Let me ask you a question – where does your mind go, day to day? Are you often worried? Angry? Do you have the same worried or angry thought over and over? If you have a free moment, do you tend to think about what you need to do, what other people are expecting of Continue Reading
How to be Happier
Much of our unhappiness is the result of thinking through the lens of a negative emotion. When we are angry or afraid or irritable, the only thoughts we are able to have are those that are consistent with these feelings. This is how the brain is wired. The only time we can think clearly, seeing Continue Reading
Children Learn by Doing
Maria Montessori had it right. Children – and adults – learn by doing, not by listening. It is the active engagement in the environment that creates new neural pathways in our brain, which is what learning means. New connections are made only when we act. The belief that children learn by listening is not correct. Continue Reading
Mindfulness as Therapy
The practice of mindfulness is as powerful as the best psychotherapy. This is because it has the same purpose but provides more effective tools, tools that have developed over thousands of years of Buddhist philosophy. The purpose of both mindfulness practice and psychotherapy is to ease our suffering by changing our understanding, of ourselves as Continue Reading
Texting and Your Brain
Texting as a form of communication? Your brain doesn’t like it either. Our brains are hard-wired for communication. We humans have a need to share our thoughts and feelings with other members of our species, and we have a rich set of tools with which to do this. We can communicate even when we don’t Continue Reading
Neuropsychology & Mindfulness
Mindfulness. We seem to be running into the term frequently these days. Interesting, because this idea is thousands of years old. In my work and in my life, the most powerful tool I use is mindfulness. I have been interested in observing and understanding people for as long as I can remember, and along with Continue Reading
Neuropsychological Assessment
Neuropsychological assessment, when done well, is much more than the administration of a set of tests. It is a process of information gathering that addresses the child as a whole. Its purpose is to give parents as complete an understanding of the child as possible, to guide their parenting at home and support their education Continue Reading
Emotional Waves
Emotions tend to rise up and wash over us like a wave in the ocean, taking us temporarily out of control. They can hit suddenly and without warning, sweeping our thoughts and feelings in an entirely different direction than they had been heading a moment before. But, as with ocean swimming, we can learn to Continue Reading
To Love, To Learn, To Enjoy
To love, to learn, and to enjoy. For me, these are the most important things we can do. These are what life is about. I try to keep these as my compass, to remember to stay focused on these, to keep them as my primary intention, so I don’t lose my way, getting caught up Continue Reading
Mood States and Emotion
The Affective system works at two levels – the active processing of our experience – the emotional charge, in the moment, and the background of emotional tone through which we experience things – the mood state. The Affective system puts a positive or negative charge on incoming information and outgoing responses. This charge motivates attention Continue Reading