In July 1961, Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann stood trial in Jerusalem and claimed that he should not be held culpable for his own actions because he was “just following orders”. Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, became intensely [...]
I’ve only ever purchased two things from a Facebook ad. The first was a giant, beautiful, forest-themed tapestry that hung for years in the waiting room of my old group practice's office suite. I’m not sure how Facebook’s algorithms knew [...]
I never tell people on airplanes that I’m a therapist. Early in my career, a colleague advised that if he wants to have a productive or relaxing flight, he tells his seatmate that he sells life insurance. But on a [...]
In the past few years, a new phenomenon has emerged in dating. Actually, it’s a very old phenomenon, but it has a shiny new name and is amplified by the advent of dating apps and other technology. It’s called ghosting. [...]
Recently (and not-so-recently), I’ve written a lot about assertiveness – how it can feel mean but is actually the kindest form of communication, and how being "nice" is overrated. One of the most viewed articles on this blog is about [...]
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. She’s on her way to Granny’s house when she encounters a Big Bad Wolf who turns on the charm, waylays her, and coerces her into spending a bit more time [...]
“I’m just a girl who cain’t say no!” proclaims Ado Annie (prounced Ay-doe Annie), from Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1943 musical Oklahoma! by way of introduction. Poor Ado Annie. She’s so confused about what’s okay and what isn’t. Everyone tells her she [...]
Assertiveness is an act of kindness. This is an idea I keep coming back to, again and again. It’s something I say at least once a week during a therapy session, and almost every time I do a speaking engagement, [...]
You're on an airplane, and the person next to you is taking up more than his fair share of space. His legs are spread like he's home on the couch drinking a beer, his elbows keep knocking into you, and [...]