13 Aug

Posted at 10:00h by
sOn my 16th birthday, I asked for a cat of my own: a delicate and high-strung silver point Siamese. I named her Ina after a cat that lived on the shoulder of a hippie I’d met downtown the previous summer. Ina was a very anxious cat, not in small part because of the way we taunted and teased her. Ina produced a litter of kittens whose father we never identified because the kittens were

06 Aug

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The Self Esteem IssueMany people conceptualize that their problem is “low self-esteem.” Their belief is that when they start feeling better about themselves, they will act to improve their lives. Often the student therapists I teach agree and want to design therapy to address this. To me, they have all got it backwards. Back in the 90s, schools across the US started programs to boost self-esteem. They were

30 Jul

Posted at 10:00h by
restaurant_shortcuts_to_mindfulnessFor starters at this richly poignant little eatery, my charming companion ordered the house signature cocktail, the Robust Symphony, while I enjoyed a gutsy White Zinfandel with resplendent sulfites. We shared the appetizer of Pork Rinds with Pear Grantinee – personally, I found

23 Jul

Posted at 10:00h by
What Are the Causes of Lifelong Depression?Some unfortunate people suffer from depression all their lives. There may be a sneaking suspicion it’s their fault in some way, which is not true. Lifelong (chronic) depression is an illness that can be as debilitating as heart disease, and if untreated can even be

09 Jul

Posted at 10:00h by
spiritual therapistI’ve been trying to sleep for eight years. Oh, I sleep all right, but I’ll wake up at 4 a.m. raring to go with no question of going back to bed. Or I’ll stay up late even though I’m exhausted. For a while I enjoyed it -- there’s a high that comes from extended periods of no sleep, but every high is followed by its evil twin the low, right? Before this,

02 Jul

Posted at 10:00h by
When pent-up emotional trauma gets released in psychotherapy, it’s a giant upheaval to the entire system – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The release changes lives for the better, of course. All that secret, shameful, repressed garbage can

11 Jun

Posted at 10:00h by
What to do between therapy sessionsPeople who are new to psychotherapy often wonder what they should be doing in the time between sessions. Anxious to grow and evolve, they’re unsure how to aid the process, and their appointment next week seems far off in the future. The psychotherapy sessions themselves are concentrated, intense 50-minute “hours” one or more times a week. They can be

04 Jun

Posted at 10:00h by
spiritual therapistHe looked like Bradley Cooper but he didn’t have a job. At cocktail parties, I’m used to receiving a show stopper response when I reply that my profession is “therapist” or “shrink,” but this was a new one. “Psychotherapy,” he

28 May

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How Working on your Business is a Spiritual PathPeople often consider their spiritual work to be a separate arena from their worklife. In truth, the workplace can function as an ideal environment in which you get paid to grow spiritually. Here are six ways: 1)You have the opportunity to confront your grandiosity. The daily tasks it takes to become successful in business confront the glamor, fame, and wealth the ego feels is its due. On the career path, you