Years ago I heard an analogy that has stuck with me.  We are all buckets, containers in which water can be put into.  As we move through life, our buckets get little holes and the water begins to seep out.  This is normal as we experience the stressors of school, jobs, relationships, and other problems […]

Persistent Depressive Disorder You’re the one always smiling and laughing to prove that you’re having fun in the social setting that you forced yourself to go to. You ask yourself, “can people see through my façade?,” and feel guilty for possibly pulling them down with you. Maybe joy comes in small waves. However, your laughter […]

“Pessimistic prophecies are self-fulling.” – Martin Seligman, Ph.D. The topic of optimism reminds me of the common quote: “Life is what you make of it.” How one recovers from life events makes a critical impact. My summer reading currently consists of Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life written by Martin Seligman, […]

I’ve always wondered why children, adolescents, and adults go through certain psychological changes. Each transformation seems to build upon the previous one and pave the way for development. One of the most popular and influential theories on this subject came from Erik Erikson, a protégé of Sigmund Freud. Erikson believed that personality develops in a […]

20 questions to ask our children instead of, “How was your day?” What response do you get when you ask your children how their day was?  Do you get eye rolls? Is a long, drawn out, and dramatic sigh let out? Maybe they just walk away and pretend they didn’t even hear you?  Or maybe […]

Understanding the difference between guilt and shame The two most confusing emotions I encounter in my sessions are guilt and shame.  I think that it is crucial to know the major differences between them because they’re commonly used interchangeably. You have a better chance of overcoming these negative emotions once you understand the difference between […]

It seems that gender politics are at the front and center of society. From the news and your twitter feed, gender roles are at the focus of this era. Women Headlines showcase the harassment of women in the workplace. They  are viewed negatively for traits that men are praised to have. Being told that you […]

The Truth behind the Highlight Reel Often times we use social media as a highlight reel. So, we post the happy pictures where things in life seem to be going smoothly. We often believe the lie that the people and experiences we post are as truly happy and care-free as we curated them to look. Before […]

“It matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be.”- Albus Dumbledore Choice I have talked a lot about choice in this series. I think it is an important part of self-development. Choice is something that we forget about when we are stuck in a depressive rut. I like to think of […]