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“Buried Alive: Hoarding gets a New Diagnosis”

Reality TV has brought attention towards the obsessive-compulsive disorder known as hoarding. Often, people find comfort in retaining material possessions…and it takes everything in them to find the strength to throw a belonging away. It’s difficult for them to discard things that the next person wouldn’t think twice about tossing into the trash. Hallways in […]

Responding to the reality of failure: Part 2

The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well… – Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee and father of the modern Olympic Games. I recently had the opportunity to go to London and watch a close […]

Responding to the reality of failure: Part 1

“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well…” – Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee and father of the modern Olympic Games. I recently had the opportunity to go to London and watch a close […]

The 5 Best Ways to Help Hurting People

Just remember, your words matter much less than your presence. The following are 5 ways to be present with hurting people. Follow them, and you have a great chance at connecting with others and making them feel loved and valued. 1. Say nothing at all. Sitting in silence with someone is incredibly hard. When we see […]

Rest vs. Unhealthy Escape

Despite the vast uniqueness of every human being, there are many universal truths about mankind that I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand through my profession as a counselor. One example: people of all backgrounds, genders, and ages seem to share a set of emotional needs such as acceptance, affection, and security. Another example: […]

Giving up or Letting Go?

A hurting mother recently said to me, “I have no hope that my son will ever stop doing drugs.  I feel so defeated and tired of this fight.  I give up.”  When I saw the mom a couple of months later, she looked brighter and seemed less burdened.  She told me that she and her […]

Why Your Relationships are Shallow

Through my work in individual and marital therapy, I frequently hear many similar complaints from different patients. These complaints include feeling lonely, unexpected bursts of anger, bouts of unexplained sadness, and a general feeling of disconnect. These bothersome feelings puzzle my patients and often leave them drained and frustrated. Sometimes, they understand that their lives […]

What are the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle?

Having a healthily lifestyle can be a challenge – busy work schedules, large quantitates of processed foods, and little margin in our lives for “down time”.  Making matters worse, we hold onto the myth that our physical health is unrelated to our emotional health.  Our physical health does impact our emotional health and our emotional […]