I must admit to a fascination with greeting cards. I think it started when I was about four years old. I have an early memory of being with my mother in a small drug store in my neighborhood that sold the sundry soaps, Band-Aids, batteries and medicines. This drug store also had an aisle of [...]

A few weeks ago, I shared with someone whom I look to as a mentor, that I had noticed the lack of individuals willing to take personal responsibility for their problems. As I spent more time thinking about this, I realized, of course (!), that I was not taking personal responsibility for my own corner [...]

I have noticed, for quite awhile actually, a phenomena that I call the Playground Revisited. When you think of the word playground, what does it conjure up in your mind? In mine, I recall skinned knees on the blacktop – my elementary school was bereft of grass to run on. I recall being picked for [...]

What does it mean to feel unlovable? Undeserving? Is unlovable often heaped on top of a helping of undeserving? How is it possible that both unlovable and undeserving dove tail neatly into low self-esteem, self-recrimination, and unworthiness? How is it that all of these create the mantle of never good enough? It often seems as [...]

On the day of the shooting of so many people, young and old in Arizona, I was submerged in an overwhelming wave of sadness, not only for the victims and their loved ones, but also for the shooter and his parents. My heart flooded with compassion for all those affected by this tragedy. In situations [...]

I have been baking cookies these last two nights. This is very typical for me at this time of year. I remember as a young child, around five or so, helping my grandmother make sweet bread and kolacky. I can vividly see her strong hands kneading the dough, over and over. Those very same hands [...]

I watch Glee. I have watched the show from its very first episode last year and I believe Glee is socially relevant in many ways. I will say the show brings to light many issues and experiences that either most of us had or knew of during our high school years. Many of those experiences [...]

Lately, I have been feeling somewhat helpless in my role as a counselor. Sometimes, I think I don’t have what it takes to be effective and supportive. Sometimes I think that I have forgotten all of the things I learned. Sometimes I feel like I am not able to connect to clients. I would say [...]