When I visited my mother several weeks ago, I never imagined that her home and thousands of others would be reduced to ash two days later. It seems unfathomable that entire communities could be decimated so quickly. The horrific wildfires in Los Angeles and their unparalleled destruction hammer home the reality that none of us […]

Family Systems (IFS) therapy is based on the idea that we all have various parts or sub-personalities. This is perfectly normal and to be expected. Have you ever thought “part of me wants to stay at home, but another part of me wants to go to the party”? Or “part of me admires my best […]

Do you find yourself trying to figure out why experiences have happened to you, why certain situations frighten you, or why certain inevitables (death and taxes, as they say) exist? If so, welcome to the human race. Our minds are meaning-making machines. In addition, gaining a greater understanding of issues can be helpful, to an […]

Patience is one of the most useful character traits we can develop. Whether we’re dealing with a prolonged case of the flu, a troubling relative, learning a second (or third) language, or digging ourselves out of a financial hole, patience makes it possible for us to withstand frustrations, control our temper, regulate our stress level, […]

We are with ourselves 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the conversations we have with ourselves constitute the most powerful influence on our feelings, actions, and characters. How would you describe your internal conversations? Are they kind, supportive, honest, and patient? Or are they angry, critical, and discouraging? If the latter’s the […]

Do you often say to yourself things like, “This experience means that I’m not a good person”, “I’m not good at math”, or “I’m not worthy of my husband [or wife]”. If so, this is a clue that you may have a fixed mindset, in which you see things fatalistically, as if certain qualities of […]

Perhaps it’s those pesky migraine headaches, with the accompanying nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to light, that threaten to incapacitate you on a regular or sporadic basis. Or maybe you struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition possibly connected with Epstein-Barr virus, that makes even taking a shower exhausting. Or you deal with rheumatic arthritis, an […]

“Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves.” (Thich Nhat Hanh) Do you find yourself looking forward to your nightly glass of wine a bit too much? Do you struggle with late-night trips to the 7-11 for junk food? Are you dabbling in illicit drug use? Are you loathe to call your […]

Do you sometimes recoil from uncomfortable emotions, thinking that you either shouldn’t be feeling them or that you cannot handle them? The truth is that we’re meant to have a broad range of emotions. We actually need to, since they provide us with valuable information. The key lies in not judging our feelings but becoming […]

Wouldn’t it be a relief if you could finally get – and keep – your life in order? If you were always in tip-top condition physically, without any medical concerns? If you could hit your “ideal” weight and maintain this with an unbroken string of healthy yet delicious meals? If you never fought with your […]