Is variety in a relationship the spice of life, or a groove-killer? LA-based therapist Carder Stout, PhD, weighs the pros and cons of the polyamorous movement. As a psychologist, I see so many couples on the brink of Armageddon. Close to 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, and much of the time it is…
Continue ReadingWhat One Psychotherapist Learned about Having Kids Later in Life
October 3, 2018 | Posted in Families
If there’s a magic age to have kids, no one has found it yet. But psychotherapist Carder Stout’s account of approaching fifty with a pair of toddlers—and why he’s the better for it—makes a compelling read. Stout, who spent his thirties being single, getting sober, and developing a career as a therapist (see his insights…
Continue ReadingWhat to do *instead of* taking deep breaths to treat an anxiety or panic attack
April 16, 2018 | Posted in Anxiety
Mental-health issues are becoming less stigmatized and easier to talk about by the day, especially with celebs getting real about their personal struggles. Still, articulating the experience of having conditions like depression or anxiety can seem confusing or even impossible, so larger scale conversations about defining, then researching and treating them can likewise suffer. A product of this…
Continue ReadingMoving on From Adult Friendship Breakups
February 8, 2018 | Posted in Grief
No relationship is perfect—and even our very closest, best-of-best-friends-forever bonds can deeply disappoint us, or, worse, break apart. Whether it’s a case of someone saying the wrong thing, falling through on an important commitment, or simply fading away, we can’t always control what goes wrong in our friendships. But we can determine how the breakup—or…
Continue ReadingDream Meanings: What Your Dreams Reveal About You
November 8, 2017 | Posted in Dreams
Think your dreams are crazy? Chances are they’re more normal than you think. As you recount a strange dream to a friend, it doesn’t take long to realize how illogical and silly it can sound. The surroundings change without warning, the plot twists faster than a soap opera, and even the people in the dream…
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