In my work as a psychotherapist, I see it over-and-over again: a perfectly happy single person meets someone wonderful. They start to date, it gets serious and – boom! – hello relationship drama! Over the past twenty years, how many times have I heard a...
I hadn’t planned on writing a column like this. However, I hadn’t planned on my sister dying a slow, drawn-out death either. A year ago I was told that my little sister was not going to live long. In some ways, this wasn’t a surprise: she’d...
Finding the right person who will love you for who you are is one of the great achievements of life. In my work as a psychotherapist, I meet many women and men who tell me, “I want to meet someone wonderful. I’m ready and I...
Wellington, Ohio had a few more than 2,000 people when I was growing up there. It had one stoplight and 7 bars, one school building that housed all grades from kindergarten to high school. And it had a library. This library saved my life. I knew I...
Relationships are humbling. ALL relationships. Whether it’s with your partner, your child, your parent or your best friend…all relationships are humbling because they show us our flaws, fears and weaknesses. And yet, they are also the best path to wholeness. My grandma used to say,...
Last week, at a dinner party, someone who knew that I was a therapist asked me, “Hey Doctor Kimmel, do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems by myself. What do you think?” My response: Perhaps “need” isn’t the most accurate word....
Do you know the story of Saint Valentine? Neither did I. So, I researched it and found it inspiring. Here are two versions of his story: Version one: During the reign of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in so many unpopular wars that it became...
One thing I’m often asked, as a psychotherapist: “Should I stay in this relationship or should I go?” If the person decides to go, the next question – inevitably is – “How do I end it in the best way possible?” I’d like to break...
Nowadays, in many ways, sex gets a bad rap: anonymous sex, unsafe sex, addictive sex, hook-up sex…you know. I’d like to focus on the other side of sex: all the ways that it’s good for us. I researched this on-line, because – although I have more...
It’s a new year. So what? What’s really going to change? Unless we take an active role in creating change, this new year will be pretty much like the last one. How would you like to have a more confident/less anxious year? Sounds good, doesn’t it?...