Beyond Blue

Being that my job is to feature and review books on psychology, spirituality, and especially the intersection between the two, I receive my share of books on meditation. And as a person who has been trying to meditate for two years, but who just can’t seem to get the hang of it, I always open…

If you find yourself in a toxic relationship, you always have the option of ditching the friend and moving on. However, when the environment in which you make your bread and butter damages your self-esteem and robs you of self-confidence, you can’t exactly walk out… if you want to eat that night. What to do?…

I like to publish this story around the first of October, since it is the feast day of St. Therese, my patron saint. I owe my life to St. Therese of Lisieux. A few times over. This Carmelite nun–dubbed the “greatest saint of modern times” by Pope Pius X–declared on her deathbed that she would…

In their exceptional, informative book The Healthy Home: Simple Truths of Protect Your Family From Hidden Household Dangers, son and father team Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz tackle the topic of toxins from room to room, starting with the bedroom and ending with the garage and yard. “Every second of every day, we face an…

I have decided to dedicate a post on Thursday to therapy, and offer you the many tips I have learned on the couch. They will be a good reminder for me, as well, of something small I can concentrate on. Many of them are published in my book, “The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit.“…

Take a minute and answer this question: Is anyone really normal today? I mean, even those who claim they are normal may, in fact, be the most neurotic among us, swimming with a nice pair of scuba fins down the river of Denial. Having my psychiatric file published online and in print for public viewing,…

Afraid to make a mistake? Don’t be. According to author Alina Tugend, the best way to become an expert in your field is by making mistakes, lots of them, but to cooperate with the brain on learning from them. In her new book, Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong, explains the science…

I think God wants us to get mad at him. It means we’re in a living, normal relationship with him.   Catholic author Ronald Rolheiser goes so far to say that wrestling with God is a form of prayer. In his book, “Forgotten Among the Lilies,” he writes this: God wants to be wrestled with.…

The question of whether or not you should start taking antidepressants is complex and difficult to answer. But even fuzzier is the question of when or if you should stop. Last May, NPR ran a piece called “Coming Off Antidepressants Can Be Tricky Business.” Joanne Silberner writes: Several top psychiatrists say there’s just not enough…

This is a true story. I met Priscilla Warner online much like a chick meets a dude. We were instant friends. It helped that we had a similar sense of humor. Surprisingly, I think … to both of us, the friendship stuck. Even though the bonds formed quickly, they were authentic, and we still email…

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