Category: Blog Posts

Each and every individual is endowed with strengths and weaknesses. In order to find success and joy in life, you must learn to work with those strengths and weaknesses. How is this possible?
 

The New York Times published an interesting article about a man who has mastered the art of working with his strengths and overcoming his weaknesses. His name is Adam Grant. He is a professor at Wharton and an organizational psychologist. Organization psychology takes the principles of psychology and apply them to the workplace. He works with companies to help them care for and motivate their employees and also works with the employees to get the most out of their work. Grant is approachable, helpful, and dedicated. He believes that the biggest source of motivation should be found in helping others. His book, “Give and Take” centers around this idea that satisfaction and productivity are linked to extreme giving. 

 

What struck me about Grant was reading about his childhood and adolescence. He was shy, socially awkward, and had a fear of public speaking. Grant challenged himself to overcome his social weaknesses and in the process learned that giving enabled him to do that. He learned to work within his strengths and weakness and now has joy and success. What a win-win situation! I recommend reading his story in the article – Is Giving the Secret to Getting Ahead? 

To learn more about finding success and working with your strengths and weakness, visit Personal Growth. 

Have people ever called you “too intense” or perhaps “too driven”? Or maybe people have said “Why don’t you slow down?” or “Can’t you do just one thing?” Do you have a habit of starting a new book to read before you have finished the old one? Is there only one person in a hundred who understands your jokes? Have you always felt like you just didn’t fit in?
 
If you can answer yes to these questions, you might just be a gifted adult. A gifted person according to the National Association of Gifted Children is, “someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression.”

One major characteristic of gifted adults is that they seldom realize that they are gifted. They may know they are smart, if they did well in school, but many gifted adults performed average in school.  And even if you know that you are smart, the term “gifted” seems extreme. Often times, gifted adults grew up with very little social reinforcement for who they are. When you think differently and act differently than most everyone else you associate with, most people come to doubt their perceptions and thus doubt themselves.

After years of rejection and misunderstanding, the gifted adult has much misinformation about his or herself that may even be described as a “false self.” Through psychotherapy and education about giftedness, the gifted adult can reclaim their true self and find the meaning in life that they have a hidden longing for. 

If you are a gifted adult or believe you have a gifted child, contact my office to set up an appointment. Let’s unleash that gift together! For more information, visit Personal Growth – Gifted Adults  and Parenting Effectively – Guiding a Gifted Child.

When life throws you a curveball, we are often told to have hope. But is there any scientific proof that hope works? Dr. Jerome Groopman, author of The Anatomy of Hope, says there is truth to hoping. He writes, “Researchers are learning that a change in mind-set has the power to alter neurochemistry. Belief and expectation — the key elements of hope — can block pain by releasing the brain’s endorphins and enkephalins, mimicking the effects of morphine. In some cases, hope can also have important effects on fundamental physiological processes like respiration, circulation and motor function.” 

Hopeful people are happier, less stressed, and healthier. How can you develop a hopeful attitude? According to the research of Duane Bidwell, an associate professor of practical theology at Claremont School of Theology in California and Dr. Donald Batisky, a pediatric nephrologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, there are five pathways to hope: maintaining identity, realizing community, claiming power, attending to spirituality, and developing wisdom. To learn more about these pathways, read the article How Hope Can Help You Heal. 

Hope should not be confused with denial or wishing. Hope requires moving forward actively not passively waiting. If you would like assistance in developing a hopeful mental attitude, set up an appointment with a mental health care professional who can guide you through this process. 

For more information, visit Mind and Body Health – Holistic Health. 

Do you struggle getting a good night’s rest? Do you feel anxious, stressed, and/or depressed? You may be experiencing a sleep disorder. It is estimated that one in fifteen Americans have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when the airway in the body is obstructed and then breathing is compromised. When this happens, the body does not achieve the deepest levels of sleep. This can lead to a laundry list of problems including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, suppressed immune system, weight gain, and even cancer and diabetes. 

Sleep apnea often goes undetected. How can you find out of you have sleep apnea? The first person you can talk to is your dentist. A common indicator of sleep apnea is teeth grinding. Your dentist can look for signs that you are grinding. Then make an appointment with a sleep specialist. They can give your diagnosis. (For more information, read the article – Dental Screening That Could Save Your Life) 

Getting good sleep is vital to healthy living. One of my clients was experiencing psychosis and when he got help for his sleep apnea, he regained his normal healthy self.  As a psychologist I always check the physical health issues of my clients to make sure I am treating the right problem. The mind and body are interconnected and in order to experience overall well-being, we must look at the both areas. If you are looking to improve the quality of your sleep, don’t delay in seeking assistance! It will make a difference. 
 

After tragedy strikes like it did yesterday at the Boston marathon, it is normal to feel fearful. It’s a natural and healthy reaction to certain situations and at times can serve as a valuable protection. What isn’t healthy is when that natural fear becomes a phobia.

Even if were are not directly involved in a tragic event, it is easy to still feel it. All we have to do is turn on the TV or go online and we see the horrific images and it immediately touches us. We place ourselves there and think about how we would have felt and reacted to the situation. What individuals have to be careful of is turning those natural feelings into irrational thoughts and feelings. Irrational thinking is what triggers phobias.

What is irrational thinking? When thoughts become exaggerated and illogical. The next step is for a phobia to set in. Phobias are serious and can handicap your life. The good news is that phobias are treatable. Lengthy therapy delving into the origin of the fear response is often unnecessary. Effective methods include therapies that focus on treating the symptoms are the most effective. Deep relaxation, systematic desensitization and “flooding” are all behavioral techniques that have proven remarkably effective with phobias.

If you are feeling any of these symptoms, do not delay is seeking practical assistance. For more information, visit Conquering Fears and Phobias. 

With autism statistics rising, a group of five courageous mothers are taking note of the disorder and how it is affecting African American and Hispanic children in the United States. Colored My Mind is a non-profit organization whose mission “is to educate, enlighten, and empower parents whose children are on the ASD spectrum throughout communities nationwide.” 

The founders of Colored My Mind are working hard to see that minorities are receiving practical assistance when it comes to treatment and diagnoses for ASD children. Many in the African American and Hispanic community struggle getting health care and special education for their AS child and sadly some have dealt with negative racial bias. The goal is to educate all people regardless of race and nationality. Their story will appears in a documentary entitled, Colored My Mind, and will show at The Cannes Film Festival in May 2013. 

To learn more about this organization and the work they are doing to bring much need awareness about autism, visit Colored My Mind.