With the transition from summer to fall comes the beginning of the holiday season. Although it’s supposed to be the most magical time of the year, that’s not always the case. For many, the holidays bring feelings of joy, warmth, and excitement. For others, they bring...
What is adolescence? The period of growth and development between childhood and adulthood that occurs between ages 13 and 19, although both the physical and psychological changes that take place often start even earlier, between ages 9 and 12. Adolescence can be a...
I was unprepared for how Kathy’s death would affect my coworkers and me. Kathy, our administrative assistant, was someone everyone knew and interacted with each day. Sadly, she died suddenly while at work. We all felt the loss of Kathy with the added layer of being...
Ask anyone (particularly in Michigan) when they believe the highest suicide rates are during the year, and we’d probably all say January or February. Those dark, dreary days where the sun blends in with the darkness, leaving a pale gray weariness dipped in sludgy ice...
As I sit in my home during the current COVID-19- related state of emergency, I am confronted with the reality that there is a lot of time on my hands to think, and a lot of fodder to think upon. From daily news announcements, to the online commentary and “non-news”,...
Despite your current level of panic over the recent pandemic, you are likely being affected in some way. You may find yourself quarantined at home, out of work, working remotely, your business might be suffering, or you or someone you know might be sick. We are all...
Why is it so difficult for some of us? As the stores fill with shoppers during this season, so do the therapists’ offices. During a time when emotions are supposed to be “merry and bright,” people sometimes feel mad or bummed. Why are there often negative emotions...
It started last week… Over the years I have noticed that there are three or four weeks every winter when people seem to feel extraordinarily low; and we are now in the midst of them. During the last couple of weeks of January folks always start to come into my office...
Over the years, as a Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist, I have heard many stories about all kinds of dads – some wonderful, some absent, some mediocre, some abusive. As a daughter, I know I have never stopped longing for my dad’s approval. I truly...
