Sometimes a letter strikes a chord, reminding me of my work, my life – and my future. Such was the case with an e-mail from a woman who thought she had a handle on her lupus after more than 10 years but recently learned that the numbness she had been experiencing in both arms and […]

Research published last year found that when parents are distressed, their children report a poorer quality of life. Obese children are less likely to lose weight. I’ve reported before that most children over 13 complain of stress in their lives, and this study, in the journal Obesity, confirmed what I hear every time I speak […]

Dear Dan, I manage a small group of people in a university setting and I have difficulty with one person in particular. During performance appraisals, she gets immediately defensive and behaves as though there is no truth in what I am saying. I always give positive feedback first and then areas for improvement. And I […]

I first met Andrea Collins Smith in August when she was a guest on my radio show. This 36-year-old, married mother of six had tattoos up and down both arms, sparkling eyes, and the happiest smile I have ever seen. She also had a turban on her head, part of the uniform of a woman […]

Jane was nearly 40 years old when she came to see me for poor self-esteem. Despite her achievements, she never felt good about herself and was unable to sustain a relationship with a man. She attributed much of her difficulty to her father, whom she described as angry and judgmental. “It seemed everything I did […]

What is your first instinct when you see someone who is disfigured, deformed or just plain different? To look away? To react by rote? Many years ago, waiting to meet a colleague, I was sitting in the lobby of Hahnemann Hospital, my briefcase on my lap, drinking a cup of coffee – when a woman […]

Dear Dan, My wife of 20 years has been lying to me about an “office” affair with a man. I know she is lying because I have taped conversations in my home, checked the GPS in her car and even saw her with my own eyes kissing this man in a local park near her […]

Marge was 48 years old when she came to my office last year complaining of depression. She said her marriage was “comfortable, but without passion.” Her teenage children were doing well, but she was worried about paying tuition when the time came. Her work life had been stable for 15 years. And then she woke […]