Stutz

Stutz

Many people are talking about the new movie by Jonah Hill, “Stutz,” about his psychotherapist Phil Stutz. I thought I would share some of my thoughts.  I am always heartened by a new public presentation about psychotherapy and mental illness.  From Dr. Melfi, the psychiatrist, in the “Sopranos”; Billy Crystal in “Analyze This”; and Robin […]

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Hamilton

Something Positive

We are all in desperate need of some positive experience these days. Many are finding those experiences in nature, long walks and hikes. Others connecting to friends, family. Well here’s a piece of entertainment, art really, music, that I think is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. And at least for a few […]

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fatigue

Pandemic Fog

Many people these days are complaining of exhaustion and the inability to concentrate or think clearly.  There is a phrase for it: “Pandemic fog.”  Of course, it is an extremely stressful time with uncertainty about nearly everything and a constant sense of threat.  An article I recently saw and will include here gives some explanation […]

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couples

Couples Under Stress

It is an incredibly stressful time now as we face the perils of the virus and have to endure extreme measures, such as this prolonged isolation, to fight it.  Everyone is feeling it, especially couples.  In the last couple of weeks, I have had a number of calls from couples saying pretty much the same […]

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anxiety

The Usefulness of Anxiety

I want to draw people’s attention to an article in the SF Chronicle by a local psychologist and faculty member at UCSF that distinguishes between anxiety and panic. Elissa Epel makes the point that anxiety can motivate us to be prudent, to take useful measures during this time of crisis. Panic, on the other hand, […]

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grief flower

We are all Grieving Now

I’d like to draw people’s attention to a video Op-Ed piece in the New York Times by well-known psychotherapist Esther Perel on the current pandemic and the grief that we all feel. She has some helpful suggestions about how to get through, how to continue to live even in the face of this collective trauma. […]

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grief 2

The Pandemic and Grief, Part 2

My mind is turning towards the grief that I believe we are all feeling now.  Of course, for some it is more immediate as family members, friends and loved ones mourn some of the over 20,000 Americans and scores more of people worldwide who have died from this disease.  All of us are touched.  And […]

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Grief

The Pandemic and Grief

I wanted to draw people’s attention to a very helpful article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review about a predominant feeling that people are experiencing these days as we go through this crisis.  Grief.  While all of us have our coping strategies and skills to deal with what is happening, we are all affected.  […]

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