My clients often feel ashamed of their grief following the death of a pet because it’s “only” a dog or a cat (or bird, fish, rabbit…). Yet companion animals can provide us with love and devotion in a way that’s different from, and can even exceed, what we feel from a family member or friend. […]
Social Anxiety Disorder: (SAD) Looking at life from the outside
Nothing could be more fundamental than wanting to be liked. It is what leads us to seek and maintain relationships, and allows us to fully develop who we are in the world. But for people with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) the ability to engage fully in life takes a drastic detour. People with social anxiety—also […]
The Benefits of Cultivating Forgiveness
It’s impossible to get through life emotionally unscathed. We’ve all been hurt at some time or another, and not just by enemies; those close to us, like a teacher, coach, parent, friend, or partner, can also inflict pain. Emotional hurts range from those that don’t affect us deeply or for long, like annoyances, slights, and […]
How Anxiety and Worry Affect Memory
Have you noticed that you forget things in times of particular stress? This is both common and normal. Cascading thoughts that tumble unchecked make it hard to focus as our attention gets shifted from one worrisome task to another. The rabbit-hole pull of worry makes letting go of such thoughts difficult. Most people recover their […]
The Very Real Grief of Miscarriage
Early in a wanted pregnancy, we become attached to the growing baby—imagining who this little creature will be, how we’ll nurture and protect it, and how life will change with our new family. So when we lose that baby, many of us feel unspeakable despair that’s comparable to many other types of trauma, including post-traumatic […]
