5 Keys for Surviving Isolation With Your Teen

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, but I have particular sympathy for teens and their parents. I remember very well when my three kids were teenagers, and I can’t imagine having them all in the house with us 24/7 for ten months.  We all thrived due to the physical separation that […]

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Gratitude: A Recipe for Happiness

We are in the worst time of this pandemic, and the holidays are upon us.  It may be a tough time for some of us to feel grateful, and it can also be a time when we find gratitude for things we may have taken for granted before. In the Greater Good Magazine, Psychologist Nathan Greene […]

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Resilience in Uncertain Times

Yom Kippur in the Jewish religion, is a day of mourning and reflection, of taking responsibility for the role we may have played in the pain of others. While Yom Kippur is always a somber day in the Jewish faith, this year is particularly difficult as we face not only a global pandemic, but also […]

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Take Control of Anxiety for Your Kids

Nearly one in three kids ages 13 to 18 now meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder (2018, NIH).  32% of teens report persistent feelings of sadness or loneliness (2018, CDC).  There are many factors that contribute to this escalation.  There is screen addiction and the constant comparison to unrealistically “perfect” lives of peers on […]

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Dating in the Age of Apps

A cheat sheet for dating in a digital world Human beings are wired to be in relationship.  Connection is fundamental to our wellbeing, and people who are in positive relationships are healthier mentally and physically. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, “Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy […]

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Using your wisdom as you age

Suddenly having a house devoid of children, when they’d been the major focus in my life for 20 + years, isn’t an easy adjustment. Having my sights set on my three children’s social, emotional, and academic development, made any other goal seem inconsequential at the time.  So, when the kids were finally gone, and on […]

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More Real Life Sex and Relationships

Americans are having less sex An active sex life is the accepted norm for American singles. Media is sexually explicit, sexting is common, and our culture is more tolerant of sex in a wide range of permutations. Yet, Americans are having less sex with each other than they were 10 years ago.  There has also been […]

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The YES Brain:  Moving to a More Positive Mindset

Author and psychologist, Tina Payne Bryson and neuropsychiatrist, Dan Siegel study the brain’s neuroplasticity, or its ability to change and re-adapt.  They have a new book, soon to be released which explains how to develop a “YES” brain.  As you might imagine, this is a more positive state of being than a “NO” brain.  The […]

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Overcome the New Wave of Bullying

A Disturbing Surge in Schools There is a disturbing surge in hate-laced bullying among students of all ages, as reported by Katherine Stewart in “The Nation”.  Particularly toward Muslim students, immigrants, and children of color, girls, and Jews.  According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than half of teachers surveyed reported an increase in […]

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Are you Really There for Me?

  Are you Really There for Me? Why are some couples so quick to respond to their partner with anger or defensiveness?  How can we break the cycle of extreme arousal, pain and more wounding that some couples experience with nearly every interaction? “We can’t stop fighting,” I hear.  “Everything turns into a major blow-up!”. According […]

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