The Transformation of Death and Mourning
Thanks largely to ongoing and remarkable advances in medical technologies the very nature of death--and therefore of what we think of as grieving--have changed profoundly in a relatively short period...
View ArticleWho Should Make End-of-Life Decisions?
We buried my Uncle Ed a few weeks ago. He was 84. Having served in the Merchant Marine in World War II and the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Ed was entitled to a full military funeral, which he...
View ArticleHelping Children Survive Divorce: The Myth of the Tough Boy
As researchers (and virtually all parents) have long known, children show definite sex differences when it comes to behavior such as play and risk-taking.read more
View ArticleHelping Children Survive Divorce: Is Co-Parenting a Good Idea?
For many years judges who heard divorce cases that involved children made custody decisions based on the assumption that children, at least up to about age 12, needed to be primarily with their mothers...
View ArticleHelping Children Survive Divorce: The Myth of the Mature Teen
In an earlier blog I addressed a common myth about boys: that they are innately "tougher" than girls, both physically and emotionally. This myth can be dangerous because it can lead divorcing parents...
View ArticleThinking about a Nursing Home for a Loved One? Consider This
I have now been blogging about "the new grief" for well over a year. It's a term that my colleague Dr.read more
View ArticleConsistent Limits Help Children Survive Divorce
"Daddy lets me eat in my room if I want to.""I don't have a curfew when I'm at Mom's house.""Mom doesn't make me clear my dinner plate!""Dad says it won't hurt me to eat donuts for breakfast."read more
View ArticleCan Rehabilitation Prevent Cancer?
"I am a big time meditator and do lots of energy work. Frankly, I think that has had some impact on my being alive eight-plus years with metastatic cancer. We all have to die of something. I am not...
View ArticleAre You Dating a "Control Freak"?
When she first began dating Max, Nikki was impressed not only by the fact that he was a successful medical professional, but that he seemed so organized. He owned a home that was spotless ("You could...
View ArticleHelping Children Survive Divorce: The Importance of Holiday Traditions
Megan and her husband, Jason, had separated right after the holidays in 2008 and their divorce was finalized that July. They have two children, a boy and a girl who are now ages 9 and 7, respectively....
View ArticleCan Rehabilitation for Cancer Patients Enhance Survivability?
If Julie Silver, M.D. had suffered a stroke or was injured in a car accident, her doctor would have sent her for rehabilitation. This would likely involve months of physical therapy as well as other...
View ArticleConfronting a Terminal Diagnosis as a Family
"Managing the rest of my life has been so hard. "Numbing exhaustion" is a constant state for me -- emotionally and physically. I feel like I can't even process and grieve because I need to keep going...
View ArticleShould Grief Be A Mental Illness?
Imagine that you are a mental health professional and you meet with a new client who describes the following symptoms: "I haven't been sleeping well. I don't have much of an appetite and I've lost a...
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