You know you’re depressed, yet you hold back on getting the help you need because of the negative things you’ve heard about depression, many of which are myths. These myths are not based on any factual information, but they can do a lot of damage by preventing you from getting treatment. Have you ...

Isolation can be a result of childhood emotional neglect and its accompanying symptoms. In adulthood, it often reveals itself as loneliness. Why is that? Because childhood emotional neglect causes feelings of shame, inadequacy, and fear. While you may act upbeat, happy, and positive on the outside, deep within you feel unworthy and insecure, constantly thinking ...

Those who struggle with depression know that what they’re experiencing isn’t just a brief sadness or the result or having a bad day. Living with depression can leave you feeling like you’ve been swallowed by a black hole that gradually consumes every aspect of your life. While it might seem easiest to shut ...

Has your relationship been plagued with feelings of shame and guilt? Do these feelings get in the way of you and your partner having a loving and close connection? Emotionally focused therapy, or EFT, is a method for couples who are looking to strengthen their emotional bonds. What is Emotionally Focused Therapy? EFT originated with ...

Technology certainly is a blessing in so many ways. It’s hard to deny the usefulness of cell phones, computers, and the internet. Yet, just as with every other tool we use in our lives, balance is important. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Before you know it, your online life could ...

You want to cuddle, but your partner is completely absorbed in watching a game or show on television. You want to have a private dinner and talk, but your partner keeps looking at their cell phone to answer text messages. Do you frequently get the impression that your mate would rather cuddle up with their ...

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a formula we could follow that would guarantee success? Many of us think that there’s little we can do to determine our level of success. We attribute success to unchangeable factors at birth like intelligence. But it turns out that overall success isn’t quite so random and it’s ...

Sexual intimacy is the one thing that makes the relationship with your partner different. It’s more than a friendship. It’s more than a family connection. This is the one person with whom you are physically intimate. Intimacy is a strong bond for couples. And a source of joy.  But what happens when there is trouble ...

Is your child just a child like any other? Or are you concerned that some things may perhaps not be quite like other children? Do you sometimes wonder if your child may have special needs? And if so, how do you recognize them? What are special needs? In order to answer this question, we first need to ask ...

Is your partner checking Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all the time? Is he tweeting several times per hour, most of the hours of the day? Does she show signs of distress when social media is not available, even for a short time? If any (or all!) of this is going on, ask yourself: Is your spouse ...

It’s normal to worry when someone you love appears to have an eating disorder. The situation can feel terrifying and like it’s out of your control. You can’t make someone else get better, but you can be an ally in their recovery. Here are some of the things you should and shouldn’t do ...

Childhood is a formative time for all of us and marks many milestones in our development. A child’s first word, first step, the first day of school, and many other events signify important chapters in our growth from childhood to adulthood. Unfortunately, many experience childhood trauma which can affect their relationships, whether they ...

If you’ve recently faced the end of a relationship, you know why it’s a painful experience. You may be sad and disappointed as you let go of your hopes and dreams. Your self-confidence may be in a bit of a slump, too. Fortunately, you can recover from a break-up and come out on ...

When it comes to striking a healthy work/ life balance, Americans know they work more than they relax. In fact, it’s estimated that US workers sacrifice over 150 million days of paid vacation per year. That amounts to upwards of 50 billion dollars a year lost in paid vacation benefits. So if ...

Every one of us gets an occasional desire to make a change. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking or developing a new fitness routine, we want to see results. 21 Days? You may have heard the phrase that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. But does it really only take 21 ...

The list of factors that can potentially cause mom burnout is long. Very long. Up near the top is negative family communication. Mom is almost always the nerve center of family activities and emotions. That alone is enough to cause burnout. When communication has turned sour—or stopped completely—all bets are off. 7 Ways Negative ...

“I am greatly disturbed… I have grown weary… All night long I soak my bed with tears…” “I am distressed and extremely downcast… I walk around sad all day long…” Certainly, now and then, all of us feel down. In time, though, your sadness usually passes. Even when it lasts longer, you often can draw strength ...

Imagine the scene:     You’re in a large room, full of people. As you wander among them, you watch them interact, talk, laugh, but not one of them pays any attention to you. Not one gives you even the slightest glance, acknowledging that you’re there.     You stop and turn to some, asking questions. Nobody ...

Success. It’s a double-edged sword. On one side, it motivates you, drives you on, infuses you with confidence. But it has a darker side, too. One that can engulf you, drag you down, push you over the edge. If you decide to pursue success of your own free will, it’s your choice to expose yourself ...

Marriage is a continuous conversation. Everything you do, everything you say becomes part of the fabric of your relationship. It’s a shared story with two protagonists, written by a team of two authors. But what to do when the words dry up? When the space between you and your spouse becomes a vast expanse of silence, but ...

Love is beautiful. It is an especially good thing when Cupid gives you a second chance at a loving, happy home. Do enjoy your good thing; nurture it, protect it. But realize, too, that “beautiful” might not be the way your blending family describes the realities of your joined lives. As you may have ...

‘Tough love’ is a well-known phrase. But it sounds very strange when you hear it for the first time. Isn’t ‘tough’ in a sense almost the opposite of ‘love’? Who invented tough love? Tough love became famous when the book with the same title by Bill Milliken was published in 1968. Milliken, a Christian minister and youth worker, ...

What is hearsay testimony? There are numerous circumstances where adults provide information about their conversations with children. In informal settings, one parent may report to the other a child’s statement, or a teacher may report a conversation with a child to the child’s parent. In a legal proceeding, statements made by a child to ...

Overview Accurate knowledge regarding the dynamics of child sexual abuse and the reliability of children’s eyewitness testimony is crucial for juror decision-making. However, if jurors harbor mistaken beliefs about how children respond to sexual abuse or are not aware of children’s ability to accurately describe their experiences, the likelihood of reaching a fair verdict is ...

Betrayal. The ultimate death stroke to a relationship. Or is it? Betrayal certainly hurts. The deception and disloyalty committed definitely trample on your most profound feelings. The violation of trust does shake your perception of reality to its foundation. Truth becomes lie and lie becomes truth. Your world as it was is reduced to ruins. But ...

Wouldn’t it be great if our hobbies did double duty and actually helped us become better people? The idea that our hobbies can benefit us is especially vindicating to those whose hobby is reading fiction. Fiction reading is not the most exciting hobby, particularly compared to more extroverted activities like team sports. A 2013 study ...

You’ve made the decision to take part in therapy. Deciding which route to go is the next step. Group therapy seems enticing, but you’ve not taken the plunge yet. Although slightly intimidating, you’d like to know more about it. Perhaps, you’ve not yet made the decision favoring therapy in general. You know that you ...

Are you connected to a screen most of the day? Your desktop at work, your phone, your laptop, your iPad, and perhaps a gaming device at home? If so, it might be said that screens rule your world. Some experts raise the idea that a compulsion to be connected to the world outside your immediate surroundings ...

Note: Client edits changed readability. (LRO, 4/11/2017) “Happily ever after” is a great ending for Disney, but in real life over 40 percent of new marriages end in divorce. Clearly, marriage is not always easy. Although love is the foundation of any happy romantic relationship, love is often not enough to sustain a healthy ...

Unless you have been sleeping underneath a stone, you know that many more American couples are living together. This is happening more than ever before. Some people cohabitate before marriage. Some never marry at all. But what you may not realize is that the statistics are pretty mind-blowing. In the US, the rate of cohabitation ...

Have you ever wondered why your self-perception seems to be amiss? Why you’re unsure about your interests, your talents, or your likes and dislikes? Have you ever felt lost about your direction in life? Like a loser because the career path you chose didn’t work out? Or like a misfit, because you’re unable to ...

Depression and low self-esteem are often closely related. This is why, and this is how you can recover. Here is the main distinction between depression and low self-esteem: Depression is a serious mental health condition that comes with many symptoms. These symptoms can seriously disrupt your ability to function in life. Self-esteem refers to your internal ...

Successful co-parenting requires patience, empathy, and good communication. Lamentably, those are often the qualities lacking in marriages that end up in divorce. Yet, here you find yourself: divorced and compelled to cooperate. You may really dislike your ex-spouse. You may carry lingering anger, hurt, and resentment. But none of it matters. You have to put ...

Does self-doubt tend to creep into your mind at the worst possible times? Does it convince you not to pursue opportunities? Why? You’re bright. You’re talented. You have a lot to offer. Yet, you sometimes feel so anxious that you know it’s holding you back. You could achieve so many things if anxiety weren’t ...

Many of us readily embrace the “kids these days” reaction when it comes to technology. But it’s not just millennials who seem attached to their devices. Digital distraction is a growing reality among older adults, too. It’s not just obvious concerns like texting while driving. I’m talking about the negative impact our high-tech ...

Things are often open to interpretation. This goes for your house all the way up to the White House. Words like sex, infidelity, cheating, flirting, and intimacy must be defined before they can be determined to have occurred. For the most part, having sexual relations with someone other than your partner is considered ...

If you get a chance soon, find an out of the way spot in the cafeteria at work, at a shopping center, or in a restaurant…anywhere guys are hanging out and ladies gather together. Then, take some time to people watch. Eavesdrop a little. It’s okay. It’s all for the sake of learning ...

Most men would love to be in a relationship. But many men are also afraid of being in a relationship. Some men don’t even realize that they have this issue – they just find one reason after another not to become too intimate. If you are looking for help in intimacy, therapy can be very ...

Has life been leaving you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out? Is it hard for you to relax and unwind because of all the issues and problems you’re facing? We all have to face challenges in our lives, but sometimes those burdens get the better of us. However, practicing mindfulness can help you gain ...

Who’s ruling your life? You or your anger? Of course, from time to time, all of us get angry. Anger is a normal human emotion, just like fear, anxiety, sadness, hope, and love. Some people, though, have anger problems, experiencing the emotion much quicker, more often, and more intensely than most. Their anger, in ...

Communication is the pinnacle of a healthy relationship. Without it, a relationship can deteriorate quickly. It’s more than just talking or hearing. Communication is a means of connection between two people. It’s intense and it’s intimate. Imagine a bridge between you and your loved one. This bridge keeps your shared feelings and thoughts ...

Have you set some financial goals for yourself, such as creating a rainy-day fund, saving for a down-payment on a home, or putting money away for retirement? That’s great! It’s easy to lose motivation for your goals, however, especially if they are long-term objectives. There are ways that you can maintain that focus ...

When you search for a job, the possibilities can seem endless. There is no shortage of either job boards and employment websites to engulf you. Often, the search feels like an overwhelming job in itself. With no clear end in sight, remaining focused and motivated during the process can prove difficult. It’s fairly natural ...

Have you been struggling with feelings that make you believe that you are somehow “bad?” Do you hold onto memories that reinforce a negative image of yourself, creating shame-based thinking? Shame is a powerful emotion that is often rooted in long-standing issues. It also is the source for many of the problems that ...

The Battlefield Houston arcade and laser tag facility has always been a favorite of your teenager. But today, their half-hearted participation and utter lack of enjoyment catch your attention. It seems lately you have seen them in this mode more and more often. Are they just being a typical moody teen, or do you ...

Help and Care for Your Aging Parents As parents age the relationship between parent and child changes. Where once they cared for you, it may now be time for you to help care for them. To ensure they have a roof over their heads, food and medical care, and time with friends and family. ...

We call them the Golden Years for good reason. There’s plenty to look forward to like retirement, a pension, a slower paced lifestyle, and grandchildren. But like all transitions, aging can be complicated. Many seniors feel: Isolated Mourn the loss of friends or family Have fears of running out of money Feel disrespected Are afraid of being a ...

It’s what we all want: a reason to wake up in the morning. Not just to celebrate that we’re alive, but to know the reason why. Having a sense of our reason for being means we are living life with a purpose. Would you believe that having a sense of purpose for your life provides more benefits ...

Eating disorders are more than just a diet that has gone too far. True eating disorders are destructive to both physical and emotional health. But, because they often develop slowly over time, it can be difficult to tell the difference between normal dieting and chronic, unhealthy behavior. If you realize that you or ...

Searching for a new job can be a job in itself. On average, it can take several months. During that time, optimizing your search will be vital to landing that next great position. Organization is a great tool. Not only will it help you to find a job more quickly, it will help you ...