Can Therapy Really Change Your Brain?
I feel fortunate to be a psychotherapist in this day and age. Aside from the change we and our clients can report anecdotally, there is increasing evidence to support the potential for true change within the brain via the therapeutic relationship. ...

Power of Social Relationships
A new study by UCLA psychologists demonstrates the significant influence and importance of social relationships and staying socially connected. Amazingly, researchers discovered social connections — reflected by the mere thought of a loved one — can...

Ethnic Pride Can Improve Teen Mental Health
Adolescents often struggle to develop an appropriate level of self-esteem. But among ethnic minority groups, the problem may be significantly compounded as youth are challenged by issues unique to their ethnic group, such as dealing with social...

Talk Therapy: How Honest Are You?
I pay my therapist $120 every other week. I should, theoretically, feel like I can tell her anything.But I don’t. Because I want her to like me. It’s part of being a stage-four people-pleaser. I didn’t realize the extent to which I was holding...

Try Chocolate for an Emotional Release
New research suggests a palatable method to relieve stress involves regular consumption of dark chocolate. As an additional bonus, the chocolate may also improve cardiovascular health and supply benefits associated with antioxidants. In a clinical...

How to Web Enable Seniors
The information age has arrived. Cell phones and word processors rule. However, for an important population segment, the ability to use new technology is obscure.The digital divide is problematic as a central tenet of health reform is the use of...

Moral Behavior Linked to Cleanliness
A new study discovers people are naturally more fair and charitable when they are in clean-smelling environments.The research found a dramatic improvement in ethical behavior with just a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex.Katie Liljenquist,...

A Loved One’s Photo Helps Reduce Your Pain
Previous psychological research has demonstrated that the mere presence of a loved one — a partner, family member or friend — can help reduce one’s subjective experience of physical pain (for instance, during a medical procedure), versus...

Emotions and Sensitivity: An Interview with Michael Jawer
Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Michael Jawer, coauthor of “The Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion,” which you can read about at www.emotiongateway.com. He is an emotion researcher and expert on “sick building syndrome” and lives in Vienna,...