that promise to return us to our youth, but it's all an illusion.  We are in a here-and-now, and the longer…

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 I am making a passionate plea to parents and teachers who believe that schooling is the alpha and omega of a child’s life.  Often, schools have convinced students and parents that a child’s focus must exclusively be centered on academic concerns during ever/… Read full post »

Sadness can represent more than a feeling.  It often signifies a way of thinking and behaving that leads us down a self-defeating path.  Our familiarity with a depressive mood becomes a way of being and a style of relating.  Sadness becomes a companion symptom that we carry around as o/… Read full post »

 

One could easily say that Nathan was born into the wrong family.  Had he been raised in the family next door, things might have turned out differently.  Nevertheless, I was faced with a teenager whose sadness was overwhelming.  He was immobilized by a deep depression that was af… Read full post »

 

 

 

Women, who have a history of mistreatment in relationships, tend to place themselves back into relationships with men that foster further abuse.  Often, after the damage, women appear to be mystified as to why they set themselves up.  They are easily lulled back/… Read full post »

 

Tales of a Troubled Childhood 

One afternoon I received a telephone call from an anxious young man in his mid-20s.  He wanted to see me for counseling regarding a relationship problem.  I asked him the typical scheduling question - "Tell me what might work for you in term… Read full post »

{Recently, a newspaper columnist asked me to weigh in on a new teenage version of tag, called fugitive.  I provided her with some insights.  Upon further reflection, I have penned this parody, an intentional mockery of this game].       

 

It starte… Read full post »

He came to see me as a struggling young man.  He was suffering from social anxiety.  As we worked through his fear of connecting with others, a significant, unidentified issue emerged - he was conflicted about his sexual identity.

 

Jeff had never dated, nor established a meaningful, in… Read full post »

 

 

The late psychotherapist Sheldon B. Kopp said, "No one is any stronger or weaker than anyone else."  This profound statement is a call to civility.  It means that we should never seek to elevate ourselves at the expense of others who we view as more vulnerable.  Our socie/… Read full post »

The idea of “privatizing” has always scared me.  I believe that privatizing has come to represent a way to cut corners in providing necessary services.  When I worked in education, districts were always talking about farming out ancillary needs such as custodial and food service/… Read full post »

 

 

 

Todd came to see me at the encouragement of his mother.  He "talked the right talk" about leaving his drugs and alcohol behind, although he had a long track record of failed attempts.  Todd had been in and out of residential treatment programs without success.&nb… Read full post »

Within the period of three months, I lost three loved ones.  Two of them died three days apart.  Although I knew the end was eminent as I processed each situation, my knowledge and anticipation did not soothe me - it only served to bring me closer to the inevitability of my/… Read full post »

No matter what the experts say, aging is difficult.  It takes a fair amount of luck, good genes, family support and activity to make this journey work.  There is one added quality that really lightens the load as the elderly are faced with their "golden years," and that is the capacity/… Read full post »

Recently, my wife took an introduction to genealogy course at our local library.  She was interested in gathering more information about her family history.  She found the class very useful in filling in some missing pieces about the story of her parents.

 

One way of generating genealo… Read full post »

Weight-loss is about majoring in the majors; it’s not about how you “butter your bread.”  Often, people can be obsessive with weight-loss behavior.  Weight-loss and weight maintenance can become a ritualistic, compulsive cycle.  Charlie Whitfield, author and addiction/… Read full post »

 

My wife decided to plan a brief weekend get-away for our anniversary.  We decided to stay in a beautiful resort which was nestled in the foothills of West Tucson.  It was the kind of resort where every time you turned around someone from the hotel would ask, “Is there anything/… Read full post »

Many years ago, when I worked in education, I spent my summers directing outdoor park district activities for kids.  The children would come from the neighborhood to play various games.  One year I recall a teenage boy coming to the park with a desire to talk with me.  He attended a/… Read full post »