The Science Behind “Flipping Our Lids”

ordinary

Have you ever gotten really upset about something only to look back on it a day or two later and realize it wasn’t that big of deal after all? Most of us have had a similar experience. We find ourselves apologizing to a partner, child or co-worker for something that … Read More

Parenting: Creating a Happy Home – Part 1

I recently read a blog about building a home that children want to come back to. Parents walk a tight rope when it comes to parenting. Some parents hover over their children in order to protect them from perceived harsh realties of this world. Other parents believe that it is … Read More

Reconnecting Over Summer Break

Summer. Many parents view summer with a mixture of anticipation and dread; anticipation of the longer days, the looser schedule, and the opportunity to spend some quality time as a family, and dread of the boredom, the squabbling, and the search for ways to entertain kids. Summer can be a … Read More

How to Cope When Losing Your BFF

I believe most of us have heard BFF as a commonly used phrase to describe a very close friendship or “best friend forever.” Especially for women, close friendships often serve as a place of refuge or a layer of protection from difficulties in life. Research shows that BFF’s can increase … Read More

Listening Well: An Experiment in Empathy

empathy

“An empathic response is restrained, largely silent; following, not leading, it encourages the speaker to go deeper into his or her experience.” Empathy does not mean, as we often think, “worrying about, praising, cheering up, gushing, consoling, or even encouraging. It means understanding.” (Nichols, 2009, p. 84) There are so … Read More

Cognitive Neuroscience Part 4: Teaching an old dog new tricks

neuroscience

Twenty years ago, most physicians, psychologists and researchers believed that the human brain stopped developing after a certain age. The brain could grow and change during childhood or adolescence, but not adulthood. On the surface, this makes sense. It is sometimes difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. However, most … Read More

Making Friends Post-College

Your college years are often an intense, shared experience where you are flooded with peers in the same life-cycle stage, everyone is in a new place, and most people are open to meeting new people and forming new relationships. Bonds are forged over being away from home for the first … Read More

Listening Well: Responding to Criticism

fight

When was the last time you found yourself in an argument with someone? Who do you argue with most frequently? And what are those arguments about? Want a more productive option?? Michael Nichols, the author of “The Lost Art of Listening” shares a story about his temperamental cat that many … Read More

Decoding Your Break-Up, Part 2: How Do You Deal With Them

In Part One of Decoding Your Break-Up, we explored why break-ups feel so terrible. In Part Two, we will talk about how to deal with a break-up in a healthy, productive way. Time does heal all wounds. However there are definitely ways to speed up and encourage the healing process. … Read More