Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist

Today's Essential Reads Today's Essentials

Happiness

Why Forgiving Does Not Require an Apology

By Robert Enright Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in The Forgiving Life

Sometimes people make the philosophical error of equating forgiving and reconciling. Knowing the difference between the two can improve your psychological health.

Sex

Her Sexy Texas Cowboy

By Glenn Geher Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in Darwin's Subterranean World

Many people talk about female sexuality as being complicated. For some clarity, check out Harlequin romance novels.

Memory

The Prospective Power of Savoring

By Hal McDonald Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Time Travelling with Apollo

Savoring a present experience may support emotion regulation by creating nostalgic memories for us to enjoy in the future.

Sport and Competition

A Lifetime of Running: How to Get Started

By Jonathan Wai Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Finding the Next Einstein

Amby Burfoot won the 1968 Boston Marathon and just ran it again 50 years later. Here's his wisdom on how to get started.

News

The Latest

Personality

What Sir Paul McCartney Can Teach Us About Motivation

By Bobby Hoffman Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in Motivate!

Based on how he spends his time and dedicates his effort Beatles founder Paul McCartney is powerful role model. These five behaviors distinguish him from many other performers.

Child Development

School Doesn't Have to Be Hard

By William R. Klemm Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in Memory Medic

Got kids or grand-kids in school? Are you in school or college? This blog is for you.

Health

Can Acupuncture Help You Lose Weight?

By Temma Ehrenfeld on April 20, 2018 in Open Gently

Here's what we know (and what we don't).

Relationships

5 Steps to Smarter Romantic Coupling

By Jill P. Weber Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy

Approximately 40 to 50 percent of married couples divorce— the divorce rate for second and third marriages is even higher. Here are 5 steps to smarter romantic coupling.

Parenting

Baby in the Senate! Is That Good?

By Darcia Narvaez Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in Moral Landscapes

Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois took her 10-day-old baby, Maile, into the Senate chamber. Is that progress?

Work

5 Hyper-Productive Things to Do at Work Today

By Alice Boyes Ph.D. on April 20, 2018 in In Practice

Workdays often involve endless emails or meetings that seem like they achieve very little. Here's how to turn around an otherwise unproductive day.

Neuroscience

Could Compassion Fuel Your Success?

By Michelle McQuaid on April 19, 2018 in From Functioning to Flourishing

Do you ever wonder if being too kind could hold you back from success? Could being too understanding of others leave you standing at the bottom of the career ladder?

Law and Crime

Identity Theft and Murder

By Joni E Johnston Psy.D. on April 19, 2018 in The Human Equation

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime. Recently, some victims have lost more than money when they were targeted by a lookalike criminal looking to start a new life.

Animal Behavior

Support Animals Aren't a Waste of Time or a Panacea

By Marc Bekoff Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Animal Emotions

Emotional support animals can't always keep doctors away, but can work wonders for some people. If their support works for you, find an animal who also benefits from their work.

Ethics and Morality

Why Did Facebook Take a Beating Over Its Terms of Service?

By Yellowlees Douglas Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in How Writing Works

The recent flap over Facebook's Terms of Service reveals why hitting "agree" is a mistake

Resilience

Depression and Patagonia

By Madelyn Blair Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Resilient Leadership

When you are feeling sad, hopeless, or depressed, listen to what one man says about the affect of action. Can selected actions change our outlook?

Relationships

An Earth Day Lament: Fireflies, Memories, and Mental Health

By Rita Watson MPH on April 19, 2018 in With Love and Gratitude

As environmental protections are stripped away each day, our grandchildren may never be able to see the dance of the fireflies.

Gender

Will the Path to Power Get Easier for Women?

By Rosalind C. Barnett, Ph.D., and Caryl Rivers on April 19, 2018 in A Woman's Place

Maybe so, but there's a long way to go, research finds.

Resilience

Ending the Pernicious Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse

By John-Manuel Andriote on April 19, 2018 in Stonewall Strong

Were you sexually abused as a child? End the impact of your trauma by rejecting secrecy and shame.

Slow Down

You move too fast

Slow Down Your Thinking

A Perfect Meditation

Where Did the Time Go?

Lessons From Near-Death

Addiction

What Did Prince Die From?

By Stanton Peele Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Addiction in Society

Prince died due to mixing unprescribed opioids.

Relationships

How to Cope When Your Kindness Is Mistaken for Rudeness

By Jennifer Lea Reynolds on April 19, 2018 in Human Kind

Encounters of the unkind? Here's why not everyone is receptive to the kind gestures you offer, plus tips on how to respond when your caring actions are mistaken for rudeness.

Relationships

10 Reasons to C.O.M.P.R.O.M.I.S.E. in Your Relationship

By Barton Goldsmith Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Emotional Fitness

Compromise is not a hard lesson once you realize the gifts that come from it. Learning to work together will make your relationship and your life a better place to be.

Happiness

3 Ways to Build a Happier Society

By Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Click Here for Happiness

We are a lonely, burned out, depressed nation. Here are 3 ways that we can work together to create a culture that better supports happiness.

Depression

Poetry Saves

By Josephine Ensign DrPH on April 19, 2018 in Catching Homelessness

What can poetry and literature do to help heal the broken places in our lives?

Self-Help

The Link Between Vitality and the Exploratory Urge

By Gregg Levoy on April 19, 2018 in Passion!

People who tend to flourish throughout their lives score high in novelty-seeking. Here's the connection between the exploratory urge and vitality.

Child Development

Are You Fighting in Front of Your Kids?

By Marilyn Wedge Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Suffer the Children

Research is starting to investigate the relationship between having parents who fight and a young person’s ability to recognize and process emotions.

Anxiety

How to Be Fearless Without Being Foolish

By Julian P Humphreys Ph.D., PCC on April 19, 2018 in Anxiety at Work

Fearlessness is a highly prized leadership quality. Foolishness is not. Practicing the former often risks revealing the latter, causing significant anxiety in leaders.

Relationships

7 Steps to Sane Seasonal Celebrations

By Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on April 19, 2018 in Life, Refracted

When seasonal tasks and events overwhelm your natural spring optimism, take a deep breath and try these seven strategies for preventing or mitigating overwhelm.

Relationships

4 White Lies you Should Never Tell your Partner

By Suzanne Degges-White Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Lifetime Connections

Almost everyone will tell a "white lie" at some point, but there are some situations where lying is not the best option.

Relationships

Sound Too Good to be True? Recognizing the Sound of a Lie

By Wendy L. Patrick, Ph.D. on April 19, 2018 in Why Bad Looks Good

As much as you want to take the plunge of trust, don´t believe everything you hear. Research indicates we may be better able to detect dishonesty through verbal cues than visual.