Most of us have been accused of “being defensive” at one time or another. Defending yourself is a natural process which can happen automatically. However our psychological defenses, the Defense Mechanisms,  serve to protect us from ourselves. Seems like a strange...

We live in a society where food has many meanings. We use it not only to nourish our bodies but to manage our emotions. It is both comforting and stimulating. It makes us happy and calms our nerves. Eating may...

Here’s an interesting statistic: sixteen percent of children in the United States live in step families (also known as a blended family). Moreover, it is likely that more than 40-50% of all adults will have a blended relationship at some...

Everyone wants to be happy…don’t you?  “I just want to be happy” is probably the number one answer to the question, “What do you want out of life”? The pursuit of happiness is a phrase with which we are all...

In an article I wrote about midlife crisis in men and male menopause, I talked about how the crisis in mid-life is mostly a psychological one. Of course, there are also very real physical issues that men face as they...

Research in the field of psychology has been painting a more complete picture of anger. We typically understand anger as an expression of frustration or annoyance or a response to a threat of some kind. Anger can also be a defense...

Sexual betrayal can cause shame, sadness, and mistrust in a relationship. It is also quite common. According to one study, roughly 30% to 60% of all married individuals in the United States will engage in infidelity at some point. When an...

How do you feel in bed with your partner? Great and completely at ease and natural? Or rejected, confused, unwanted, undesirable, pressured, guilty, anxious or misunderstood? On opposite sides of the mattress, emotions can run high, especially when partners realize that,...

Most of us have heard the expression that a person is “his own worst critic”. We often do not give ourselves enough credit for performing well and regularly beat ourselves up for not performing better. For some of us it...

Whatever the substance: alcohol, prescription medications, or street drugs, substance abuse can wreak havoc on any relationship. The use of drugs and alcohol can turn into substance abuse once a person allows the substance to become the focus of their...