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Conquer Your Inner Critic by Lisa Firestone, Ph.D.

“I’m sooo fat,” said a small voice from the corner of my bedroom. I peeked my head out from behind my closet door to see who was responsible for the self-deprecating comment. My eyes lowered to behold the frail figure of my 5-year-old niece staring solemnly into my full-length mirror. Comments like these, although draining,… Read more »

“Stuck” A life lesson on parenting by Debra Kessler, Psy.D.

My daughter and I were watching videotapes of her when she was little.  At 17 years of age, she likes to laugh at herself revisiting times when she was small and still trying things she has since learned she is not good at, such as singing and dancing.  In one of the tapes when she… Read more »

Minding the Brain by Daniel Siegel, M.D.

An Excerpt from Dr. Daniel Siegel’s New Book Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. HAND MODEL OF THE BRAIN If you put your thumb in the middle of your palm and then curl your fingers over the top, you’ll have a pretty handy model of the brain. (My kids can’t stand that pun, either.)… Read more »

Making Sense of Your Past by Daniel Siegel, M.D.

Creating a Cohesive Life Story: An Excerpt from Dr. Daniel Siegel’s New Book Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. Why do we parent as we do? When researchers asked this question, they hypothesized— as many of us would— that it is the childhood experience of parents that predicts how they behave with their own… Read more »

Living Life on Your Own Terms by Lisa Firestone, Ph.D.

Whose life are you really living ? How can you differentiate from past influences and own your decisions and behaviors?As a therapist, I often hear people recount instances in which they said or did something that they just couldn’t believe. As soon as the words slip out of their mouths, they recognize their unfamiliarity, as… Read more »

Re-Moralizing Your Inner Voice Part One

In conjunction with The Glendon Association’s webinar, Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, by Dr. Lisa Firestone, I hope to add some complimentary thoughts on the subject of self-attacking inner voices that diminish well-being, steal joy and shame natural enthusiasm. As children, most of us learned some version of the Golden Rule:  treat others as you… Read more »

Looking for Mr. Perfect, Finding Mr. Right

As little girls most of us have some hope or dream of finding our very own Prince Charming, and as we grow up it feels like we’re always looking for him: at school,  in bars, online, at parties, at Whole Foods Market, at the gym and so on. In my search I kept looking and… Read more »

A Divorce Story

“Going through my things after we decided to get divorced was like going through someone’s Estate.  It reminded me of how it felt when my grandmother passed away, only here I felt like I was the one who had died.” Rick told me this as we caught up over coffee a few weeks ago where,… Read more »

How to Make Love Last

In June, during the first warm days of summer, we behold the most popular month to get married, while in the frosty winter month of January, we witness the most divorces. Throughout the wedding season, many of us are filled with feelings of optimism and hope for lasting romance. Yet, weather aside, by the time… Read more »

The New Eating Disorder We’re Failing to See by Angela Wurtzel

Not long ago two high-profile 30-something women, Brittany Murphy and Casey Johnson, died suddenly of “natural causes.” This news hit me, as I’m sure it hit most people, as both alarming and deeply disturbing. Although the circumstances that led to their deaths were both unclear and confusing, as an eating disorder specialist, I believe that… Read more »