Posts Tagged ‘marriage counseling’

Forget the five stages of grief

When I was a graduate student, I learned that Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief have been oversimplified and misunderstood over the years, and that many researchers and clinicians no longer consider the model to be the gold standard in terms of understanding how we deal with death. For one thing, the original research was based on…

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The notion of “the bad mother”

This is a good reminder of how unhelpful — even damaging — negative self-talk around parenting can be. I like how the author began considering her parenting decisions/reactions as skillful or unskillful, rather than good or bad. “Unskillful” at least leaves room for improvement, while “bad” leads to feelings of guilt, hopelessness and frustration.  The good…

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Grieving during the holidays

The stretch from Thanksgiving through the New Year can bring up a lot of complex emotions, especially if a loved one has recently died. As promised, here are some ideas for managing the holiday season if you’re grieving: 1. Adjust your expectations. Don’t attempt to take on your usual slate of holiday duties. Scale back.…

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Sidestepping holiday burnout

Holidays are all about the twinkling lights, the pretty snowflakes, the thoughtful presents, and the warm childhood memories … right? Maybe some eggnog thrown in there? The truth is, a lot of my clients struggle mightily with the holiday season. First of all, it’s LONG — a month, even two, during which sappy commercials and…

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Mindfulness in the workplace

It’s all in the marketing: Even big business execs will get behind the concept of mindfulness if it leads to increased profits and a happier workforce. Apparently a number of companies with a national presence — including Target, General Mills, and the Mayo Clinic — are installing mindfulness/meditation programs for leaders and employees. I love…

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