As a psychologist, one of the things I do most often is notice patterns. I look for behavioral patterns, and emotional patterns – things that repeat – both good and bad.  When a client and I successfully identify a pattern together, that’s when we start to be able to make changes.  The reason for this is … Read more

The New York Times had an article in the magazine this week that needs to be shared and talked about more.  In it, the author shares the stories of women who struggle with depression during pregnancy.  Too often in our culture we fetishize and mythologize pregnancy and birth, not acknowledging the very real challenges that … Read more

Flowers. A couple of months ago I bought some $3 daffodils on my way home from work. It was dark, and a snowstorm was just getting started. Most people had their heads down against the wind. The thing I love about these flowers and their sunny yellow heads is the sheer optimism and persistence they … Read more

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