I recently visited a new casino in Atlantic City with a friend, and we passed a large, imposing door labeled “Security.” I told my friend I wanted to go in. “Why?” he asked. “Well, see that attractive woman sitting by herself? I would love to ask her to have a drink with me, but I’m […]

Think about the stresses children are living with these days: war, bullying, relentless pressures to achieve, divorce, threats of terrorism. Despite all our efforts to protect our children, the stressors continue. That’s why the American Psychological Association has teamed up with Time magazine’s children’s publication, Time for Kids, to help young people cope. I asked […]

Ten years ago I wrote my first column for The Inquirer. It was a response to a letter from a woman who wanted to know how to recover from the trauma of a devastating automobile accident. Part of the reason this column is titled “On Healing” is that I receive thousands of calls and letters […]

Recently I had dinner with a friend who raised the following provocative question: “Whatever you think about Kobe Bryant, President Bush, the war in Iraq – what would it take to change your thinking to the other side?” He further suggested that, until I could answer that question, I would likely not be successful in […]

Several years ago, Consumer Reports devoted an entire issue to the subject of psychotherapy. It published a study that found that, overall, psychotherapy works. But finding that kind of help can be a challenge. Almost daily I get e-mails or telephone calls from people who don’t know how to find a good therapist or don’t […]

I recently received a letter from a man who described living in a “very lonely marriage” for almost two decades. Because his wife apparently had been withdrawn and emotionally unavailable, he took on the role of primary caretaker for their 13-year-old daughter. After years of trying to communicate his loneliness with his wife, he finally […]

As we celebrate the anniversary of our Constitution, think about what the document actually is: words. They are words that shaped this nation. Words can also destroy a nation. The words of Sen. Joseph McCarthy came close to destroying all of the freedoms the Constitution affords. Words can wound a nation, words can begin or […]

Dear Dan, I am in my 50s and have been married to the same person for most of my adult life. We have a very good relationship now after some major rough times early on. We have a very satisfying sex life. But I have a crush every couple of years. I don’t act on […]

Dear Sam, This is the third column I have written to you. The first was three years ago on the event of your birth. Since that time, you have become one of the most beautiful and gentle children I have ever seen. The second column was last year when I explained that you had been […]

My last column addressed the issue of anxiety management in this anxious world. One recommendation was to identify your demons and learn to tolerate them. A woman wrote me and said that although she is clear she has many emotions that interfere with her life, she was having difficulty understanding how to face her demons […]