One of the toughest aspects of parenthood is dealing with the anger, rage and withdrawal that teenage boys direct toward their mothers. These turbulent emotions are unsettling, often leaving mothers confused and helpless. Understanding the challenges that boys face during these years can help mothers maintain their own stability while supporting their sons’ development. Boys need time alone to create space for their own growth. For them, their room is their "cave," a place of refuge that mothers should respect. This need for space also … ( More )
My father the POW, ‘Fighting on Film’
I am the daughter of a British army prisoner of war at Changi, a notorious WWII camp in the jungles north of Singapore. My father, Percy Herbert, went on to become a film actor. His early movies included the … ( More )
When the hero takes a fall
While post-traumatic stress disorder is experienced by many, PTSD resulting from combat has an enduring impact on veterans. This emerges in hidden, profound and sometimes shattering ways. Combat veterans … ( More )
Couples intensive therapy: risks and rewards
Couples intensive therapy is for the courageous. For those who admit they've done all they can do on their own. It’s a brave, bold step for both parties struggling in an endangered relationship. The … ( More )
At the movies: the observer and the observed
Hollywood has long presented psychotherapists and analysts as villains or saintly saviors, but around the turn of the century they became central characters in a handful of popular and hilarious … ( More )
Art and human beings: A formidable duo
Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? A puzzling question. One as old as time. We continue to stumble on and unearth myriad cultural artifacts. We discover fantastic Native American paintings on … ( More )
Communication
The Beatles, psychologists of rock
Humming along to "Eleanor Rigby," I began listening more acutely to the astounding lyrics of this Beatles song from 1966. How profoundly insightful their … ( More )
The second wave of communication
During the Civil War, soldiers flanked tightly in a line would march toward the enemy on the battlefield. Inevitably, so many would fall down -- dead or … ( More )
Healing
Trauma on the world stage
Israel. Gaza. Ukraine. Violent divisive protests across the globe. Rising antisemitism. A killer hurricane on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Threats of nuclear … ( More )
Taming the resentful mother
There is something startling about a mother demonstrating bitter and resentful behaviors toward her daughter. Something unnatural, confusing and … ( More )
Relationships
When gratitude is in short supply
How often are small kindnesses extended without a second thought, simply an automatic gesture between human beings, just because. … Probably millions of … ( More )
Corralling the Four Horsemen
Some days, it feels like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have arrived. But wait! Just who are these unwelcome and mysterious figures? The Four … ( More )
Children
Coming home: the LGBTQ teen
Some of the biggest challenges parents face are with LGBTQ teens. Despite significant progress made in society regarding sexual preferences and alternative … ( More )
Boys and girls: A different way of thinking
Science tells us that boys and girls have marked distinctions and differences. Neither better nor worse. Neither good nor bad. Nonetheless these … ( More )