I see a lot of clients who have problems with their jobs. They tell me they feel burned out at work. I define this kind of burnout as job-related mental and physical exhaustion that has a negative effect on your personal life. Here are some…
I enjoy shopping. In small doses. Occasionally, it’s fun to go into stores and see what’s there. I used to shop a lot more. When I would go into a store, I’d literally get an adrenaline rush: so much stuff to look at…and buy. There…
Dear Michael: I have friends who seem to have it all (plenty of money, great jobs, hot boyfriends) and they are all going off to meditation retreats, studying Buddhism and getting all “spiritual” on me. They say it’s bringing them peace of mind and that…
Often clients ask me, “Should I stay with my partner or should I go?” This is obviously not a question I can answer for them, so I help them look at the big picture – their expectations, the reality of their relationship, their old patterns…
For quite some time now, I have been recommending local health care professionals to my San Diego clients. I would now like to make those recommendations available here. These are my own personal recommendations and, no, I don’t get any referral fees if you choose…
Dear Michael: I have been with my partner for several years’ now. Our sex life isn’t great, but everything else is good. Last week, I was out of town for work, went to a bar and, after too many drinks, ended up going home with…
The same bad thing can happen to two people: one gets really down and depressed for a few days/weeks, the other bounces back to “normal“ within a few hours. What’s the difference? When I worked for Child Protective Services, we talked about “resilient children” and…
Mirror work is something I first tried about 30 years’ ago. I went to a workshop in West Hollywood where author/teacher Louise Hay encouraged people to talk to themselves in the mirror. I thought it was pretty weird and resisted it, at first. But today…
There are hundreds of books and videos on how to be popular. In this column, I’d like to talk about some of the personality characteristics I’ve noticed over the years in clients, friends and colleagues who were particularly loved and cherished. If you’re feeling lonely…
First it was my 19-year-old goddaughter. Then my 30-year-old niece. Now it’s my 45-year-old male client. What do these people have in common? They have each decided it’s time for a vacation from social media (or vacay, as my goddaughter calls it). Last week, I…
