Blog for Better Living

Ever Been DARVO’d?

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | September 8, 2023

DARVO is an acronym that stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverses roles of Victim (you) & Offender (them). It is a manipulation technique used by individuals who are abusive, narcissistic, or who engage in other types of wrongdoing. The objective of this strategy is to shift the focus away from the offender by attacking the […]

Bullying, Relationships

Navigating Anti-LGBTQ+ Religions

By: Gregory E. Koch, Psy.D. | July 21, 2023

Empowering Strategies for Resilience and Growth In today’s diverse society, it is disheartening to acknowledge that certain religious beliefs continue to marginalize and discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Anti-gay religions have a harmful impact on the lives and relationships of gay individuals, often causing emotional distress and feelings of isolation. This article will highlight […]

The Fawn Response

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | December 9, 2022

Fight, Flight, Freeze……Fawn? Most people are familiar with the stress responses known as fight, flight, and freeze. These are natural responses to real, or perceived physical or emotional threats. These responses help us evade and manage threats and dangers we encounter to keep us safe. Have you heard of the fawn response? It’s less well […]

Bullying, Stress, Trauma

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The Basics

By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | July 2, 2021

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are not new concepts, but you may have been hearing more about them in your office over the last few years. Employers are prioritizing DEI in response to the Me Too movement that exposed gender inequities and the protests that shed light on racial inequities following George Floyd’s death in […]

Bullying, Racial Justice, Stress

Gender Identity Basics: Understanding Non-Binary, Transgender, and Gender Fluid People

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | December 4, 2020

Chances are you will encounter someone in your life, if you haven’t already, who identifies as non-binary, transgender, or gender fluid. Knowing what this means, and how to be respectful of people’s differences is important. Understanding these terms can be hard, especially if you are learning these concepts for the first time. This article will […]

Bullying, LGBTQ+, Relationships

Transphobia

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | March 27, 2020

Trans folk in our country are under attack. Multiple states have tried to pass ‘bathroom bills.’ South Dakota even tried to pass a law that would imprison for up to 10 years any medical provider who assisted a minor with transitioning. Last October, Time magazine reported analyzing 10 million social media and online posts over […]

Bullying, Depression, LGBTQ+

Protecting Our LGBTQ+ Youth

By: Other | July 7, 2017

Written by Paul Paris, Ph.D. Growing up is hard to do! For all of us, especially adolescents and young adults, exploring who we are, what we want in life, and our friendships and intimate relationships are especially important. It’s not always easy navigating our independence with what our parents and family members may expect or […]

Creating A Bully-free, Safe Environment For Children

By: Other | April 10, 2015

Written by Stefanie Platt, Psy.D. When I reflect back on my childhood, I have several happy and carefree memories. However, witnessing the bully-inflicted torment of my peers has tainted some of these memories. I recall standing by in disbelief when some of my friends ruined another close friend’s 13th birthday by stomping on her celebratory […]

Bullying, Children, Relationships