“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” —David Augsburger If I had to name the…
Anxiety: Your Welcomed Guest
Stop fighting anxiety and start welcoming it. Learn why acceptance-based therapy might be the counterintuitive approach you need.
Coping with the Reality of Chronic Pain
Do you feel that your chronic pain rules your life? Are you having trouble adjusting to the limitations of your pain? You are not alone.…
The Pause: Hope for Unrelenting Busyness
When Sue came to see me for counseling, she was under great stress. There were too many tasks to accomplish, places to go, and people…
The Best Gift for Your Teen or Adult Child: Admit Your Biggest Mistakes
Parents love to joke about their worst moments in parenting. For example, we laugh about that time that we forgot to strap in the car…
Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions
By this point in the year you may be making great strides toward your New Year’s resolutions, feeling frustrated that you haven’t made as much…
If Your Relationship Feels Stuck, Could Not Listening the Problem?
If you find that your relationship is lacking in closeness, you may just want to ask yourself if you’re a good listener. Because I can…
Assertiveness: Why Does It Matter, When Others Won’t Change?
Counselors spend a fair amount of their time teaching assertiveness skills, because people frequently come in with low self-esteem, feeling very disempowered. Often they grew…
Good Guilt: When Feeling Guilty Means You’re on the Right Track
Change is hard. When people come in for counseling, they want change, and often this requires that they themselves change their own behavior or their…
Coping with Family Dysfunction at the Holidays
On the wall of my office where I do counseling I have a sketch that says, “Rules for a Successful Holiday: 1. Get together with…
Postpartum Anxiety: More Common than Postpartum Depression
When Michelle first sought help after the birth of her first baby, she couldn’t figure out what the problem was. All she had ever heard…
Turning Life’s Detours into Opportunities
Driving down interstate 90, thinking about getting to my destination at a decent hour, my excitement for the night’s plans suddenly came to a stop.…
