The body’s microbial community may influence the brain and behavior, perhaps even playing a role in dementia, autism and other …
Should Work Be Passion, or Duty?
Too many of us expect our jobs to give meaning to our lives. There is a better way. It’s worth …
The Scientific Underpinnings and Impacts of Shame
People who feel shame readily are at risk for depression and anxiety disorders We feel shame when we violate the …
Rejection Sensitivity Explained
While no one enjoys being rejected, some people are more sensitive to social rejection than others. Individuals who are high …
What Is Post-Divorce Trauma?
Can divorce or marital separation lead to PTSD? The loss of a significant relationship can be one of life’s most …
How and Why Positive Activities Can Make You Happier
Most people want to be happy. It is a desire that transcends age, culture, geographical location, political belief, religion, and …
How I Bombed My First Therapy Session
In my final year of graduate school, I was required to do a clinical traineeship. The traineeship is like a …
What Happens When You’re Convinced You Have Bad Genes
DNA tests can have a placebo effect. The first thing you should know is that the DNA-test results everyone got …
Does Unconditional Love Make for Healthy Relationships?
The idea of unconditional love in relationships is a noble one. Each of us wants to be loved as we …
Psychology Has a New Approach to Building Healthier Men
A controversial set of guidelines aims to help men grapple with “traditional masculinity.” This week, the American Psychological Association, the …
6 Ways to Help a Partner Deal With Depression
If your husband / boyfriend or wife / girlfriend suffers with depression you may feel helpless, but there are ways …
10 Ways Psychology Can Help You Live a Better Life
How can psychology apply to your everyday life? Do you think that psychology is just for students, academics, and therapists? …
What Happens During an Amygdala Hijack
The term “amygdala hijack” was coined by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter …
Are You a Functional Alcoholic?
How to recognize an alcohol use disorder, and what you can do about it. Most people know that consuming too …
What It’s Like to Have an Anxiety Attack
Flushing, sweating, tight chest, pounding heart rate: You might think you’re having a heart attack, but it could very well …
Are things getting worse – or does it just feel that way?
Concepts like ‘trauma’ or ‘violence’ have stretched to encompass things no previous generation would have worried about Is everything completely …
What Is Clinically Significant Depression?
The word depression is used to describe a vague swath of symptoms. But, clinically significant depression is different. It refers …
Life is too messy for absolute certainty. And that’s a fact.
Making inflexible demands of the world, then flying off the handle when they’re unmet, is no path to happiness. One …
Does It Matter Whether Your Therapist Is Similar To You?
How do you choose the best possible therapist for someone who needs help? Does it make any difference if the …
Practicing Presence: Conscious Collaboration
“Before doing, being.” Donald Winnicott, MD It’s for good reason that we frequently hear about mindfulness and presence practice along …
Hardwiring happiness: Dr. Rick Hanson at TEDxMarin
How to overcome the Brain’s Negativity Bias. Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist and the author of Hardwiring Happiness: The New …
How to Protect Your Relationship from Work Stress
Research suggests that work stress can undermine our romantic relationships, but we can take steps to prevent that. In today’s …
How Your Brain Falls In Love
For centuries poets and philosophers have speculated what causes two people to fall in love. Now, Biologist Dawn Maslar M.S. …