A few years ago at a holiday party in Manhattan, at the home of an actor friend, a giddy young woman asked, “Are you an actor like everyone else here?” I replied: “No, I’m a psychotherapist, actually.” “Ah! That’s great! Hilarious! So… actor.” She walked away, laughing. Being mistaken for an actor was a first,Read more
For Christ’s sake: Stop trusting your gut!
brentdanley / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA There are days when (according to my twitter stream, at least) it would seem as though all of psychology and psychotherapy is intent on discovering the biological origins (in evolution, in genetics, in the inner workings of our brains, or all three) of just about everything we do: MenRead more
Two meanings of catastrophe
I’ve had a number of conversations in the past few weeks with folks who’s lives, in one way or another, are falling apart. Being a psychotherapist, it’s not so unusual. What seems different is in just how many of these cases what fell apart needed to fall apart: A pursuit of a PhD 9 yearsRead more
So this guy built a toaster…
…and tells us an awful lot about who we are (and a bit about group therapy). His name is Thomas Thwaites, and I first saw the video where I find a good deal of smart things, on TED. Check it out: Pretty terrific, right? Just sharing it with you is exciting, but I’d like toRead more
Other people, who are a pain in the ass
The Cabin On The Road / Foter / CC BY-SA When I was a freshman in college things were bad, and I dragged myself to therapy. I’d stopped being able to cope with the depression I’d just barely coped with most of my life. College was hard, and I didn’t have a clue. There wasRead more
Listen, body, you work for me.
Benjamin Disinger / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND Your body’s telling you it doesn’t want to get out of bed (go on the job interview, the date, the networking meeting, the get-together with friends). It’s tired. Or wrapped in that familiar warm blanket of depression. Hiding out is the only thing on its agenda. OnlyRead more
What’s your specialty?
A couple of years ago I went to a workshop, “Building Your Dream Psychotherapy Practice” at the New York City chapter of NASW (the National Association of Social Workers). At the time I was the director of a group therapy center here in New York and always eager to learn about new ways of promotingRead more
You’re not so special
You’re not so special. I mean, I think you’re terrific. Truly. I’m a fan. But special? Not so much. Why the distinction? Special means separate, in need of something different, hard to get close to, touch, or help. I resist the label, special, because for me, it’s not so nice. Years ago I worked asRead more
NYC’s rat problem
If you live in New York City, you’re aware of our rat problem. They’re everywhere. It often seems that newspaper articles about rats in New York City (like this one) are almost as ubiquitous as the rats themselves. It turns out there’s been considerable research on the matter of just how to reduce the numberRead more
Why TriBeCa?
Let me catch up those of you who aren’t familiar with TriBeCa and it’s history. TriBeCa is a relatively small neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It’s boundaries are, roughly, Canal Street on the north, Broadway to the east, and the World Trade Center to the south. Its name, invariably spelled TriBeCa or TribecaRead more