Are people selfish or altruistic?  Are we basically aggressive or cooperative?  The ethos of our capitalist culture seems to be that people are inherently selfish and competitive, so much so that this view of human nature seems to be common sense.

We find ourselves waiting to get help too often in our society, whether it’s waiting  to see a doctor or waiting online or on the phone for technical support. Waiting for help reproduces a childhood situation in which the child is helpless to get the a...

New years resolutions don’t work because, as much as we might have a conscious wish to change, we have an unconscious wish to stay the same.  The power of our unconscious minds rests in our commitment to safety. Changing is threatening to us,

Most of us think that addiction comes from the power of a drug, or substance. Once we’re in it’s thrall, we’ll do anything to get more. In fact, research has shown (e.g. Johann Hari’s book, Chasing the Scream) that addicts recover when they feel part...

Empathy is necessary for the proper and healthy development of the brain and psyche. When it’s lacking or inconsistent, we become unable to manage stress. When our stress-response system is overwhelmed, we call that trauma.

There is a common sense notion that until people have their survival needs met, they can’t really express and try to gratify other, so-called “higher order” needs. Common sense is wrong. Needs for meaning, relationships,

The Imposter Syndrome refers to a series of beliefs that seem to tell us that if we are successful, strong, confident, or ambitious—in other words, if we acquire and enjoy the good things in life—we will suffer the punishment of shame,

When a child’s attachment to a caretaker is secure, such an attachment--based on the latter’s empathy, reliability, and emotional availability--provides a secure foundation for the development of the child’s autonomous capacity for loving relationships...

Gaslighting is the process by which one person attempt to drive another person crazy by challenging their sense of reality and denying they are doing so. It's a cousin to the concept of the "double-bind" and the "Catch 22.

Golf is especially frustrating for amateur golfers in ways similar to the frustrating process of learning and exercising other skills.  At it's heart, the discrepancy between what the golfer imagines his/her body should do and what it actually does cau...