14 ways to be happier in 2016. This article provides straight-forward strategies to increase your happiness and create a happy, healthy life in the new year.
4 Smart Strategies for Coping with an Addicted Partner
The holidays can be a scary time when your partner’s an addict or alcoholic. Instead of visions of sugar plums, you may be having nightmares of: parties with alcohol DUI’s broken promises being embarrassed by your partner ruined holidays of the past receiving gifts of alcohol relapse strained family relationships stress over finances, long to-do lists The most important thing […]
Guide to Healthy Holiday Boundaries
The holidays add some extra challenges when it comes to healthy boundaries. As you know, the holiday season means more social commitments, financial pressures, family gatherings, more eating and drinking. You may find yourself over-stressed and off your normal routine of exercising, sleeping, healthy eating and other positive coping activities.
How to Create Lasting Change through Therapy
After 20 years as a therapist, I know a few things about how to promote lasting change through therapy. I wrote a post called How to Succeed in Therapy and another one called How to Get the Most Out of Therapy. But there are still a couple things worth emphasizing if you’re serious about changing. I like to set realistic expectations when I […]
Practice Gratitude All Year Long: A Photo Gratitude Journal
It’s the season of gratitude and giving thanks. Of course, our gratitude practice shouldn’t be reserved only for November. According to the Greater Good Research Center in Berkeley, there are tremendous benefits from practicing gratitude on a regular basis – everything from helping struggling marriages to improved health and better grades in school. But surprisingly, Americans resist gratitude. A Harris […]
Overcoming Analysis Paralysis
Overcoming Analysis Paralysis I get overwhelmed making decisions. We have so many choices in the United States. This is awesome and paralyzing all at the same time. When you get stuck in overthinking decisions, it’s called analysis paralysis. The overwhelm can cause us not to decide at all or to let other people make decisions for us. Neither of these are […]
Is Silicon Valley Stressing You Out?
After 20 years in Silicon Valley, I’m well acquainted with the ups and down of life in the high-tech world. Silicon Valley is a unique place – home to technology giants like Google, Facebook, Adobe, and Apple, a diverse workforce, and housing shortage that can only be described as insane. And stress. Lots of stress. For as long as I can remember, […]
Conversations Infertile Couples Need to Have
Infertility is extremely stressful for couples. It challenges your decision-making skills, finances, emotions, physical health, and sometimes religious or spiritual beliefs. And although infertility isn’t uncommon, I continue to see couples suffering in secret. Guilt and shame in addition to sadness and frustration can lead to isolation. It’s hard to emotionally support your partner when you’re both experiencing high levels of stress, anger, and sadness. When you’re struggling to […]