February 26th, 2019

What is integration in a psychological sense and why is it important in our lives? An individual’s internal experience of self is understood to mean that one is fully connected with all parts of themselves and their life experiences, rather than in denial about those that are too painful. This is not to say that it’s possible to be completely aware of all of our thoughts, but rather that, in a general sense, the different parts of our …
0 comments

February 26th, 2019

I had been lamenting to friends about my empty nest until over the summer, two birds, weeks apart, found their way into my home. I then stopped complaining.   “The bus is coming in ten minutes.” “What time will you be home for dinner? Is there anything in particular you want me to make?” “Do you have money for your trip?” “Ice cream again before dinner?!” “It’s already 11:00. Don&rs …
0 comments

February 26th, 2019

I am depressed and it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. I am so anxious I can barely function. I am stuck and don’t know what to do next. I am really angry and can’t move on. Therapists hear statements like this very often.  People describe the symptoms that bring them into treatment and often talk about the many things they have tried in order to get these problems to go away. Depression, anxiety, confusion, anger&m …
0 comments

February 26th, 2019

From the time we read Parshas Shemos until we read Parshas Tetzaveh, we find ourselves in a period of the Jewish calendar known as “Shovavim Tat,” an acronym made of the first letter of Parshios Shemos through Tetzaveh. During this time in Jewish communities across the world, husbands and wives dedicate extra energy and time to fortifying their marriages. From reviewing the technical laws of family purity to couples workshops focused …
0 comments

February 26th, 2019

When she awoke in the morning, her first thought was of her darling baby, born prematurely, awaiting her arrival in his bassinette in the NICU. Although she knew that she needed to stay strong, her panic steadily rose, until she ran to the bathroom and began to dry heave. Several minutes later, she rinsed out her mouth and started to dress.  A couple of hours later, she was in her stride, lecturing to 32 elementary school children while gent …
1 comments

February 26th, 2019

Hands Exercise Try this: Slowly raise your hands in front of your face, until they are covering your eyes. Try to see the world through the cracks between your fingers. Feeling weird enough yet?  Take a moment to stop reading and try this. When you are done, come back. What would it be like to walk around like this all day? How much would you see? How much wouldn’t you see? This is what it is like to see the world while looking "from y …
0 comments

Author: Pamela P. Siller, MD

December 4th, 2018

Text and Image published in in collaboration with the Jewish Press 2002 Rochel pulled the covers even more tightly over her head in a futile attempt to drown out the sounds. She knew, without looking, that her father had been drinking too much at the Weinstein’s L’Chaim, and he would be mean tonight. She was dreading the next day, knowing that she would not be able to hide the dark circles under her eyes after a sleepless night. Dark …
0 comments

Author: Rachel Rosenholtz, LCSW-R

December 4th, 2018

Text and Image published in in collaboration with the Jewish Press “Why do I have to do all this dumb work? It's so boring. How is this going to help me anyway?” “Jake, for the 20th time, go do your homework!” “I'm not going to school, you can't make me.”   Does this sound familiar?   This is a picture of a child resisting and avoiding something in life that makes him miserable. A perfectly natural re …
0 comments

Author: Dr. Sarah J. Miller

December 4th, 2018

Text and Image published in in collaboration with the Jewish Press Angry cries pierce the silence of a still house in the dead of night. It’s time for that 3 a.m. feeding again. Or is it? Blearily wiping your eyes, you glance at the clock. Actually it’s 1:52, and the baby has been up three times already since midnight. Sighing, you fumble for a pacifier. It’s going to be a long night. Becoming a new mother, even for the second, …
1 comments

Author: Elisheva Liss, LMFT

December 4th, 2018

Text and Image published in collaboration with the Jewish Press Moods, to some extent, are just part of being human. With the holiday season behind us and the chilly weather blowing in, many of us find ourselves feeling down more than we’d like. Almost everyone feels like this sometimes- I know I do. When we wake up “on the wrong side of the bed” or encounter frustrations, we may feel that we are being ambushed by inevitable neg …
0 comments