As a young actor in the 1960s, Michael Caine was sitting across from Frank Sinatra in a private plane on a flight to Las Vegas when, overwhelmed by the moment, he suddenly became tongue-tied and speechless. Sinatra said, “Mikey, what’s up? You scared of flying?” Caine, who … [Read more...] about Feeling Like a Fraud or an Imposter?
The Invisible Wall of Psychological Resistance
As the client of a depth psychologist back in the mid-1980’s, I acquired a copy of The Basic Neurosis by Edmund Bergler. My therapist told me the book was important, and I was determined to read it. I did so for five or six pages and then, inexplicably, put it aside. Over the … [Read more...] about The Invisible Wall of Psychological Resistance
Cognitive Therapy’s Flawed Premise
People struggling to realize their potential or find inner peace often turn to psychotherapy. Yet they find themselves wandering without much guidance through a marketplace of mental-health offerings and claims, lacking the knowledge to distinguish good therapy from bad. More … [Read more...] about Cognitive Therapy’s Flawed Premise
Dealing with Election Aftershock
This post is written especially for people who, having voted for Hillary Clinton in the U.S. elections this past week, are still feeling miserable. For those of you who voted for Donald Trump, congratulations! I hope he does a great job. Seeing how I am about to address … [Read more...] about Dealing with Election Aftershock
After the Election: Healing the Divide
Whoever is elected president on Nov. 8 has to deal with an acrimonious divide at the heart of the American union. To heal this breach, we have to become smarter about our personal psychology. Everyone’s at least a little quirky and irrational. We often accept and like each … [Read more...] about After the Election: Healing the Divide