Should I Work with My Spouse?
MAN SEEKING WIFE/BUSINESS PARTNER Successful businessman seeks life partner to share my entrepreneurial dream. Must believe in me and be supportive of the long hours required of a start-up venture….
Social Networking
Growing Healthy Friendships
What is a “friend”? Webster’s Third Dictionary even appears confused on the subject. The dictionary offers multiple definitions for friend, some of which are contradictory. To me, a friend is…
Rx for Mental Health: Send Holiday Cards!
It’s easy to get cynical about holiday cards. There certainly is a lot of pressure to send them for all the wrong reasons: Because the person sent one to us….
Tips for Keeping a Parent Emotionally Connected while Geographically Apart
The 2006 Census reported that 3.6 million married Americans were not living with their spouses. The reasons are complicated and multiple. Some partners are deployed. Some moved to a different…
OCD and Isolation
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of my son Dan’s descent into severe obsessive-compulsive disorder was his progressive isolation from his friends. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for those…
Social Media’s Impact on Relationships
Human beings yearn for connection and belonging. Numerous studies have linked social support to positive mental health. Additional studies have cited the negative emotional impact of loneliness. Research has further…
College Activities: Not-So-Incidental Learning
So, you’re in college or off to college soon. Big question: Are you having fun yet? If the answer is “no,” what I say is this — get yourself out…
Make ‘Successful’ Mistakes
“Successful mistakes.” Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Can there actually be a link between blunders and success? The answer to this question is a resounding yes! As human beings…
The Importance of Friendship
The causes of modern social problems, from divorce to homelessness and obesity, are often thought to be based in areas such as poverty, stress or unhappiness. But researchers suggest we…
Turning Acquaintances Into Friends
Lonely? Go on an Internet search for how to meet new people and you’ll find dozens of sites. You know the drill: Join a club, a gym, a class, a…
A Summer Vacation Guide for Noncustodial Parents
For the noncustodial parent who lives far from his or her children, summer vacation often is greeted with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. This may be the only extended…
Book Review: So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed
We’ve all seen it happen, over and over again. Maybe we’ve participated, or maybe we just took it all in from the sidelines. I’m talking about public shaming, 21st-century style….
Getting Along with Your College Roommate
She was a nightmare! My first roommate and I could not have been more different had some sort of incompatibility test matched us. To her, the floor was a substitute…
Finding, and Keeping, a Healthy Life Balance
It’s always the same story. A woman comes into my office feeling like she is having a “nervous breakdown” or as though her relationship is “on the rocks.” The problem…
Fairness and Reciprocity in Friendships
My friend Richard shook his head as he told me the story of his latest visit with his mother, Harriet, now in her late 80’s. “I’d really like to see…