In Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., tells the simple, yet illuminating, story of how monkeys are trapped. In full disclosure, I have not investigated the story’s validity. I don’t even care if it’s true, and neither will you because the moral of the story is aimed at humans. The…

Have you seen the headlines about loneliness? It’s a big deal. Research is quantifying the negative health impact of loneliness and social isolation, including increased risk of death. Maybe it is a result of being sequestered during Covid-19. Maybe it a consequence of social media. …

My core self-defeating beliefs about the shitshow of life seem to resonate with people so I created a volume II. The thing about self-defeating beliefs is that when we read them, we automatically see that they are flawed. Spotting the invalidity is the easy part. The bigger challenge is that…

Negative self-talk is incredibly powerful. The judgment. The criticism. The relentlessness. It is hard to keep rationality present in the conversation. Metaphors are a great way to break through the noise and static to counter internal negativity. Think of your self-talk as being a conversation in your head amongst the…

There are lots of great feedback tools out there like the feedback sandwich and the teach back method. Lately, I am using a new technique in my practice that is landing beautifully. I’m here to share. After I give information or feedback, I ask: How did you receive that? I…

Spoiler Alert: Each and every one of us has a shitshow. The question is: Do our shitshows own us, or do we own our shitshows? People may not advertise their shitshows and may, indeed, even try to hide them. They exist nonetheless — sometimes in the center of the public…

Here’s the pitch: What if you have understood the story of your life to include you (as the main character) seen through the lens of “not good enough” or “not smart enough” or “unworthy” or “weak” or (fill in the blank) when all of a sudden the lens changes? …

The end of each year provides an underscored reminder to review what is working in life, what isn’t working, and what you’d like to do about all of it. …

When my kids were younger, they would often ask me what career I would choose if I had to opt for another. Despite their persistence, I gave the same unsatisfactory response, “I would be a psychologist.” I just could not imagine any other profession for myself. Don’t get me wrong…