As a (cognitive) behavioral psychologist, I often instruct parents to use rewards to improve child behavior.  Research shows that people – and animals, actually – respond better to positive than negative.  I also encourage parents not to show a lot of emotion when they are setting limits.  The calmer the better is our motto.  Although … Read more

I both love and hate this time of year.  In fact, I kind of have a little mental score-card for the “holiday season.”  It goes like this: Pros: Beautiful lights and decorations Cheerful warm houses Time with family and friends Random gifts of chocolate and cookies Gifts in general Parties Vacation Cons: People hang beautiful lights because … Read more

I just returned from a wonderful Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (http://www.abct.org/home/) conference in Philadelphia. There are so many learning opportunities in life, but I always find it hard to carve out time for my own growth and development. So, in an effort to practice what I preach regarding self-care, every year I make … Read more

anxiety about the beginning of the year

I enjoyed reading this somewhat more nuanced version of a topic that has been in the headlines a lot lately.