By: Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC

It is not uncommon for a family to have a history of depression. There are many cases where an individual who is suffering from depression does not appear to have an actual reason for suffering the depression. This is where this person’s family history can help them out. There are some people who appear to be genetically depressed, meaning that their family history shows that previous generations appear to have suffered the same problems. Genetic depression is still far from being fully understood. Studies are still being done in order to understand how genetic depression is passed down and how it can be treated in people before it becomes a real problem. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Mary Ellen Barnes, Ph.D. & Edward W. Wilson, Ph.D

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There are many types of alcohol consumption ranging from the healthy to the deadly. Some people of the prohibitionist persuasion will ague that any use is destructive, but neither medical research nor personal experience supports that conclusion. Unhappily, most “screening” protocols are heavily weighted towards a diagnosis of addiction justifying punitive treatment approaches and “abstinence only” outcomes. In reality, many different degrees of alcohol use exist, and the following thumbnail guide can be helpful in deciding what category is appropriate, and in predicating various – as well as usual - outcomes. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Edward W. Wilson, Ph.D., MAC

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Outside of the U.S. the concept of “Harm Reduction” is frequently the first step in addressing problems related to alcohol abuse, dependence or addiction. The concept is easy to understand: any reduction in a problem behavior is progress. Put together enough reductions and the problem will be eliminated or at least moderated. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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“Because they are human, they suffer. Those who have a better story, a “healthier” childhood, a more impressive résumé, better looks, connections, or education, suffer. Those who are less fortunate than “me” also suffer. Those who are able or good suffer as do those who are weak or mean.”

(Laurence Boldt The Tao of Abundance 94)

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By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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Recently, a friend jokingly said to me “I’d be such a great mother if I didn’t have kids!” The picture of being a great mother wasn’t one she was relating to at the moment, she felt derailed by her children.

If we never went off the track we felt we should always be coasting gleefully on, we might not be available to the gifts that we learn when we careen off the road. I once heard Marianne Williamson say that our greatest spiritual learning don’t happen on the days where we cruise through life. Certainly, I would always (consciously at least) prefer to learn through joy rather than suffering, most of us (myself included) probably still learn the most through challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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A coaching session I recently had led me to do some thinking about the how we are addicted as a culture to gossip and drama. Because we are a culture that seems to love celebrity, we may spend more or least as much of our day gossiping about Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or Anna Nicole, than we do being deliberate about having the life we really want. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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Recently, I did a several favors for a woman in my community. Because she is in a similar line of work as I am, I also offered to help her when she expressed frustration about her success. Seemingly abruptly she mentioned a recent accomplishment I had and said curtly, “You attributed ____ to the wrong person. There was a person that said it before.” Shocked, I changed the subject. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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Last night, while contemplating the merits of microdermibrasion versus the photo facial with my Polish friend Justyna, I began to think about how her culture probably isn’t seduced by the quick fix as easily as we are in the United States. The conversation called to mind for me a time when I was attending a parenting class when I was pregnant. During each class, I asked a myriad of questions of my instructor about the efficacy of all the baby accoutrement from the portable bottle warmer (“Why would you need that if you’re breastfeeding?” she asked), to which diaper bag was the most streamlined and spacious and which high tech crib was the most comprehensive and effective. She told the class in response to my crib questions that she and her boyfriend had used a plastic 5 dollar laundry basket as a bassinet and this suited her baby perfectly. Then she looked at me directly and sliced and diced me like a hundred television knives that hold that promise of revolutionizing your world and said, “You like gimmicks, don’t you?” Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

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Although I believe the joke, “Where there is a will, there is a relative”, I also believe that “Where there is a will, there is a way”. This may seem naïve to some, but my experiences over the years have consistently been, once I truly begin to open myself up for solutions, that answers begin (sometimes I admit it takes awhile) to appear. Answers may not always be in the form I desire, but some type of peace and support always makes itself available to me. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

Click here to contact Jeanine and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

Sometimes the women I coach come to me as a last ditch effort in attempt to create a happy life. Many times they say, “I’ve tried everything and nothing worked, or at least nothing worked permanently.” Many of them have lost the weight, but gained it back. They attracted who seemed to be Mr. or Ms. Right, but the relationship went sour. They made the money but blew it. They had or have “it all”, but they still feel unhappy. Read the rest of this entry »