Blog for Better Living
A Therapist’s Wish for Your 2022!
By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | January 7, 2022
A new year brings fresh opportunities and possibilities. It signifies a time of reflection and gratitude for what’s most important in our lives. This is especially true with 2021 in the rearview mirror. Although 2021 started strong with vaccinations bringing the hope of some semblance of normalcy, it was still a tough year! We faced […]
Read MoreThe Season of Gratitude
By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | December 24, 2021
Thank goodness for online shopping. Seriously, how did parents, or really anyone for that matter, get all their holiday shopping done before the internet? Or do life without it? As a new parent, I am so grateful for the conveniences afforded to us through modern technology. Grocery delivery on days I’m too tired to drive […]
Read MoreSurviving the Holidays with a Narcissistic Family Member
By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | December 17, 2021
Although the holidays are commonly associated with fun and merriment, for anyone with a narcissistic family member, this time of year can also be stressful and overwhelming. This article will help you better understand your relationship with a narcissistic family member, and how to not only survive – but thrive, this holiday season. What is […]
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Surviving This Holiday Season
By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | November 5, 2021
The end-of-the-year holidays are meant to be a time of joy and togetherness. For some of us, it may be the first time seeing extended family and celebrating the holidays with others since the coronavirus pandemic. During this time popular movies, ads, and TV shows depict the holidays as a magical time where friends and […]
Read MoreGrieving the Loss of the Holidays: Managing Expectations During COVID-19
By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | December 18, 2020
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country, for most of us the holiday season will look different this year. The safest way to celebrate is at home with the people you live with. This means foregoing the parties, visits with family and friends, and participating in community activities and celebrations. We face the […]
Read MoreThe Impossible Dream: I Just Want to Make Everyone Happy!
By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | November 20, 2020
It’s that time of year again wherein we finish off Halloween candy, we take out our sweaters, and we face the inevitable questions about where to celebrate Thanksgiving and the Holidays. These questions challenge us under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic they rise to a whole new level of nerve-wracking. If you find yourself […]
Read MoreOpen the Gift of Gratitude this Holiday Season
By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | December 13, 2019
What do the holidays mean to you? For many, they symbolize a time for family, connection, and rest. And yet we easily let the holidays drive our culture of consumption, of giving and getting gifts, or try to achieve the perfect holiday experience. No wonder the holidays make for significant stress and conflict for so […]
Read MoreHow to Deal with Your (difficult) Family this Holiday Season
By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 29, 2019
This article gained popularity when I wrote it several years ago, knowing that many of us feel alone during the holidays or can relate to the sentiment. Back by popular demand is an updated version about how to cope with difficult family members this holiday season. We typically view the holidays as a time of […]
Read MoreLGBTQ+ Holiday Survival Guide
By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | November 8, 2019
The holidays are times of joy and sharing, and so it should be for the LGBTQ+ community too. The holidays for that community can include times of particular stress as we return to our original families to celebrate the season. Some families show more affirming acceptance than others. The holidays present stress for many although […]
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