We all have bad days – and some of them are of our own making. Of course, sometimes things don’t work out because we are treated unfairly, and sometimes we are treated fairly but we don’t get the job or the relationship or the discount or the tax break that we want. Even on the…
Because so many things that we deal with in psychology cannot be physically measured, the field lends itself to various interpretations about all sorts of things. There is no equivalent of an EKG or MRI or blood pressure cuff to objectively measure empathy or resilience or even love. As a result, there is no uniform psychological theory…
I don’t usually get overly personal in these blogs, but events of the past few weeks make it a little different this week. Like every couple, especially one who has raised children, we’ve had to deal with our share of stresses over our 52-year marriage. Since we have lived healthy and active lives, however, few…
Whenever people discuss potential calamitous events of the future – like destruction of the planet due to global warming or an intentional or inadvertent nuclear event or the total collapse of the Social Security System or robots who start controlling humans rather than the other way around, you will often get at least one person…
The year 2019 will soon be upon us. As happens every new year, gyms will get temporarily more crowded, cigarette sales will drop a bit, some bars will temporarily sell a little more tonic water and a little less alcohol, and more people will start eating primarily plant-based diets, at least for a little while.…
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used approaches to psychological treatment throughout the world today. It is based on the principle that, in order for behavior to change, we must first make a change in our thinking. Emotional problems are essentially created by the negative or irrational messages we give ourselves about…
The tragic flooding of the city of Houston and surrounding areas brought on by Hurricane Harvey has caused unthinkable devastation and misery to countless numbers of people. Even while the damage was taking place, however, TV channels and computer screens were showing images of first responders and volunteers who left the comfort of their own…
The 2016 presidential campaign and election in the United States, as well as the events preceding and following the inauguration of the new president, have symbolized a phenomenon taking place in many parts of the world. There is an increasing polarization based upon political beliefs, ideologies, religions, and other factors. It’s logical byproduct is a…
In a few short hours, most TV sets in America will be tuned to the Super Bowl. While the motivations of some watchers will be oriented toward the commercials (which have taken on a life of their own) or the halftime show or the food that accompanies the many Super Bowl watching parties, most viewers…
The late Albert Ellis, one of the pioneers in the field of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, introduced the word, catastrophizing, into the psychology practice literature. Catastrophizing refers to the cognitive processing of information in such a way that things that are objectively annoying, inconvenient or unpleasant are treated as if they are awful, horrendous, or tragic. There is…
Do you wake up with enthusiasm? Or do you wake up with apathy or even dread? If you are not beginning your day on a positive note, it is probably because your expectations are low. You may be going to a job you don’t like or dealing with a project that doesn’t interest you or…