Doing Life Together

It’s a common complaint in therapy, “He (or she) is so controlling.” But what does that mean exactly?  Well, it can actually mean a lot of things but here are 10 common signs to determine if someone is controlling. The person… Regularly puts you down in front of others:  Controlling people challenge your beliefs, politics…

There are many ways to thank a Veteran for their service on this Veteran’s Day. but first, a few personal messages: To my dad, a 97 years-old veteran of WWII from the greatest generation, we love and miss you. We know you were proud to serve your country.  Thanks dad for joining the fight at a…

  A few years ago, I interviewed Butch Harman, the executive producer and cartoonist of the TV show, Fairly Odd Parents. He told his personal story how humor and laughter helped him through stressful times. Humor was an outlet that for him, became the focus of his career. But what Butch discovered is also true…

Do you find yourself scrolling endlessly and compulsively through the lives of other people on social media? Then you realize, “I’ve lost a couple of hours of my day!”And you feel worse, not better. If this sounds familiar, you might be experiencing FOMO–the Fear Of Missing Out! But why is this even a thing? Is…

Bullies come in all sizes, shapes and ages. Adults and children can be bullied on social media or in every day life. The trick is to know how to stop a bully. What strategies are most effective? Since the school year is underway, let’s look a child being bullied. But keep in mind, these strategies…

Our child is three-years old and doesn’t know anything about Halloween. My husband and I talked about it and decided we are not going to celebrate the holiday. Surprisingly, my friends are giving me a hard time about our decision. For many reasons, including some experiences in our lives that were dark, we don’t feel…

Be anxious about nothing! For over 40 million people, living this directive is not easy. Anxiety seems to be a part of modern life. And anxiety often has its companion, worry, close at hand. In my book, Letting Go of Worry, I explain that worry is the mental part of anxiety. To let go of…

Sometimes I think I have a hyper-active fairness gene. I become quite upset when people suffer injustice or unfair treatment. When that happens, my tendency is to judge. But I have learned to be careful with instant moves to judgment. Why? Because there is a fine line between judging someone and standing up for what…

Recently we moved to another state and had to start over finding friends, a church, doctors, repair people and all the things you take for granted when you lived somewhere for a while. Moving is challenging. You quickly realize the loss of community and the need to belong. This universal need to belong goes all…

Most of us need a little push or help to do hard things. When it comes to motivating yourself to make change, it can be a struggle. Change is hard work. We often have good intentions to change but get busy and distracted. Or we don’t want to face the reality that change is needed.…

More from Beliefnet and our partners