Sometimes life is difficult. Psychotherapy can help with coping with your feelings, physical and mental symptoms, and a change in your behavior patterns.  Therapy is not just talking about “what is wrong” but working to find solutions and more effective means of coping in your world.   Common reasons that people seek therapy are: sadness, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, work-life balance, stress, grief, family/marital concerns, improving communication style, making a difficult decision, or seeking a new direction in life. 

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“Can We All Get Along?”

Rodney King, in appealing for calm during the Los Angeles riots, May 1. 1992

Over the last several months, media reports of violence due to political, civil, cultural and religious differences seem to be almost a daily occurrence.  The psychological impact can wear down the most resilient mindset.  As we...

When avoiding failure becomes your motivator, you are traveling down the path of inactivity.  You can stumble only when you are moving.

- Roberto Goizueta

It has been said many times that listening is the key to communication.  I completely agree with that statement.  But, can we listen differently at different times in our lives?  Absolutely!  Listening happens through our current view, or filter, of the world and this filter can influence what we hear and how we respond. 

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We don't stop playing because we grow old.  We grow old because we stop playing.

-George Benard Shaw

Right around the time I graduated college, I remember being at a friend’s house talking about finding a job.  My friend’s dad gave us this piece of advice: “Everybody needs to start somewhere and everybody needs a job.  But, I wouldn’t be surprised if over the years your career finds you.” 

He went on to explain that if we spent too much time planning our career, we might not fully evaluate the opportunities presented to us; opportunities we might not have known...

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.

― Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love

Community violence is defined by a wide range of events that shock and negatively affect a population.  Riots, shootings, assaults, massacres, bombings, war, terrorism and racial tensions are but a few examples the term denotes.  Unlike a natural disaster, community violence is usually without warning and always an intentional act by people.  Communities are left shocked by the surreal event.  The long-term effects of these out-of-the-blue events lead to feelings of betrayal and distrust.  It has the potential to destroy neighborhoods and end friendships.  In such situations, people can have many different reactions.  Below are suggestions of things to do and not do when community violence occurs. 

Common Reactions to...

Navigating the balance between caring for yourself and your parents can be more stressful than raising your own children. Our parents’ aging results in an increase and dependence on external supports and resources. This shift often occurs without warning. The increase in eldercare resources impacts us, the caregivers, both directly and indirectly.  Some of the signs and symptoms that you, or other family members, may be experiencing can be exhibited through both physical and emotional changes. The enclosed article addresses both symptoms and coping skills while navigating the caregiver balance. As the saying goes- one cannot take care of others if they cannot take care of themselves.

https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/signs-of-caregiver-stress-how-to-tell-if-you-are-too-stressed-135916.htm

“Who do you love more?” As the mother of two competitive boys, I haven’t heard this directly yet, but it’s implied all the time. Just the other day I was asked “Whose drawing do you like better?” and “I’m better at pushups, right?” My boys have wildly different strengths and personalities, and I am mindful not to label them as the “active one” or the “smart one,” etc. I try to give equal time and energy to the two, but in developing authentic relationships with each of them, my interactions and affections with each of them are not the same. I think it would be odd...