Blog

Is Empathy Overrated?

Derek Beres’ blog titled The Case against Empathy argues that the value of empathy is exaggerated. In this response, I hope to resonate with Derek’s experience and attempt to understand how he arrived at his conclusions. I also hope to explore how his discussion presents a limited, in fact a distorted, concept of empathy. Derek […]

Restoring Integrity

You may have noticed that you did not receive a September Continuing Search for Meaning newsletter. You did not miss it in your inbox – it was not there! I can come up with many excuses for failure to send the newsletter – I was busy teaching classes, I was putting my efforts into working […]

Growing a Soul Mate

True or False: Each person has a true, perfect, and unique soul mate out there somewhere in the world – waiting to be found. False! The myth that each of us has a ‘perfect other half’ is damaging to many relationships. Because, after the initial bliss of early relationship, conflict starts to erupt, tensions mount […]

Growing Apart

There is no denying that life is chaotic. A marriage might begin with making plans, setting goals and discussing dreams, but then “life happens.” A question we often neglect however, is “when life happens,” how does it impact your marriage? And furthermore, have you let the stressors of life turn into a reason for why […]

Restoring Commitment Within Your Relationship

The word commitment seems to have lost its integrity over the years It is no surprise that lack of commitment was listed as the number one response in a poll * about the main causes of divorce. But when one dissects the meaning of the word commitments — dedication, devotion, loyalty and faithfulness, it’s easy […]

The Scar that Heals

“Whenever we give up, leave behind, and forget too much, there is always the danger that the things we have neglected will return with added force.” ~ Carl Jung The above quote contains an important cautionary tale. In psychotherapy I often see people that believe that they have resolved an issue, only to see it […]

Is Houston a Safe Place to Live?

How do you determine where Houston is a safe place to live, work or walk around? A 2013 poll conducted by Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index said that 63 percent of Houstonians feel safe. That’s lower than the national average of 72 percent. And according to the Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey, crime as a number […]

Back to School!

When I went away to college, Western Kentucky University, I remember the day before classes started my freshman year. I walked up the hill and felt an excitement, an anticipation of what was to come. I did not know the changes I was about to encounter educationally and personally, but I knew in my bones […]

Houston Matters with Dr. Michael Winters

Michael spoke yesterday (August 13, 2014) on the KUHF (NPR Houston) show Houston Matters on the topic of Anger Management.  Michael’s segment starts at minute 26. Traffic, the heat, fast-paced workplaces. These Houston characteristics alone can make your blood boil at times. But when does getting angry become enough of a problem to seek treatment? […]

The Comedian’s Suicide

Robin William’s death on August 11, 2014 has stimulated social dialogue as well as personal reflection for many who were entertained by him over the years. As a psychologist who counsels people experiencing depression, and those grieving (sometime due to suicide of a loved one), and teaches classes about mental health and depression, I think […]