Something I've been thinking about for awhile (like years) is how this time of year in the Jewish calendar, the months of Av and Elul, can be emotionally triggering for a lot of people. There is a two month emphasis on the heavier side of religious experience- loss, destruction, suffering, and then examining our deeds, reviewing our behavior, confessions, and doing repentance. The healthy version of this spiritual process, involves honoring the p …
You know that feeling where you finish a conversation, and then a little later, mentally review it and wish you could go back and change your answer? I had one of those., recently.
I was speaking at an event where the audience was invited to submit anonymous questions. One of the questions that was written in was one I’d heard before:
“I would like to observe the niddah laws the way I was taught them- not touching at all during the ni …
A prominent member of the community, born as an Orthodox male, with a wife and several married and unmarried children, announces to his family and friends that he no longer can live as a man. He tells his community that he has felt all along to be a woman, and finds it unbearable to continue with this charade. He has begun hormonal and surgical treatments, and is now dressing like a woman.
His children, advisors, friends, are stupefied. Th …
Dear Dr T.,
My Moishy is driving me crazy! He’s eight and cute and full of life – but he doesn’t listen to a word I say.
It goes like this:
“Moishy, get ready for bed.” [X3]
“Moishy, get ready for bed!” [really loud voice]
“Moishy, get ready for bed or you won’t get Shabbos party this week. [no response]
“Moishy, get ready for bed!!!!! [Lock the door from outside so he can’t come o …
Dear Therapist:
What qualifies something as an addiction? My brother plays video games all day. Does that make him an addict? My mother shops all day. Is she addicted to shopping? It seems like the word addiction gets thrown around a lot these days but when is it really a true thing and when is it just an excuse for continuing behavior that you don't want to stop? I get that cigarettes, alcohol and the like are considered addicting but are we to …
