Blog for Better Living

The 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 […]

Family, Holidays, Personal Improvement

Surviving 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 […]

Family, Holidays, Relationships, Stress

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 […]

Family, Holidays, Relationships

Grieving 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 […]

Grief, Holidays, Stress

The 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 […]

Open 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 […]

Holidays, Mindfulness, Stress

How 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 […]

Family, Holidays, Stress

LGBTQ+ 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 […]

Anxiety, Family, Holidays, LGBTQ+

Why I Don’t Like New Year’s Resolutions

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | January 4, 2019

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like New Year’s resolutions. It’s natural at this time of year to reflect on the last twelve months and what we might do differently in the year to come. I do believe that this is a helpful practice, but I do not like the tradition of setting New […]

Holidays, Personal Improvement