It’s more complicated than you think! Working with women (and girls) for almost three decades, I’ve been struck by how many feel inadequate (aka worthless, undeserving, not good enough), commonly referred to as imposter syndrome. My colleagues have observed this, too. In fact, it’s so pervasive, I can only conclude that the cause is cultural….
Category: mental health
The January 6th Committee Forgot About the Officers
This article was updated on March 16, 2023. After the attacks on 9/11, I provided Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services for a variety of private companies. In one case, I ended up staying a week – not just because of the attacks, but because the company was undergoing a merger. Employees were on edge…
Simone Biles: Re-modeling Mental Health and Female Self-Esteem
Listening to Simone Biles at Tuesday’s press conference, I was impressed by how comfortable she appeared with her decision. Let’s be clear: Simone is not the problem. We are. In our media-driven culture, where appearance is confused with substance and simple solutions are thrown at complex problems, Simone taught the country a lesson: mental health…
Police Brutality and the Art of De-Escalation
de•es•ca•late [de-es-kuh-leyt] verb (with or without object), to decrease in intensity, magnitude, etc. As a Social Work Officer at Fort Bragg, my primary mission was the Family Advocacy Program, the Army’s solution for addressing domestic violence. When recounting a domestic incident, I was struck by how Soldiers described what happened. They never said, “I was…
The New York Times Versus the Truth: How the media giant shut down warnings of Trump’s dangerousness
Published April 28, 2020 I’m the last person in the world who believes in conspiracy theories. So if anyone had told me what I read in Joshua Kendell’s article, “Muzzled by Psychiatry in a Time of Crisis: The Man in the White Coat, The New York Times and The Stifling of the Public Debate about…
Trump Dissected, a Series: Mirroring
Donald Trump is what I call “a cup with a hole in it.” No matter how much positive feedback you give him, he will keep needing more. Without it, he is empty.
Dear America: an unusual plea for help
If I sound desperate, I am. I’ve tried everything I can think of to reach you: reason, confrontation, repetition, humor. It’s not in my nature to give up. In fact, just thinking about it, depresses me. So, this time, I’m writing to ask for help. But it’s not the usual kind of help such as…
Impeachment: Right Idea, Wrong Remedy
I started writing this article back in July, 2019, right after Donald Trump “approved military strikes on Iran, then pulled back…” According to “The New York Times” (and other media outlets), “planes were in the air and ships were in position but no missiles had been fired…”¹ At the time, I wrote, “This breaking news,…
Ditch Your Inner Bully
You’ve just left a meeting or an evening out with friends. As you’re walking away, you feel a rush of anxiety. Then it shows up: that voice in your head – rehashing what happened, anticipating what will happen, second-guessing your actions, trying to mind-read others’ thoughts, calling you names and comparing yourself to others –…
Stop Worrying FOREVER!
If you struggle with anxiety, you’re not alone. It’s rampant. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States, ages 18 and older, every year. Although anxiety is highly treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.¹ One of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety is…
It's More Complicated Than You Think 