We have all known a perfectionist at some point in our lives. On the one hand, they are great to have in a group project because they tend to take over and produce amazing work. On the other hand, they can be exacting, unrealistic, and detached in relationships. Perfectionism may lead to positive outcomes like […]
Forgiveness – dropping the emotional burden
What does forgiveness mean to you? Is it a word with religious overtones? Does it mean that you let someone who wronged you off the hook? People view forgiveness in many different ways, but at the heart of forgiveness is letting go of past emotional injuries in order to give yourself the gift of emotional […]
The Persistent Pain of Family Estrangement
This article was first published by Teri Apter PH.D and appeared in Psychology Today December 22nd, 2015. All credit given to the Author. Sometimes parenting an adult child is smooth and simple: The son or daughter who was hyper-critical of everything you did at 15, and who seemed charged with excess irritability by your very […]
Ending the Blame Game
Blaming – the skill of assigning responsibility for your pain and discomfort to someone or something else. It’s a natural human reaction that has affected everyone at one point or another. In fact, you have likely been both the blamer as well as the person being blamed. The problem with blaming, however, lies in what […]
Shame vs. Guilt – What’s the Difference?
Have you ever felt shameful about something? How about guilty? Are shame and guilt the same or are they fundamentally different emotional concepts? Researchers have recently taken an interest in defining and understanding shame and guilt, including the impact of these emotional responses. One of the central elements of this work relates to the way […]