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
Somewhere… Over the Rain…
The passing of Tim Russert inspired a very unqiue and extraordinary response in so many of us. He truly integrated so many core features of...
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If marriage were a corporation…
The fact that more than half of marriages end in divorce is actually the lesser problem. The more telling consideration is that the majority...
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The Familiar Zone
What we refer to as our comfort zone becomes at times not quite so comfortable, as it is familiar. Old habits and behaviors that we… Continue...
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Uncertainty: Our Great Liberat…
Certainty and predictability, the dominant motifs of Newton’s worldview are deeply rooted in our culture and in our thinking. These...
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#131 Do You Nurture Yourself?
[powerpress] The Possibility Podcast with Mel Schwartz episode 131 asks a simple question: How is your relationship with yourself? The most
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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
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Real Esteem
Self-worth, self-esteem. What do they really mean? Being rich, being popular, Great grades, being followed, Captain of the team Still
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“Who am I?” Is the…
Many of us ask ourselves the age-old question, "Who am I?"This question presumes there might be a plausible answer, as if our identity could- or
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Designing Your Life – Fr…
Throughout our life most of our attention is focused on matters that are pertinent to us since they impact us significantly. When we were young we
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Why Acting Strong is Actually …
A troubling theme that I come across in my work as a therapist -- and in my observation of people in general -- is the belief that we should always
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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
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Overcoming Anxiety: Turning Yo…
Overcoming Anxiety A LIVE Interactive Videoconference Learn to turn your thoughts into your ally! 3 Wednesday evenings — 7:15-8:30 PM
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Rethinking Anxiety
When a dysfunction such as anxiety – or depression, for that matter – becomes so commonplace, we must turn to our culture, which is our aggregate
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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
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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
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Mastering Your Communication S…
Mastering your Communication Skills: Breaking Through to the Other Side A Real-Time, Interactive, Online Workshop To enjoy resilient
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Creating Resilient Relationshi…
The wonder of first meeting and falling in love is in part due to the curiosity and passion of learning about each other. Regrettably, over time most
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Are We Really Speaking about t…
How often have you felt frustrated in conversations as if you were each talking about a different thing? That's because you were... To experience
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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
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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
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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
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A Radical Reality
To this day, quite possibly the most provocative, if not astounding, discovery of modern science remains relatively obscure to the general public.
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#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
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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Would You Like to Be the Partn…
In my role as a relationship therapist, I’ve begun prompting couples to ask their partners, “Would you like to be the person that I’m asking
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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
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I’ll Be Happy When…
What is the source of happiness? We tend to assume that happiness will come from a future event. It typically depends upon something else happening.
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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
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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
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