Blog for Better Living

The Psychological Benefits of Bonding with a Pet

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | February 20, 2016

For those of you who have visited our Point Loma office recently, you may have met our new furry friend, Rue. Rue was brought to us by our Billing Operations Manager, Monique. Rue is not just an office pet, but his presence is a wonderful adjunct to the therapy experience for some of our clients. […]

Mental Health – Let’s Talk About It

By: Other | February 15, 2016

Written by Asal Azizi, Psy.D. As a Psychologist I am often subjected to a variety of jokes or comments regarding my field of work when others discover what I do for a living. There is misguided humor about “those crazy people”, awkward moments when someone tells me they once saw a “shrink”, but “it didn’t work”, […]

Healthy Ways to Express Anger in a Relationship

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | January 29, 2016

No matter how much we love our partner, or how happy we may be in our relationship, feelings of anger are inevitable. Bottling up your anger or expressing it in the wrong way can damage trust and result in a loss of intimacy in your relationship. However, expressing anger in a healthy way will help […]

Emotionally Preparing for the Holidays

By: Other | December 7, 2015

Written by Jennifer Wendt, Ph.D. As we arrive in the holiday season we journey through a powerful emotional experience. While the magic of the holidays can be a wonderful time, most of us do not experience bliss at every step of the journey. There are often emotional highs and lows experienced throughout the season. We […]

Lessons in Forgiveness

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 23, 2015

People often ask me: “Do I have to forgive in order to heal?” This is a very powerful question. Whether we have been wronged by a spouse who is unfaithful, a parent who let us down as a child, or a friend who betrayed our confidence, the question of whether and how to forgive often […]

The Importance of Instilling Values

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 9, 2015

Recently the team at Therapy Changes participated in a half-day workshop facilitated by Dr. Sherry Nooravi at Strategy Meets Performance. The topic of this workshop was developing “Company Values.” You may have heard of this trend in larger corporations like Whole Foods and Zappos. Successful and innovative companies like these are realizing the importance of […]

Relationships, Therapy

How to Not Take Things Personally

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | October 12, 2015

Don’t take anything personally. This is the second agreement of Don Miguel Ruiz’s classic, The Four Agreements. As the author writes so eloquently in his book: “Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally…nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their […]

How to Help Someone with Anxiety

By: Other | September 21, 2015

Written by Francine Martinez, Ph.D. Anxiety is a condition that can close you off to others. For friends and family of those living with anxiety, this can represent a serious challenge. You want to help them deal with their condition, but you don’t know how to help them or what you can say to snap […]

Vulnerability

By: Other | September 8, 2015

Written by Karin Thebus, Psy.D. I recently had a discussion with some friends about being vulnerable and what that really means. One of my friends stated that she had been vulnerable to another person and did not get the response she wanted, so why would she open herself up that way again. I thought that […]

Personal Improvement, Relationships