True Love Means-Looks Still Matter
“I love you but I don’t love that large Disney Sweatshirt.” “When did marriage mean you would stop shaving on the weekends?” “Everything you tried on looks great– why can’t you wear any of them?” “I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pets in the Office: Unexpected Resources
Who let the dogs in? Many people from members of Congress to advertising executives have welcomed dogs into the workplace and for good reason. Historically we know of the value of dogs in firehouses,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Death of Bin Laden: Looking Backwards to Heal Forwards
The news of Bin Laden’s death has erupted on national and international levels in a mix of feelings. Attached to the thrill of justice served and military courage recognized are shadows of fear and the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can A Marriage Survive An Affair?
Recently, we again witnessed the dismantling of a celebrity marriage with the exposure of an affair. As always, the world watched, condemned, condoned and debated the question: Can a marriage survive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Medical Illness as Psychological Trauma: Overlooked Pain
In this era of advanced medical detection and intervention, the medical care of patients and the reduction of mortality for life threatening illness has never been greater. Against this backdrop of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Strategies for Healing the Psychological Impact of Medical Illness
In the preceding blog, we considered the importance of recognizing medical illness as psychological trauma. In this blog we report on an interview with Michele Rosenthal, author of the trauma recovery...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Important Validation for the Aftermath of Adult Trauma
Many people face a traumatic event in adult life. Be it a serious car accident, combat, rape, a natural disaster or the loss of a child, people are often confronted with a horrific event that threatens...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does Hope Really Make a Difference? Scientific Findings
Almost everyone has some experience with hope: We hope for the best. We hang on to hope. We despair when we lose hope. It would seem that hope, which is broadly defined as an emotional state that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Psychological Importance of “Our Stuff”
Well beyond the necessities and somewhere between collecting and hoarding…we all have ‘stuff.’ Be it the toy truck, the pasta bowl, the piano, the silver earrings or the old books, we all have stuff...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Recognizing and Understanding Depression After Trauma
Disaster and trauma studies often focus on identifying the incidence of PTSD as the sequel to traumatic events. Early interventions with those affected after a disaster or traumatic event increasingly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Understanding Anger in the Aftermath of Trauma and Disaster
“Is Anyone Else Angry?” Trauma theorists tell us that while traumatic events are in themselves physically and emotionally assaultive, it is often the emotions suffered after the smoke clears and the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Family Story of Trauma: Ways to Change the Legacy
Whether in the past or the present, a traumatic event experienced by one or all members of a family, impacts the entire family system. Be it the violent loss of a child, the devastation from natural...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When Injury Disrupts Exercise: Five Ways to Reduce Stress
There is considerable evidence that exercise benefits our mental health. Research suggests that in addition to improving memory, lifting mood, moderating depression, and reducing attention fatigue,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Surviving and Succeeding in Face of Uncertainty: Six Strategies
Events like the Boston Marathon Bombing, Hurricane Sandy’s Devastation, The Newtown CT School Shooting and the many traumatic events they echo, assault us with the uncertainties of life. Leaving death...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Missing a Loved One on Thanksgiving: A Way of Grieving
Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in this country across cultures, religions, ethnicity, geography and socio-economic levels, is an emotional mile marker. It brings to the table and to the mind and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Developing a Post-Trauma Identity-Who Am I Now?
We are the story we tell ourselves about ourselves. Traumatic events disrupt out story and assault our sense of self. They leave us asking: Who am I if I can’t be a cop, a surgeon, a provider? How can...
View Article