Whether you are talking to a friend, dealing with family, or buying something in a store, feedback is important. If someone has done something nice for you, feedback is a positive reinforcement. If your expectations have been disappointed, sharing your feelings can help the other person do better in the future. Even as a psychologist, it is important to have feedback. I tell all of my new clients that if they are comfortable with me, we will set goals for therapy together. But if they are … [Read more...]
Alone On Thanksgiving Day?
Whether you are alone because your family lives far away or because the COVID-19 pandemic prevents you from being together, it is important to think about how you want the Thanksgiving holiday to go. For many single individuals, who make up about a third of all households, Thanksgiving (and Christmas or Chanukah) can feel gloomy or sad if there is no one to share it with. It is hard to ignore all those family scenes in commercials, and joyous songs just don’t make up for a shared meal and hugs … [Read more...]
Are You an Introvert?
Recently I met with a young man, a professional in a scientific field, who was concerned that his shyness and introversion were hurting him in his profession. Even in a field where hard data is analyzed and replicated, he felt that his personality or ”nature”, as he described it, was hurting him. He preferred to listen and observe in meetings rather than fight for air time to speak. He was not the first one to propose ideas or champion his own projects. As a result, he got negative … [Read more...]
What’s Your Body Image?
WITH SPRING IN THE AIR, IT MIGHT BE A TOUGH TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM POOR BODY IMAGE. No more hiding behind those baggy clothes from the winter. It’s time to shed those clothes and this can be a struggle. Body image is more than being overweight. It’s the way you see yourself. If you don’t have a positive body image, then you won’t feel comfortable in your own body or about the way you look to yourself as well as to others. Let’s face it – we all have an image of how we see our body … [Read more...]