Mental Health &
Psychology Blogs

4 Steps to Consciously Free Yourself From the Grip of Fear

The biggest obstacle to cultivating the authentic intimacy you desire with the special person in your life is a part or parts of yourself you do not love. There are hidden parts of you, parts you have never fully accepted, perhaps parts of you that were rejected, shamed by a parent or parts you feared...

July: Positives During Coronavirus Lockdown Part 2

Let's finish up the month with the rest of this month's positives despite coronavirus! As always, feel free to share your positive's for the month in the comments.

Here’s An ADHD Question

A problem! "It is a chronic, life long condition, and it's about time that we started treating it as such. You know, people with ADHD are more susceptible to problematic drug use and more likely to take their own lives, but it is one of the more treatable conditions so...

Update: The Psychological Impact of Quarantine

The most significant negative factor in past quarantines was when the shutdown date came and was then extended. Reopening the economy, and then shutting businesses down again, could lead to a significant mental health crisis.

Today I Love Going To Mars

The perfect summer moment, frozen ... Today I love going to Mars with the newest rover, Perseverance. I love that science continues to look to the unknown. I love that we continue to explore in as many directions as possible because we do not know from which direction...

8 Mistakes to Avoid When Arguing

Many people who have to live or work with the chronically angry feel unprepared to cope with their titanic temper tantrums. When we don't know what to do when faced with anger, we have an unfortunate tendency to make up our own interventions. This DIY approach to cope with someone's monumental rage is usually counter-productive and ineffective. They only prolong...

28 Lessons on Body Image, Well-Being, and Life

Ever since I started this blog (back in 2009!), almost every year around my birthday, I’ve been republishing and revising a version of the below post about the lessons I'm learning about building a positive body image, coping effectively, and living a fulfilling, meaningful life. I hope this post inspires you to reflect...

Not on Speaking Terms; What to Do?

Linda: There are times when a relationship is so broken down; when those involved have been so hurt by the other, that they withdraw into silence to protect themselves. It’s a natural...

What to Expect from Your Adopted Child: Insights from Behavioral Genetics

When I was teaching at the University of Virginia, my colleagues included some of the most eminent researchers in the field of behavioral genetics. Their work was respected and admired. I didn’t...

Prepubescent Mood Swings: They Start Earlier Than You Think

I'm raising a little girl who just turned nine, and LET ME TELL I am so worn out by her emotions right now. We're at about four weeks now of her randomly bursting into tears for no reason whatsoever. One day, I asked her what sounded good for dinner and she started crying. I asked...

First Priority or No Priority

Some tasks demand immediate attention while others can be put off even if it’s advisable to get them done.

Now’s The Time To Quit The Restoral

I hear about people taking up new hobbies, or trying something new during this shelter-at-home phase in life, and I've struggled with feeling somewhat of a failure cause I haven't really done...

Silent Treatment Trouble

One of the most common social signals I see treating overcontrolled individuals in Radically Open DBT is the silent treatment. A social signal is any behavior a person completes in the presence of another person ( rehearse a speech, have a conversation, dance, etc.). Silent treatment is to be in another’s presence but not speak. It can be denied easily as not...

5 Helpful Things You Can Say If a Loved One Cancels Plans

My last post focused on how valid and acceptable it is to put yourself first and to cancel plans if you need to. Self-care is vital. This time I want to focus on cancelled plans from the perspective of a loved one.

Today I Love Hard Decisions

Paella contemplation Today I love hard decisions, the ones that are made decisively and firmly with no going back, decisions that are determined in their nature. I love that I decided some time ago that I would enjoy what life I am given to the best of my ability...

The Best Of ADHD

I could learn to love this ... “I like having it a lot; it is who I am." ~ Richard Bacon, Television and Radio host, talking about his ADHD. There are days when I am happy. And in fairness, there have been more of them since my diagnosis than there were...

Wise Words of Liberation to Guide Our Lives

"To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying 'Amen' to what the world tells you you ought to prefer is to have kept your soul alive." — Robert Louis Stevenson Twenty years ago, I was...

12 Ways To Cultivate Empathy

Are you the type who instantly attunes to another person’s experience and seemingly knows the right things to say and do? Or do you secretly wonder if you’re just lacking in the empathy gene? Empathy refers to the capacity to comprehend and other people’s feelings and emotions. It is a vital component of building and maintaining healthy...

Today I Love Saffron And All Its Richness

I'm just mad about saffron ... Today I love saffron and all its richness; its nearly, but not quite, salty aroma; its subtle, almost sweet flavor; its richly earthy hues, from the deep reds of its self to the beautiful golds it imparts to the...

5 COVID-19 Coping Skills

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." — Theodore Roosevelt As I mentioned in my previous article, Hunkering Down with COVID-19: 4 Brain-wise Ways to Cope , COVID-19 has ushered in a period of unexpected trauma on a global level for so many. Not since the Spanish Flu in 1918 have people been impacted by a pandemic to this magnitude. ...