This year I started asking my clients three questions at the end of every counseling session. (more…)
Suicidal Thoughts? They’re Not a Good Predictor of Suicide
Thinking about suicide is not a very good predictor of a suicide attempt. Thinking about suicide isn’t even one of the eight big risk factors for a suicide attempt. (more…)
When Mother’s Day Hurts
Whether it’s low contact or no contact, Mother’s Day is one of the hardest days of the year for mothers estranged from a son or daughter. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the current epidemic of estrangement from an adult child, it’s this. The ordinarily reliable norms and guidelines we use to navigate any other interpersonal breakdown successfully […]
Boost Your Coping Skills with Both/And Thinking: The Pandemic and Beyond
Right after 9/11, my mentors, Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone wrote about their decision to make the three thousand mile drive from New York to their home in northern California. During their literally “from sea to shining sea” journey, they described how they saw everything from outpourings of unity, caring and generosity, to overt signs of hatred and calls […]
Estranged From Your Adult Child: The Last Thing You Ever Expected
Holidays, birthdays and other family-oriented times of the year can be a time of heartache for parents whose adult children have cut them off — and the growing phenomenon is much more common than our idealized notions about family would have us believe.
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Three Hacks to Handle the Difficult Person in Your Life
I get to spend most of my time with clients coming up with “life hacks,” those simple and deliciously clever ways to deal with life’s frustrations and without a doubt, difficult people are at the top of the list.
How to Make Peace with Your Parents — And Just About Anybody Else
“It’s always something or your mother,” as Wynona Judd is fond of saying. I guess she should know. She and her mother Naomi Judd were one of the most successful duos in country music history, and the backstory of their complicated relationship has been well documented on reality TV.
How Resilience Protects Your Heart – Inside and Out
“What’s your why?”
I knew that question would be a great ice-breaker at the American Heart Association event I was hosting.
The answers came quickly, and all of them were personal: names of relatives and friends who had survived — or not — from heart disease or stroke. Some answers struck even closer to […]