Angie was brought up by rigid, authoritarian parents who kept her on a tight leash. They rarely considered her feelings about anything, showing a complete lack of empathy and compassion for her feelings and desires. If she came home five minutes late from school or from an activity, she was punished. Yelling and hitting were […]
Tag Archives: loving
The Challenges Of Single Parenting
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and written books on parenting and relationships, I’ve discovered that one of the greatest challenges for us as parents is to be loving role-models for our children, showing our children through our behavior how to take personal responsibility for their own feelings and needs. Our children […]
The Challenge Of Families
Angie grew up in a family where she was the caretaker. The oldest of four, Angie was the only member of her family capable of deep caring, empathy and compassion. As a result, she was always attempting to protect her brother and sisters from her father’s physical and emotional abuse. Even her mother learned to […]
Empty Nest Syndrome
Paula’s last child had just gone off to college and Paula was struggling with a deep inner emptiness. While she knew this day was coming, she was not really prepared for the intense hollowness that welled up within. After all, she had a life of her own. Her work as an occupational therapist, which she […]
Raising Up A Woman My Daughter My Heritage
From her highchair, she gazes at me with admiration. Enchanting brown eyes follow me as I bustle about cleaning the handful of Honey Nut O’s she’s tossed on the floor. She’s a year old, gorgeous and her daddy’s joy, and she’s smiling so sweetly; at her tender age she’s already taking in tidbits of information […]
The Courage To Be A Loving Parent
Most of us really don’t like it when someone is angry at us. We don’t like it when people go into resistance to helping us when we need help, instead of caring about us. We don’t like it when people withdraw from us, disconnecting from us and shutting us out. We don’t like it when […]
They Should Have Beat Me More The Cycle Of Physical Abuse
In December, 2005, I conducted a two-day workshop with men who had recently been released from prison for domestic violence. With the men were their wives, as well as the father of a batterer who was still in prison. The father, Douglas, sat in front of me, sharing his childhood experiences. “My momma was a […]
Write A Love Letter On Your Body
Have you seen the movie “What the Bleep”? There is a great scene in that movie where the body-hating star breaks through to loving her body. She starts to draw hearts and love messages all over herself and relaxes into appreciation instead of loathing. We’re taught a lot of things to do to our bodies. […]
Healing Food Addiction
Hannah was distressed that, with all the inner work she had done on herself, she still found herself binge eating. “There are times when I just can’t stop eating. I feel awful after, but at the time I just want another cookie and another until they are all gone. Or I’ll intend to take a […]
Five Secrets To Weight Loss
Weight loss – such a “big” topic! Every month another book is out by another expert on weight loss. Everyone wants to know the secret to losing weight. I certainly don’t have THE secret, but I do have some secrets, and I want to share them with you in the hope you find them helpful. […]
Accessing Your Spiritual Guidance
For the last 35 years, I have been working with individuals, couples and families, as well as business relationships. I have 8 published books on relationships and healing, some of them best-sellers. In the first half of my career, I worked as a traditional psychotherapist, and was not happy with the results. In the last […]
Addiction To Spirituality
Lian had been meditating for many years before consulting with me for his depression. He had been part of a spiritual community that encouraged their members to turn to God through prayer and meditation whenever they were feeling any difficult or painful feelings such as anger, hurt, anxiety, or depression. He had been taught that […]
Do You Experience God
Connor, a man in his late 40’s, has achieved everything he ever thought he needed to feel happy and secure. He owns a successful business, has a wonderful wife and two children, and a beautiful home. Yet when you look at him, he doesn’t look happy. He looks empty, with no sense of vibrancy about […]
How To Benefit From The Mind Body Connection
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of “Love, Medicine and Miracles” was once a distraught surgeon who fretted over his inability to effectively serve his cancer patients. Dr. Siegel’s recognition and growing understanding of the mind-body connection eventually allowed him to serve his patients and himself in a greater capacity. Bernie writes in his book, “When a […]
I Have A Dream
Like Martin Luther King, I have a dream. My dream is…
Learn How To Love Yourself
I’m sure you read a lot of times this sentence : you need first to love yourself. But what does that mean? Is it about getting you a hot chocolate when you are cold? Is it about getting you a new dress when you feel like it? Is it doing whatever you want when you […]
Addiction To Clutter
Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a lecture that I gave, I asked for a show of hands regarding how many people had problems with clutter and disorganization. I was surprised to find that at least half the people raised their hands. One of my clients told me that she was trying […]
Law Of Attraction The Power Of Love
Love everything that happens to you. It is one of the secrets to working the law of attraction. Love every minute of the day and make it a real part of your life. Get used to this new way of feeling and it will lift you to the next dimension, the place where you should […]
The Fear Of Being Alone
Gina consulted with me because her marriage was falling apart. She had discovered that her husband was having yet another affair, and when he was with her, he was either angry or withdrawn. She had requested numerous times that he join her in couples therapy, but he had no interest in healing their relationship. Gina […]
Giving Love Getting Love Giving To Get
Love. We need it from the moment we are born to thrive. We might survive but we do not thrive without abundant love. No wonder we work so hard to get it. No wonder we try to be perfect and do everything right to have control over getting love. No wonder we get anxious, angry […]