Over the years, I have worked with a lot of folks who ask me: “Am I addicted to bad relationships?” Early on in my career, I would smile and assure the person “absolutely not.” It was simply impossible in my mind because I saw addiction as being associated with a…

Breakups suck. They just do. Even if we know they are for the best. Maybe it is because while we are in a relationship we are writing the rest of the story in our heads. We are drafting what could be instead of focusing on what is. Forecasting in relationships…

Meta-awareness is a crucial element of psychology training — that is learning to converse with others while simultaneously noticing oneself conversing with others. Think of it as split awareness. You are fully engaged in the conversation but also aware of your thoughts, reactions, and the dynamics of the interaction (i.e…

One of my favorite questions to ask executives is: What do you want your legacy to be? The really good executives respond with genuine modesty…. something like: “It’s not about me… it’s about the team” or “If I left tomorrow, things would be just fine without me.” But I always…

I never learned in school that narcissism could be contagious. In fact, I would have genuinely laughed at the sentiment if someone asked me (ten years ago) if narcissism was contagious. It’s not funny anymore. I’ve known all along that fear is contagious, and I’ve written much about that. Fear…

I’ve been hearing more people say that they don’t want talk of systemic racism (and sometimes even talk of America’s history of racism) in schools. The argument is that it will make White kids feel bad about themselves. Beyond the idea that we have to talk about history regardless of…

I’m kicking off a series highlighting the tools I use to coach executives. They are skills everyone can use. Here we go! Have you ever had a boss/teacher/coach/parent who only told you what you were doing wrong? Who never gave you a pat on the back for what you accomplished…

I’ve been hearing a lot of dramatic debate around kids masking in schools. I’m a parent and a psychologist. I’ve given it some real thought, and we as a society know more than we think. Straight up — the parent in me doesn’t want my kids to have to wear…

Years ago, I recall being consulted about a young boy whose father was in prison for a terrible crime. The child wanted to visit his father in prison, but the mom was conflicted. Should she exposure her son to the prison environment, which could be traumatic? OR Should she keep…