Few things in life are more pivotal than a shift of mind. This profound experience catalyzes defining moments that enable you to embark on exciting new paths. The following articles are devoted to that purpose.
- All
- Self Esteem
- Anxiety
- Parenting
- Depression
- Relationships
- Communication
- Quantum Perspectives
- New Thinking
Getting Beyond “How Does…
"How does that make you feel?" is almost a therapy cliche. Mel Schwartz explains why moving beyond feelings leads to truly effective...
Read Full Post
#122 The Inner Path of Leaders…
In another cross-posting of the blog and podcast, Mel reveals the three pillars of singular, excellent leadership. The podcast includes a...
Read Full Post
#121 How Wealth Can Negatively…
In a special cross-posting of the blog and podcast, the focus is on how wealth can often be detrimental to healthy interpersonal and familial...
Read Full Post
Over-Simplifying Equals Dumbin…
Either / or thinking leads to stagnation, while embracing complexity brings clarity of thought. Read to discover how our relationships evolve once we...
Read Full Post
Can Our Relationship Be Repair…
This very question highlights the problem One of the primary problems in relationships arises from how we envision our relationships. Conventional...
Read Full Post
Low Self-Esteem: A Missed Diag…
According to the National Institute of Health, one in every two Americans will ultimately be diagnosed with some form of mental illness. What’s
Read Full Post
Diagnosis Disorder
I would like to propose a new disorder for the American Psychiatric Association to consider in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Read Full Post
Making New Year’s Resolution…
Year after year, we make New Year’s resolutions that over time wither and fade into failed attempts to transform some aspect of our lives. The
Read Full Post
When Doing the Best You Can Be…
Is it always a good idea to do the best you can do? This question came up recently in a therapy session and catalyzed me to look more deeply into the
Read Full Post
Turning Crisis into Opportunit…
Crises come into our lives, no matter how we may try to avoid them. They are troubling, unwanted experiences or events that take us out way out of
Read Full Post
#137 Overcome Anxiety
[powerpress] In The Possibility Podcast episode 137, I share my approach for overcoming anxiety, fear and distress cultivated from principles of
Read Full Post
The Problem with Perfection
In recent years, I’ve treated increasing numbers of individuals who are driven to distraction through their pursuit of perfection. The desire
Read Full Post
Staying Resilient and Manifest…
Wednesday 05/13/2020 3:00 PM - 4:15 EDT This event will be recorded and sent to registrants Sliding scale fee: $30.00, $40.00, $50.00 To
Read Full Post
Overcoming Anxiety in The Time…
Let's begin by looking at what we mean by the word anxiety. Anxiety is the emotional/physical response that occurs when our thoughts attach to
Read Full Post
Getting Unstuck: Overcoming An…
In any given year approximately 40 million Americans will suffer from a debilitating encounter with anxiety. Over the course of your lifetime,
Read Full Post
The 5% Rule — Breaking T…
Early in my career as a therapist, I found myself feeling frustrated in my ability to assist a couple with whom I was working. They were
Read Full Post
Mastering Your Communication S…
Mastering your Communication Skills: Breaking Through to the Other Side A Real-Time, Interactive, Online Workshop To enjoy resilient
Read Full Post
For the Sake of the Children
I’ve often heard people in conflicted and unhappy marriages claim that they are staying together for the sake of the children. Their implied
Read Full Post
Raising Resilient Children
As parents, no matter how devoted and nurturing we may be, our children often struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and a host of other
Read Full Post
Shared Meaning
We take for granted that our words convey exactly what we intend them to. This is a particularly misinformed assumption. I have observed that upon
Read Full Post
To excel or to have fun? That …
I was recently having a conversation with a young man about his passion in certain sports. As we talked further it became very evident that he would
Read Full Post
Is Our Society Manufacturing D…
An Epidemic of Depression Our society is in the throes of a virtual epidemic of depression. The numbers are quite staggering. More than twenty
Read Full Post
Breaking Free from Your Comfor…
Our Most Intimate Relationship The most intimate relationship we will have in our lives is not with our parents, our spouses, our children or
Read Full Post
The pathologizing of a culture
A young woman in her mid-twenties recently came in for her first visit with me. Three months earlier she had experienced her first bout of anxiety
Read Full Post
Do not measure thyself!
In my work as a psychotherapist I often see individuals who are plagued by a relentless measuring of themselves. These people carry on an internal
Read Full Post
Falling In and Out – and Bac…
The experience of falling in love is truly a thing of marvel. It’s a remarkable and incomparable feeling. Time seems altered and our senses become
Read Full Post
Be the Change You Seek in the …
Few things are as common to our relationships as our asking for, if not demanding, change from one another. These may begin as requests and over time
Read Full Post
Why You Shouldn’t Put Yo…
Most people begin their dating relationships by putting their proverbial “best foot” forward. We do this to entice the other person to like us
Read Full Post
Being Heard: Breaking Through …
In my last post, Silence: A Relationship Killer, we explored the ruinous consequences that intentional silence has on relationships. Silence is
Read Full Post
Silence: A Relationship Killer
Over the many years that I’ve been practicing therapy, I’ve found that couples that are struggling in their relationships often succumb to the
Read Full Post
What Do We Mean by “Movi…
We recently announced a new feature at A Shift of Mind called the Question of the Week. The following is my response to Louise, who wrote: "People
Read Full Post
Getting Past the Right or Wron…
In the previous post we looked at how dominant the motif of seeking to be right is in our culture. It is one of the most singular influences on our
Read Full Post
Why Is it so Important to Be R…
One of the most prevalent – and damaging – themes in our culture is the need to be right. It’s one of those essential memes that we take for
Read Full Post
The 5% Rule
Learning to remain present and not get drawn into the right or wrong argument requires a willful intention to come out of the groove of an old habit.
Read Full Post
Shared Meaning
We take for granted that our words convey exactly what we intend them to. This is a particularly misinformed assumption. I have observed that upon
Read Full Post
#132 Quantum Physics and Psych…
[powerpress] The Possibility Podcast with Mel Schwartz episode 132 is a bonus episode: an interview I gave Dwight Hurst on The Broken Brain
Read Full Post
Breaking Free From the Groove …
Those of us old enough to remember vinyl records-notwithstanding their recent comeback-might recall that when there was a scratch on the album, the
Read Full Post
Change a Word—Change Your Li…
Many years ago, I’d often fall into a recurring disagreement with my former wife. At bedtime I’d frequently find myself saying, “It’s hot in
Read Full Post
Breaking the Cycle of Negativi…
Too often, when we encounter challenges and conflict in our primary relationships we tend to spiral down very quickly. When we’re in this down
Read Full Post
Why We Suffer From Anxiety and…
In any given year approximately 40 million Americans will suffer from a debilitating encounter with anxiety. Over the course of your lifetime,
Read Full Post
Real Esteem
Self-worth, self-esteem. What do they really mean? Being rich, being popular, Great grades, being followed, Captain of the team Still
Read Full Post
Turning the Tide Of Negativity…
I find it troubling that our inclination toward criticizing one another, particularly in familial or committed partnerships, overwhelms our
Read Full Post
Our Words Matter
I've been struck by how often our words fly by each other without any real sincerity to them. Have you noticed how punctuated and meaningless our
Read Full Post
Becoming Your Authentic Self
What does it mean for someone to be truly authentic? And how many people do you know actually fit that description? Do you feel that you’re
Read Full Post
Rethinking Relationships
One of the primary problems we encounter in our relationships is due to how we envision them. Conventional advice regarding relationships and
Read Full Post