Trump Anxiety in the Therapy Room
For the past six months, Donald Trump has been in my office. He’s there nearly every day, and he changes the energy in the room. And I think it’s about high time that I acknowledge him. I don’t mean, of [...]
How Your Secret is Damaging Your Relationship
“Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret, that secret is actually keeping us.” -Frank Warren, owner of Postsecret.com Seeking Connection When you enter into an intimate relationship, you are seeking a deep, real connection with another person. I [...]
Risk Taking, Discomfort, and Personal Growth
When I was a child, my favorite summer activity was the two weeks I spent at Lazy J Ranch Camp, an eclectic summer retreat in the hills of Malibu. Lazy J had the traditional array of summer camp activities: archery, [...]
The Monster at the End of Your Book
When I was a young child, one of my favorite bedtime stories was The Monster at the End of This Book. It opens with Sesame Street muppet Grover who, having read the title on the front of the book, explains [...]
10 Foolproof Ways to Find Unhappiness
No one ever comes to a therapist saying, “I’d like to be less happy,” but a lot of people make choices that lead to unhappiness. Having seen this in action, I’d like to share with you the following list of [...]
What kind of machine are you?
My very first car was a 1995 Chevy S-10 pick-up truck. I was in college at the time, knew nothing about cars except that I needed one, and my friend was selling his. We exchanged cash for car title, and [...]
Hack Your Love Life with Economics
I am not an economist, but I live with one. Before I lived with someone who studies and practices economics, the word terrified and mystified me. I had a vague idea that it had something to do with money or [...]
Narcissistic Parents and Learning to Manage Mama Rose
“I made you! And you wanna know why? You wanna know what I did it for? 'Cause I was born too soon and started too late, that's why! I could have been better than any of you! What I got [...]
Welcome to Los Angeles!
I have been getting a lot of calls recently from new clients who have just moved to Los Angeles and are having difficulty adjusting. Some of these people moved in two days ago, and some moved here two years ago, [...]
4 Songs to Help You Heal From a Breakup
Sometimes music makes you dance, laugh, sing, and feel joy. Other times it grabs you by the guts and makes you feel the things you’ve been suppressing. Either way, it can be incredibly healing. Everyone has their go-to songs, but [...]