Remember some physical pain you have had in the past. Hitting your funny bone, a sprain, headache, stomachache, or even a broken bone. There might have been some initial intense pain; choice swear words, a certain amount of time to heal, possibly some accommodation as a bandage, sling, limited driving, food restrictions, or movement restrictions … Read More
I originally planned on writing a lofty blog piece using quotes by Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln (though I still might use some.) After all, isn’t happiness a serious topic? I could cite the World Happiness Report included in the November 2017 issue of National Geographic. I have included it in the references in … Read More
This is the slogan that World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) uses for World Sexual Health Day, which is celebrated every September 4.Historically there was a fair amount of shame, discomfort, and stigma in discussing sexual issues. Sexual health only addressed disease and unwanted sexual outcomes. In 1975 the World Health Organization (WHO) developed and … Read More
September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) asks us to: Light a candle near a window at 8PM To show your support for suicide prevention To remember a lost loved one And for the survivors of suicide. There are no “survivors” of suicide. There are unanswered … Read More
Two separate headlines in the Star Tribune within 3 days of each other pointed out the mental health crisis here in Minnesota. It echoes the larger issue of the mental illness crisis currently in our country. The July 10th issue of the Star Tribune had an article: “Minnesota mental health crisis hot line closing Friday.” … Read More
I received my first tutorial about men and depression when I was living in the Pittsburgh area and working as a therapist. This was early 1990’s. I had a male client who had presented for “stress” and problems with colleagues and family members. He was mid 40’s and working in the banking industry. I don’t … Read More
I grew up in an era (the 50’s and 60’s) when mental health was not discussed at all, let alone considered as something that children had. Children could have separation anxiety; nervous stomachs, concentration problems or were labeled as “sensitive”, “angry” or “different”. Adolescence was supposed to be somewhat difficult and the behaviors we now … Read More
The short answer is nothing. Many clients identify increasing self-esteem as a goal or identify having low self-esteem as a problem. There are literally hundreds of books about self-esteem on the market. The offerings include workbooks, audiotapes, and self-esteem books for teens, adults, women, and even “Self-Esteem For Dummies”. How elusive is self-esteem that we … Read More