Everyone of a certain age remembers what they were doing on 9/11/01. I remember it was a Tuesday, my late night as the employee assistance program (EAP) psychologist for Progressive Insurance in Tempe, AZ. My alarm woke me to the news and it was so unreal I thought it was still part of a dream. I ...read more
The Lost Art of Apology: How to Say I’m Sorry
Has giving an apology become a lost art? Often I hear about how our society is less civil and it seems that one part of that loss is the ability to apologize well. Linked closely with an ability to apologize is obviously the ability to take personal responsibility or to hold someone accountable. ...read more
Exercising Empathy: Understanding Each Other
Most people know that exercising is important for overall health, even if they don't like it. Did you know that exercising empathy is equally important in relationships for understanding each other? First it may be important to really know what empathy IS. The most basic definition is the ability ...read more
A Blue Christmas: When Holidays are Missing Someone
Christmas is next week and many are looking forward to spending time with loved ones: family and friends all around. For many, Christmas can be an especially hard time because someone they love isn't there. Whether it's because of death, illness, military deployment, extended work travel or a ...read more
Grace Under Pressure
Grace: disposition to, or an act or instance of, kindness, courtesy, or clemency; mercy, pardon; a special favor; the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful. (Merriam-Webster.com)We talk about God's grace, a dancer's grace and being in someone's good graces but we rarely use grace ...read more
Meditate Your Way to Lovingkindness
May you be peaceful. May you be joyful. May you be free from suffering. These, or phrases similar to them, are a part of a popular meditation practice called “lovingkindness”. The idea of lovingkindness is ancient and is seen within the major religions of Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism. Truth ...read more