REVENGE
When asked for her occupation, a woman charged with a traffic violation said she was a schoolteacher. The judge rose from the bench and said, “ I’ve waited years for a schoolteacher to appear before this court,” “Now… Read More
Refusing To Accept Reality
You might know the old joke, “Denial is not just a river in Egypt”. A clever pun. But denial really can be a huge issue. To deny the existence of a problem only leads to more problems and… Read More
Staying On Track
Years ago I had a client who was an alcoholic. He was active in Alcoholics Anonymous, he kept a positive attitude and was doing well. But in one particular session he was clearly discouraged, because something very disappointing… Read More
Making Friends
Several years ago, a middle-aged couple came to see me. As often happens, it was the wife who insisted on seeing a counselor, against her husband’s wishes. Throughout their thirty-year marriage she had complained of feeling lonely, but… Read More
Hatred
To give a lesson about hatred, a kindergarten teacher invited her students to play a game. First, they’d ask their moms or dads to buy some big baking potatoes. Then the child would bring one or more potatoes… Read More
The Worry Habit
Two monks were walking to their monastery home in the countryside. After a heavy rain, puddles of water, large and small, dotted the byways. After some time they saw a young woman by the road, staring down at… Read More
Mistakes Are Friends, Part 2
Albert Einstein was not only a brilliant scientist, but also had a wonderful way with words, and is often quoted. One shining example: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we… Read More
Your Mistakes Are Your Friends
Are you hard on yourself when you don’t do as good a job as you believed you should have done? When you make a big mistake … How do you feel? What do you tell yourself? Do you… Read More
GUIDANCE
As therapist and program director at a teen treatment center, over a period of thirteen years I led thousands of group sessions. Located in northwest Indiana, we played host to hundreds of kids from nearby Gary and Chicago…. Read More
Stop Comparing Yourself
As a kid, did you ever hear a parent say, “Why can’t you be like your brother?” … “Your cousin, Katie, can ride a two-wheeler and she’s only six years old. Why can’t you?” Now that you’re grown,… Read More
