Six Tips to Keep Long-Term Relationships Exciting

The truth is, over time, our feelings in our relationships do change. The sparkly and exhilarating rush of falling in love is not permanent. But that does not mean that this feeling disappears; it simply evolves. The idea that the excitement of a relationship is sentenced to only the first months or even years a…

 

How Trauma Is Impacting Our Culture and What We Can Do to Help

In some ways it seems that to grasp the prevalence of trauma experienced in our society, one need only look as far as the past few weeks’ headlines. The devastating shooting in Aurora, Colo. marked an extreme act of violence that truly shocked our nation. Time magazine’s painful cover story “One a Day” brought attention…

 

The Price of Being Strong: Risks to the Mental Health of Athletes

Although the London Games are over, the rush of the Olympic “spirit” still lingers in the air. It’s always inspiring to watch the world come together to celebrate athletes who’ve managed to excel, push their bodies to their maximum potential, and compete at the highest level. The Olympic motto spells our expectations out most simply,…

 

Recognizing Complex Trauma

Treating trauma is a task most therapists can expect to undertake in their career. In today’s social and political climate, in which soldiers are continually being deployed to war zones and the recent recession has been linked to an increase in child abuse, we can anticipate that many cases of complex trauma are sure to…

 

Stop Self-Sabotage by Conquering Your Inner Critic

I was once doing a radio show about our (my and my father Dr. Robert Firestone’s) work on the “critical inner voice.” The host started the show by talking about all the media attention on terrorism and the fear we, as a nation, were feeling following the attacks of 9/11. She ended her introduction by…

 

Are You Hardy Enough?

Life is stressful. Financial strains, employment worries, relationship difficulties, and parenting challenges can all lead us to feel overwhelmed.  But what exactly makes the difference between those who get pushed over the edge with stress and those who, when faced with stressors, actually thrive and develop? In his 30- plus years of research, psychologist and…

 

Is Social Media to Blame for the Rise in Narcissism?

Studies are now showing what many of you may have suspected: We are living in an increasingly narcissistic society. In a world where prime-time television is dominated by a “reality” as false as the Kardashians’ lashes, and people sit across dinner tables checking in on Facebook rather than having face-to-face conversations, this may not come…

 

Why Women Get ‘Catty’

No woman likes to be called “catty.” But most of us can’t deny the times when our competitive feelings have slipped out by way of a sarcastic dig or a cutting comment. Just think of all those little statements we unleash, only to instantly (at least somewhat) regret it. That whisper to a friend about…

 

What Does the Popularity of 50 Shades of Grey Say About Our Sexuality?

I admit, I have not read 50 Shades of Grey. Because of that, I wouldn’t pretend to know what either the storyline or the writing style says about female sexuality. What I will note, however, is that the sheer success of this erotica novel has raised some notable questions about what interests women when it…

 

Deception: The Real Villain Behind Relationship Infidelity

When the topic of infidelity spills into our daily dose of media, we may say we saw it coming, or we may react with shock. Either way, we don’t exactly look away. Without even meaning to, we learn details, names, sources and suspicions. Most of us would admit that there is little point in speculating…