Conflict Can Be Good for You
Over the past twenty-some years, I’ve heard dozens of clients say: “I absolutely hate conflict.” “Does every relationship – even a good one - have [...]
The 5% Possibility: A Terrific Tool from Internal Family Systems Therapy
Change is hard. We want to change how we handle things, how we talk to people, how we treat ourselves. We decide: “It’s time to [...]
Are You Drinking More During the Pandemic?
Celebrity/model/witty person Chrissy Teigen recently went public with her decision to quit drinking. As a psychotherapist for San Diego’s LGBTQ community, I’ve observed that the [...]
Can Therapy Work in Just a Few Sessions?
When people are considering psychotherapy/counseling, they usually ask me “How long do you think it will take?” People who have a very specific problem [...]
Feeling Safe
PTSD is a psychological term for “post traumatic stress disorder”. I consider PTSD to be the emotions we feel after we have walked through hell [...]
Can We Breathe Now?
Finally, as 2020 shuffles to a close, it looks like (some) things are getting better: No more Trump and his hate-mongering policies The Biden/Harris administration [...]
Mastering COVID Fatigue
We’re in uncharted territory, brothers and sisters. None of us has ever lived through a pandemic before. And the news isn’t good: more and more [...]
Anticipation
As I write this, the election is about a week away and I’m swimming in a sea of emotions: hope, worry, insecurity (due to all [...]
My Travels in TrumpLand: A Wake-Up Call
I recently returned from a two-week road trip. I drove through Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California, mostly on back roads like CA-49 and [...]
Taming Self-Doubt: What Would Stacy Do?
I have long admired Stacy Abrams. When she lost the Georgia governor’s race in a very unethical election supervised by her opponent, Brian Kemp, she [...]
Training Your Inner Puppy
Are you feeling lonelier these days? Is the pandemic exacerbating those feelings? Luckily, the physical state of being alone has very little to do with [...]
“Please Pass the Salt”: A Guide to Healthy Assertiveness
When you’re having a meal with someone, it’s easy to say: “Please pass the salt”. You calmly ask for what you want: no big deal. [...]