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Many of us know in our minds that communication is an important part of relationships, but many of us don't realize just how important it can be. There are a lot of issues that may come along as a result of bad communication, and if we don't address it it in a prompt and healthy manner, it can actually end up causing a lot more problems than necessary. Some of the main reasons that people end up falling apart or getting divorced is because of misunderstandings that happen as a result of poor communication. [More]

How much passion should a psychologist have for clients' issues to get resolved? Therapy should be a place where you can discover different sides of yourself, and then work with your therapist to make sure that your needs get met in a way that makes space for diverse feelings. If it is a supportive and collaborative environment, therapy can be a great place to discover and make peace with different sides of yourself so that you can move forward in an integrated, self-aware manner. [More]

Your doctor informs you that you have an invisible disease which causes debilitating pain throughout your body. You may lose your job, have to fight for benefits. You have to deal with doctors who think you're lying about your condition and symptoms and become a guinea pig in order to find the most effective medications and therapies. [More]

Mother's with chronic pain often doubt their parenting skills because of their pain conditions. It keeps you from running and playing with your kids; you can't even begin to try and keep up with them. Many days are spent resting in bed or on the couch. Maybe ten minutes of activity here or there but you can often feel inadequate as a mother. The truth is, you shouldn't. The mere fact that you are asking yourself if you are a good mother makes you a good mother. You're willing to take an honest look at yourself. You’re willing to evaluate what is going on in your relationship with your children and you have a desire to make sure you’re there and present with them to the best of your ability. [More]

What is normal vs. abnormal exists on a continuum that varies from one culture and historical time period to the next. Clinicians will be most effective when they have a broad knowledge base of other cultures, as well as a good operational definition of this term. [More]

If you’re like many of us who feel better being in control of the situation or tasks, you’re going to have to learn to let that control go. There are studies that indicate that when we physically feel signs stress and anxiety it is our body’s way of trying to tell us that we need to reach out to others. We need to let others know what is going on. We need to pay more attention to our body and what it is trying to tell us. We need to embrace ourselves, love ourselves and treat ourselves with the kindness and compassion that we so often give to others but forget to give ourselves. [More]

If you really take time to think about it, it's tough enough on kids to be the children of divorced parents. It's difficult for them to understand that it's okay to love both parents and to depend on both parents. Divorce hurts. Everyone in the family gets hurt to some extent. Sometimes the kids are scarred for years, especially if their parents are at war for a long time and are always fighting in front of them. Some studies have even shown that divorced parents who fight in front of their children can cause more harm to them than did the divorce itself. [More]

Some people do everything that they can to make sure that they avoid conflict, while others embrace it and get "toe to toe" with it so that they can feel brave and empowered. No matter which type of person you are, you should know that there is a healthy way for you to deal with conflict, whether it's in your friendship or in your marriage. In this article, we're going to take a closer look at conflict and how to deal with it in a healthy manner. [More]

The title of this article is actually a quote from Lama Surya Das in his book, Awakening the Buddha Within (1997). I was so stuck by the simple wisdom of this statement that I posted it on my computer at work, and my refrigerator at home, as a frequent reminder of the dangers of hanging on to things that are better let go. But letting go of feelings, people or situations that are destructive to us, or out of our control, is easier said than done. We hold on and attach for lots of different reasons, but learning to let go and detach in healthy ways can help restore our sense of peace and our relationships with others. [More]

Are you angry and bitter every time you think of someone who has wronged you? If so, you're human but also probably living a more stressful and unhealthy life than you need to be. The problem with allowing others to control our emotions is that we cannot control what others do. If someone doesn't live up to our standards and expectations we allow them to destroy our happiness. We think that they have to do something in order to allow us to move forward. [More]