You have your own ideas about religion and politics. You have your own definition of honor, fairness, courage, authenticity. You have your personal philosophy regarding relationships, career and family. You have your own belief system. But how do you know if this belief system is really working? After all, a belief system is only as effective as the thoughts, feelings and behaviors […]
3 Keys to a Successful Relationship
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Collectively, my wife and I share about 40 years experience working with couples from all walks of life. We were recently talking shop, discussing what factors we see most consistently in the happiest, healthiest couples. Here are the Big Three: Steady chemical base Here, I’m calling a “chemical” anything you consume. Medication, […]
Are Your Values Genuine?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC What personal values are the most important to you? Love, money, health, kindness, career, spirituality, honesty, family? Now consider this: Does your current life reflect this value? Do your daily behaviors, your daily thoughts and feelings, strongly align with this value? If you spend hours daily thinking about money, worrying […]
Holidays and How to Survive Them, Part 2
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC The holidays are like Las Vegas. Lots of drunk people wandering around beer goggling, blinking lights, spending too much money. And then there is the crushing return trip – that head-pounding Monday morning back at work, fatter and poorer than you were before. But these aren’t the only ways the […]
Top 10 Family Holiday Survival Tips
To paraphrase Ram Dass, a former clinical psychologist I greatly admire: If you think you’re a reasonable, well-balanced person, try spending a week with your family. To maximize family bonding this holiday season, and to minimize acts of family warfare, keep the following tips in mind when next you sit down between Crazy Uncle Hank […]