How we define family may depend on our circumstances and, in whatever form, having people in our life that we consider family is important to our basic survival and overall well-being.   According to a 2008 report by the Pew Research Center, 57% of American adults haven’t left the state that they grew up in and […]

The more we understand about neurobiology and social psychology, the more we understand that humans are wired to connect. Turns out Professor Maslow didn’t have it quite right when he designed his famous five-tiered hierarchy of needs (Fig 1), assuming that our physiological needs were more important to our survival than affection and love.  The […]

Have you been feeling stressed lately? You’re certainly not alone. We are going through something on a global scale that is completely unprecedented…and it is connecting us in new ways.  Experts tell us that what we are experiencing is a “collective trauma:”   A situation that “violates the familiar ideas and expectations about the world […]

I opened my inbox recently and amongst the mostly commercial emails, I found a communication from a friend of mine.  It was an appreciation.  “You took the time out to listen to what was going on with me and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate that…You are always so positive…I went to […]

What do you tell yourself about who you are inside your head? Do you whisper the words of a lover to their beloved? Or are your words harsh and critical?  Do the words land gently as a soft blanket? Or are they harshly thrown down and prickly, leaving you feeling distraught?  Much of our internal […]

My husband Mark and I have been married for five years. Along the way, we’ve discovered that humor is an excellent way to ease tension. For example, it’s not uncommon for me to playfully chastise my beloved for ‘failing to read my mind…again’. Using my most incredulous tone, I exclaim something like, “I mean, it’s […]