“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson No matter what the age of your children, there are many wonderful books that can inspire you and your family to find ways to give back in your community. One of the gentle souls who taught children (and adults) about […]
Learning to Laugh Together
“We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh.” -William James One of my mentors and teachers was the late Annette Goodheart, a psychotherapist, teacher, and laughter coach extraordinaire. I met Annette in 1979 when husband Don and I first settled in Santa Barbara. Annette had just begun her private practice at […]
Top 10 Tips for the Holidays
Believe it or not, the holidays rank right up there on the stress scales with “asking the boss for a raise!” Whether celebrating at home or on the road, most of us need to learn how to be together more gracefully. Here are some practical ideas to help bring out the best in everyone: 1. […]
How to Become More Grateful in Your Relationships
As the interest in positive psychology has grown, more books have been coming out for the general public on various strategies to cultivate more happiness, to increase optimism, and to teach forgiveness and compassion. There are several books on gratitude that we have found inspirational and helpful for individuals who want to incorporate this strength […]
How Exercise Can Help the Brain (and Other Things)
One of the books that we have told many friends and family about is Spark: The Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey and Eric Hagerman. John Ratey, M.D. is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of numerous bestselling and groundbreaking books, including Driven to Distraction and […]
Marriages Thrive with Good Communication
There are many excellent resources available to couples wanting to learn how to communicate more effectively. One of the several that we like and recommend is now in its third edition. Written by Matthew McKay, Martha Davis and Patrick Fanning, check out Messages: The Communication Skills Book. If when you completed your Current Family Assessment […]
