Fear and Its Effect on Relationships

  Fear isn’t just about physical danger. Emotional fear can look a lot like anger. But relationships do not thrive in anger or fear. People who behave with fear, generate fear in others. People who behave with love, generate love in others. Think about your...

Anger: A Sign of Fear of Conflict

I had a patient describe her husband as someone who bites his tongue for days about an issue, then becomes angry at her out of the blue. I said: “Oh, he is afraid of conflict,” and she looked at me quizzically. “But he gets angry and we fight. He seems to like...

Lack of Assertiveness & Relationship Problems

When one or both members of a relationship have a lack of assertiveness it can lead to relationship problems. In the short term, not speaking up may feel like a good solution. Unassertive people have good intentions: “If I don’t say anything negative or speak up, it...

Are Gadgets Killing Self-Awareness?

I heard a snippet of an interview on NPR tonight with a man who believes that the extensive use of gadgets is leading to a lack of creativity. He thinks that creativity requires quiet time to think and that the constant distraction by electronic media may lead to...