psychobabble for normal people

When we're depressed, anxious, or otherwise feeling bad, it's often compounded by the belief that our mood is stable or permanent. ...

One of my clients is going through a period of uncertainty in several areas of his life. He's trying to determine whether or not to sell...

Take a second to think of the last time you were stressed out and plagued by what ifs ? "What if I miss my flight?" "What if...

What if every time you had a generous impulse you followed it? For many of us, generous impulses come up relatively frequently (“They sa...

When I teach mindfulness-based stress reduction ( MBSR ) class, we spend a lot of time discussing ways that mindfulness  can help us behave ...

Lovingkindness is a Buddhist practice that involves wishing well to ourselves and others. It encompasses generosity, good will, friendliness...

Warning: Mindfulness isn't always fun. Often when I recommend mindfulness practice to a friend or client, we end up talking about th...

In a conflict, is it best to strike while the iron is hot and try to identify and resolve the problem as it's happening? Or is it better...

Two weeks ago, I attended a psychiatry conference on mindfulness in cultural context. Many of the talks were about contemplative practices ...

You know that creeping anxiety that develops on Sunday as the weekend draws to a close? It's not just you! So many friends, patients, ...

Last post , I wrote about the benefits of taking time out for relaxation, meditation, or other forms of non-productive downtime. But what if...

One of my mindfulness-based stress reduction ( MBSR ) students has three kids, a husband, and a demanding job. On occasion, she stops at a c...

Are you distracted from the truth that everything is basically okay? I often am.  I didn't get my favourite seat on the bus yesterday ...

Last month, I went to see Annie on Broadway. Annie is the story of a plucky orphan living in New York City during the Great Depression. She...

How come one day your computer melts down and deletes half your files and you cheerfully back up the remaining files and continue your day, ...

I recently attended a CBT conference where I participated in a mindfulness meditation workshop led by Jon Kabat-Zinn . Kabat-Zinn is the fo...

What is letting go? We use the phrase "let it go" all the time, encouraging our friend to stop emailing his ex-girlfriend six mo...

Emotions can be inconvenient. Sometimes we experience intense and difficult feelings at work, during a social occasion, or at some other awk...

Cognitive-behavioural  psychologists encourage clients to not believe everything they think . One way to apply this suggestion is to imagine...

This winter, as part of my new job at a mindfulness and psychotherapy clinic , I lead a course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)...