One of my favorite series in recent years is HBO’s drama “Succession,” about the Roy family, led by the hugely flawed and highly successful aging patriarch Logan Roy. He is a media and entertainment mogul much like Rupert Murdoch. Logan is emotionally manipulative, pitting his adult children against each other to determine his successor. His moral … [Read more...]
Abracadabra: Poof! It’s Magical Thinking!
I met the 12-year-old son of a friend many years ago. I tried to engage him in conversation and asked him what he liked to do when he wasn’t in school. Hang out with his younger brother. Play with his cat. Cook with his mom. Eventually the conversation drifted to what ideas he had about things to do when he becomes an adult. He said he … [Read more...]
Feeling Anxious About Retirement? Here are 5 Tips to Help Ease Your Mind
Roughly 40 percent of Americans fear retirement more than death. Let that sink in. This fact speaks volumes about the role of “work” in our lives. For the purposes of this article, this fact also highlights just how common and overwhelming retirement anxiety is. It is a transition, and like most transitions, it involves stress. Consult any … [Read more...]
6 Tips For Work-Life Balance When You Work From Home
Typically, once you enter the door of your home, you can ignore work emails or switch off your phone. Yet, there is no physical separation from your home and work life when you work from home. It can be hard to strike that balance between being at home and working from home. This can even be downright depressing and have a negative effect on … [Read more...]
BIPOC Need Space in the Workplace: 5 Ways to Help Create It
Our work lives can be a challenge under any circumstances. For black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), it also involves some unique obstacles. These complications can often seem invisible to those who are not BIPOC. This can cause discomfort but it's also an opportunity to improve the quality of the workplace. Diversity is more … [Read more...]
Your Community Cares: How POC Can Secure Solid Emotional Support
Everyone needs emotional support. For some people, this truism presents quite a quandary when community spaces feel unsafe. People of color (POC) experience our mainstream society in a unique way. They exist within a system that is often unfair. In some cases, it's even rigged against them. There has been a lot of talk about white privilege and … [Read more...]
Racial Issues: 5 Everyday Ways to Be More Racially Aware
The fallout from 2020 is far from over. However, besides issues pertaining to the pandemic or natural disasters, there’s one area over which you can exert control. Last year saw more attention aimed at the topic of race than we've seen in some time. Some call it a reckoning, but for many, it created some internal confusion. You want to … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Practice Skills That Lead to Better Communication
There is no secret formula for happy relationships or friendships. Such happiness is often a moving target. Yet, we do know that paying attention to ourselves and each other is key. We must remain diligent and open to each other. Sharing and responding to each other is vital for healthy interaction. Thus, there are definitely some key … [Read more...]
Tips for Working from Home and Feeling Better in the Time of COVID-19!
It may feel like life during Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an insurmountable challenge, with demands to work from home, worries about people you love, and a feeling of hopelessness. While I can’t make this all go away (I’d have to be more than an ordinary psychotherapist!), I do have some tips for coping on a daily basis and how to feel … [Read more...]
Competition? Or Ambition!
What’s the difference between competition and ambition? Let’s look at competition... A competition is between you and others. Someone’s going to win, and it better be you! So you compare yourself to others, looking over your shoulder to see who’s gaining on you, looking ahead to see who’s outpacing you. You find yourself hoping that he … [Read more...]