Traditionally, at the end of the year, we talk about making resolutions. What are the things we want to do to change our lives? We make a list and start out with good intentions, but within 30 days that list has usually gone into the garbage pail. It’s not that we don’t have a desire to change, it is that the list is too long, not prioritized, and we haven’t figured out the “why,” the real reason we want to do those things. But after a year like 2020, a year of a presidential … [Read more...]
Getting Through the Winter & Holiday Blues
December 26, 2020 By
As we get closer to Christmas, with the days shorter, darker and colder, many people feel anxious or blue. With the COVID pandemic imposing a layer of isolation on top of those feelings, the experience of being down or lonely can turn into depression. While there is no cure-all for feelings of sadness and a sense of loss, there are things that you can do to hang on to some emotional balance during this difficult season. Watch what you eat. Enjoy the foods that you … [Read more...]
Video Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy
December 14, 2020 By
Many clients have asked whether video therapy or telehealth virtual therapy sessions are considered as effective as therapy that is done in person. I have expressed that I would prefer to see their entire faces on a screen than to be in-person in an office and only be able to see their eyes since mask-wearing is required. Facial expressions, especially smiling, frowning, or looking sad, are key elements of understanding what a client is feeling. Being hidden behind a mask and sitting at … [Read more...]
Coping with the “What If” of Anxious Thinking (Part 1)
December 13, 2020 By
We all play the “what if” game at some time. What if I miss the train, what if my mom forgets to pick me up, what if I fail my test, what if I don’t get asked to the prom. At different ages, different kinds of “what if” thinking are more prominent. What if I don’t get the promotion, what if something bad happens to my children, what if I don’t count my bites of food and something happens to me. But when “what if “thinking paralyzes people, it keeps them from truly living their lives. When … [Read more...]
GRATITUDE
December 1, 2020 By
Thanks to Tara Parker-Pope for this eloquently worded statement of gratitude. I too give thanks to all of the people whose names I do not know, who made my life easier during the pandemic. And thanks also to the friends and family who were there virtually and in-person whose support was invaluable. Stay safe and healthy everyone. "GRATITUDE: I want to close this newsletter with an expression of gratitude to all the people who have helped us cope this year. Let’s start with our health care … [Read more...]