Blog for Better Living
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 […]
Read MoreWriting 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 […]
Read MoreGetting 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 […]
Read MoreAnxiety, Depression, Grief, Personal Improvement, Relationships, Therapy
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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 […]
Read MoreHow 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 […]
Read MoreI Graduated…What next?
By: Other | April 21, 2017
Written by Amanda Baba, Intern As a senior undergraduate student at the University of San Diego, I find myself counting the months until graduation. As excitement escalates, the nerves set in and the question “What next?” keeps coming up. That question comes also from family, friends — even strangers — on a weekly basis. Should […]
Read MoreLearning 101: How We Take In and Retain Information
By: Other | April 14, 2017
Written by Mike Campbell, Ed.D. People have been trying to understand how individuals process and take in information for the past 2000 years. As far back as the Greek philosophers, Socrates (469 –399 B.C.), Plato (427 – 347 B.C.), and Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C), learning theorists debated about how people learn. Needless to say, […]
Read MoreFear and Mental Health: Managing Reactions and Responses
By: Other | March 10, 2017
Written by Francine Martinez, Ph.D. Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Surprise, Disgust, and Fear: These are universal emotions that we all share, and they rank as the six most cited emotions in the literature. Images come to mind when we think about these emotions in our own lives — those recollections of the times, settings, or events […]
Read MoreWhat Stage of Life are You In?
By: Other | March 4, 2017
Written by Jennifer Wendt, Ph.D. Our lifespan is comprised of a progression of stages during which we face new dilemmas and experience new accomplishments. From early childhood thru the retirement years we all endure similar phases of life: childhood, adolescence and various stages in adulthood. We also tend to connect with others who are living […]
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