Doing Life Together

It’s that time of year when we focus on love. Yes, Valentine’s Day! I heard a husband grouse about the day and say, “I don’t like being pressured to express my love. And I really don’t like being forced to do it one day a year.” Sadly, he’s not understanding the spirit of the holiday.…

  Disappointment happens all the time. People let us down and it hurts. But we never get used to being disappointed. For example, your father promised to take you to the Cubs game. He didn’t. Your wife said she would make time for physical intimacy. She didn’t. Friends promised to call you on the weekend.…

Although people joke about being obsessive or compulsive, having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is no laughing matter. The bondage you feel to the obsessive thoughts and rituals is distressing. OCD can disrupt relationships. Even the smallest tasks become difficult to perform. For example, Libby can’t balance her checkbook because every entry must be perfectly written, or…

Wendy struggled to get out of bed. She felt sad, was losing interest in her usual activities, could not concentrate, had no appetite and was feeling worthless. She knew she was in trouble. Yet, when I suggested she see someone to help her through this difficult time, she refused. At first, she was hesitant to…

One of the most overlooked but most common reason for overeating is stress and emotional difficulties. Kids, like adults, can medicate life stress and difficulties with food. Food serves to temporarily numb out problems or bad feelings and provides immediate gratification. Food is a friend who never leaves and offers satisfaction. As food is used…

Words do hurt. Many of us have to de-program ourselves from negative messages that may or may not have been intended to hurt us or make us self-conscious but did. Hurtful words can impact our feelings of worth. You begin to doubt yourself and wonder if what is said is true about you. The good…

Jerry is 40-years-old and has a history of changing jobs. He is easily bored and distracted. Jerry’s wife is frustrated with all the home projects he starts and never finishes. A trip to the doctor landed Jerry a referral to a psychologist for an ADHD evaluation. When Jerry received the diagnosis, it all made sense.…

When we marry, we hope it is for a lifetime. It is important to choose the right person to go the distance. What if you could predict which newlywed couples will remain married and which ones will divorce four to six years later? And what if you were right 90% of the time. Well…this is…

Violence is front and center both globally and in America. We began the year with another school shooting. Wars are being fought, violent protests are happening on college campuses. As we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., his approach to hate and violence is more important than ever. Most of all, he knew…

The holidays are over. The sky is cloudy and it’s dark when you wake up. You don’t want to get out of bed. You feel irritable, tired, unable to concentrate, want to eat, crave carbohydrates, and feel like being alone. It’s hard to get motivated. You just want to hibernate! Since this feeling come on seasonally,…

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