We have many stereotypes about groups, such as people who enjoy sports, and about people from different ethnicities, financial status and education status, such as did they go to college or not. Most teenagers have been taught these stereotypes and feel that they need to conform to the stereotypes even if they disagree with the […]
The teen years are an important developmental time. Important things that happen during this time include: 1. Forming important relationships Teens spend more and more time with peers. Peers influence the formation of their identity and allow to them to try out different groups to see where they fit in. Teens may face stress in […]
Before we became parents, many of us had an ideal image of what that role would look like. This image is often based on our own experiences of being parented. Consequently, we might decide to parent our children similarly, or we might enter into parenthood with a determination to parent in a dramatically different way, […]
Many of our initial beliefs about power & control are hatched on the elementary school playground and in our initial, unsupervised interactions with peers at a young age. These beliefs, whether inherited, learned or both, become solidified by experience, become internalized and color how we are in relationships for years to decades to come. And […]
Being married for many years is hard. Times change. People change. Conflict is part of every marriage. How we handle marital conflict can have a strong impact on children. Parents that fight in front of their children are hurting their children. Children rely on their parents for security and safety. Fighting, hostility, yelling and threats […]
In today’s world texting has become a very common way for people to communicate with each other. If I go to a baseball game or the theater, I see adults texting the entire time. I have even seen people fired via text. While it is becoming very common with adults, it is even more common […]
“You Complete Me” Many people are familiar with this line from the movie, Jerry McGuire, starring Tom Cruise. A deaf couple signs this message to each other in an elevator and Tom Cruise’s character assumes they must really be in love. However, this may not be the reality. In reality it may be an unhealthy […]
As a psychotherapist who works with teenagers and their parents and couples, on of the most difficult issues that people encounter is clear communication. Based on how we are raised in our society, most of us do not receive education on communicating with each other. As a result of this, miscommunication is very common between […]
In light of the terrorist attack on London yesterday and the threats against Jewish Community Centers, it makes sense to remind parents how children and teenagers are being impacted. I have been seeing more and more teenagers who are complaining of anxiety and depression. Many of these teenagers are also afraid to go to school […]
A common argument I hear daily in my office is how much time should an adolescent be spending on their laptop or their smart phone. Parents typically believe that their adolescents are spending too much time on their cell phones and laptops. Of course adolescents feel that their parents are being unfair and not allowing […]
