Blog for Better Living

Avoidance to Acceptance

By: Other | October 20, 2017

Written by Paul Paris, Ph.D. Do you procrastinate? Do you push off the stuff you don’t want to do to some indeterminate future? Avoiding things in day to day life is fairly common, especially when associated with something unpleasant or something we just do not want to do but feel we must. I remember as […]

Creativity and Mental Health

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | October 13, 2017

Did you know that your creative efforts create psychological benefits? Looking back on your childhood, you may have memories about the types of play you once enjoyed. Children use legos, dolls, sandcastles, art, imaginary friends, music, acting, building forts, and the like to explore their imagination and creativity. Whereas children easily immerse themselves for long […]

Creating a Bucket List: What Would You Attempt to Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?

By: Other | September 22, 2017

Written by Joy Francisco, Ph.D. A bucket list doesn’t just happen. It evolves. A bucket list is more than things to see and do in this life. It is an exciting way to set goals and an important method for deciding what you want to achieve in your life, for motivating yourself, and for building […]

Personal Improvement

Meaningful Connections

By: Other | September 15, 2017

Written by Jennifer Wendt, Ph.D. Do you have meaningful connections in your life? Do you feel uplifted after a conversation with a friend? Are interactions with strangers at the store pleasing to you? Humans have a core necessity to connect with others. These lend meaning and happiness to our lives. Reflecting on our daily encounters […]

Self-Compassion

By: Other | September 1, 2017

Written by Anke Reineke, Ph.D. When faced with a stressful situation, we might blame ourselves or judge ourselves negatively. While listening to another person talking about the same stressful situations, we are likely to show more caring and kindness. Why is it so hard to offer the same kindness to ourselves that we so easily […]

Writing for Mental and Emotional Well-Being

By: Other | August 18, 2017

Written by Paul Paris, Ph.D. Some of us enjoy writing. Some of us loathe it. Like any personal affinity or dislike, the process of writing may inspire and resonate with us or we may feel indifferent about it — a task with which we just don’t connect. The reasons we write are different. All of […]

Getting to Goals in Therapy

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | August 11, 2017

You have made the difficult decision to meet with a therapist. But, what will you work on in therapy? What will be the goals of your treatment? Deciding to meet with a therapist for the first time takes strength and courage, especially while experiencing emotional pain and life difficulties. You should know that most therapists […]

Getting Unstuck: Living with Purpose

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | June 9, 2017

Are you stuck in a place you do not want to be? Are you disheartened to find a great distance between who you are and the person you would like to be? Are you stuck in old patterns, habits, or autopilot behaviors? Do you experience thoughts that discourage change or feelings that make it seem […]

Mindfulness, Personal Improvement

How to Be Gentle with Yourself

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | May 12, 2017

Life is hard. Yet, many of us make it worse by being hard on ourselves. We waste precious time beating ourselves up, wallowing in guilt, or chastising ourselves for mistakes we feel we’ve made. We live in a “Get Over It and Move On” society where we are implicitly or explicitly encouraged to be a […]