Make Your Life a Blessing

How to bring blessings into everyday life.

by Ilene Serlin, Ph.D.

Film Review: A Dangerous Method—A Woman's Perspective

Have you seen the film: "A Dangerous Method"? What is your response? Read More

Mid-Life Crisis-Myth or Reality? Turning Crisis into Wisdom

Growing up in the 60s and as a student of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, I was sure that I-and each human being-was unique. I resisted theories of developmental psychology or any suggestion that my issues were "age-related." Read More

The Oscars 2011-- Black Swan: Body Image and Eating Disorders

In "Black Swan," I was most compelled by the portrait of eating disorders, body image distortions, and archetypal co-mingling of the polaries: reality/illusion, light/dark, perfection/imperfection, and domineering stage/mothers/frightened little girls. I see these issues too often in dancers and young girls with eating disorders (Serlin, 2005). Read More

The King’s Speech, Trauma, and Good Psychotherapy

The nuanced portrayal of psychotherapy by Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech displayed authenticity and genuine relationship, awareness of posttraumatic stress in early childhood trauma, use of innovative verbal and nonverbal therapeutic methods, and an existential framework of posttraumatic growth that encouraged his client to find his own voice. Read More

Whole Person Healthcare Tool Kits

APA Convention San Diego: Whole Person Healthcare Tool Kits, CE Read More

The First International Conference on Existential Psychology Nanjing, China, April 2, 2010

An intellectual dialogue between East and West: How to face suffering and create a life of value.

Ilene Serlin, Ph.D, BC-DMT

Reunion: Couples Talk About Second Chances with Their First Loves

Like most of us, I'm fascinated with fairy tales about couples who missed each other the first time around, but rediscovered each other later in life. Read More

Hurt Locker: Treating Trauma in the Body and the PTSD Experience

Active and experiential therapies, like meditation, martial arts-based movement, symbolic arts and drama, can capture the intensity of emotion and bonding and can lead to healing. Read More

Depression and Learning Disabilities: Putting the Pieces Together

Have you ever had a client or a friend who thought they were stupid or cannot understand why he or she cannot catch their grammatical or mathematical mistakes, or a client or a friend, who is a supervisor, complaining that co-worker is being lazy or not careful with their work, and the stress this causes an adult with a learning disability is rarely understood. Read More

The Messenger and the Psychology of Army Caregivers

What is the psychology of those who care for wounded soldiers and bring terrible news to grieving families? How does it affect them and how can they be supported? Read More

Psychological Nourishment: Michael Pollan and the Soul

In his bestselling book In Defense of Food, journalist Michael Pollan reminds readers who are confused and anxious about fad diets that there is a simple solution: Good nourishment is about relationships. Read More

Massacre at Fort Hood

The shocking massacre at Fort Hood has been discussed from many angles, and the questions it raises will hopefully guide us for the future. Read More

Make Your Life a Blessing

Greetings! This is the first post on "Make Your Life a Blessing."

What does "Make Your Life A Blessing have to do with your work or life? Isn't it religious? What if you do not believe in God? Or do not believe that blessings (as you may have known them) have anything to do with reality. Let me explain a bit... Read More

Thank You for Putting Down the Toilet Seat, Dear

What does complimenting your husband for remembering to put down the toilet seat have to do with making your life a blessing?

It is important to pay attention to small acts of generosity and thoughtfulness. It is easy to take them for granted, to focus on waiting for big dramas and significant moments.

But the small moments are where change happens and is consolidated. Read More

Make Your Life a Blessing

Greetings! This is the first post on "Make Your Life a Blessing."

What does "Make Your Life A Blessing" have to do with your work or life? Isn't it religious? What if you do not believe in God? Or do not believe that blessings (as you may have known them) have anything to do with reality. Let me explain a bit... Read More

Ilene Serlin, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and founder and director of Union Street Health Associates and the Arts Medicine Program at California Pacific Medical Center.

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