Life, Refracted

Relationships

A Family Creates New Rituals

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on January 21, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Living in a culture that embraced sustainability, a family decided their traditional Christmas tree needed rethinking.

A Personal Perspective: Living in a culture that embraced sustainability, a family decided their traditional Christmas tree needed rethinking.

Relationships

Revisiting "The Serenity Prayer"

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on January 2, 2023

Insights from our past can guide aspirations for our future. The Serenity Prayer offers advice on how to use them to craft a more rewarding and meaningful life.

Insights from our past can guide aspirations for our future. The Serenity Prayer offers advice on how to use them to craft a more rewarding and meaningful life.

Grief

Grief and Holidays: 10 Key Individual Experiences

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on December 16, 2022

Do holidays, special events, or milestones amplify your thoughts or memories about someone missing from your life? These thoughts may shed light on our personal grief responses.

Do holidays, special events, or milestones amplify your thoughts or memories about someone missing from your life? These thoughts may shed light on our personal grief responses.

Trauma

Lessons Learned From a Medical Emergency

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on October 28, 2022

Personal Perspective: When a medical emergency rearranged my calendar, opportunities to follow good psychological practices helped my husband and me partner with each other and doctors, benefiting all.

Personal Perspective: When a medical emergency rearranged my calendar, opportunities to follow good psychological practices helped my husband and me partner with each other and doctors, benefiting all.

Unconscious

How Films Reach Into Our Unconscious

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on October 7, 2022

Reactions to "Don't Worry Darling" have been mixed. Considering the thriller through a psychological lens helps satisfy curiosity about generational and judgment differences.

Reactions to "Don't Worry Darling" have been mixed. Considering the thriller through a psychological lens helps satisfy curiosity about generational and judgment differences.

Coronavirus Disease 2019

How Novelty, Complexity, and Duration Influence Our Emotions

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on September 30, 2022

If the novelty, complexity, and duration of information we take in determine our affect, nearly three years of exposure to Covid-19 remains powerful. Tomkins' theory helps explain why.

If the novelty, complexity, and duration of information we take in determine our affect, nearly three years of exposure to Covid-19 remains powerful. Tomkins' theory helps explain why.

Personality

Where Does Identity Come From?

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on July 23, 2022

Some think of their identity in terms of roles, heritage, associations or comparisons with others, mastery (or not). Others create an idiosyncratic composite through experiences.

Some think of their identity in terms of roles, heritage, associations or comparisons with others, mastery (or not). Others create an idiosyncratic composite through experiences.

Stress

Moving to a New Home Is a Top Stressor

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on July 3, 2022

A Personal Perspective: Challenges can demand the change of a situation rather than adaption to its current demands. In a recent move, we delegated, coordinated, and persevered.

A Personal Perspective: Challenges can demand the change of a situation rather than adaption to its current demands. In a recent move, we delegated, coordinated, and persevered.

Aging

Wardrobe Is Lifestyle

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on May 13, 2022

Clothing can have a lot to do with our sense of self, and our wardrobe choices influence our subjective well-being.

Clothing can have a lot to do with our sense of self, and our wardrobe choices influence our subjective well-being.

Relationships

Facing Challenges Can Infuse Romantic Love With Energy

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on April 3, 2022

A Personal Perspective: When my husband's routine hip replacement surgery led to a series of crises, we used five time-tested ways of loving to make sure our marriage provided support for healing.

A Personal Perspective: When my husband's routine hip replacement surgery led to a series of crises, we used five time-tested ways of loving to make sure our marriage provided support for healing.

Relationships

5 Ways to Show Love in a Hospital Context

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on February 12, 2022

Many of the ways in which you already express love can be adapted when your beloved is hospitalized.

Many of the ways in which you already express love can be adapted when your beloved is hospitalized.

Relationships

Sex as Transaction, Communication, or Romantic Love?

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on January 18, 2022

People do not need to be stuck in primitive sexual patterns that don't serve their growth and development. Sexual variations can satisfy individual, group, or universal needs.

People do not need to be stuck in primitive sexual patterns that don't serve their growth and development. Sexual variations can satisfy individual, group, or universal needs.

Relationships

Make Room for Surprise, Choice, and Pleasure

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on December 11, 2021

Outsized expectations and complex memories can burden our approach to December. Honoring who we and others have become can be key to reinventing the best the season can offer.

Outsized expectations and complex memories can burden our approach to December. Honoring who we and others have become can be key to reinventing the best the season can offer.

Gratitude

Thanksgiving 2021: Gratitude, Presence, and Obstacles

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on November 20, 2021

Flexibility can be a key to embracing a holiday filled with traditions, emotions, and meaning. Embracing the truth of impermanence helps us evolve along with the ways we celebrate.

Flexibility can be a key to embracing a holiday filled with traditions, emotions, and meaning. Embracing the truth of impermanence helps us evolve along with the ways we celebrate.

Relationships

The Meaning of "Home"

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on November 4, 2021

What does "home" represent to you? Four perspectives offer insights into ways in which our dwelling places impact our experience and, especially, our identity and relationships.

What does "home" represent to you? Four perspectives offer insights into ways in which our dwelling places impact our experience and, especially, our identity and relationships.

Unconscious

Does Joy Light Up Your Life?

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on October 17, 2021

Would you like more joy in your life? Examine your own experience, the theory of Sylvan Tomkins, and analysis of Ingrid Lee, and ask yourself questions that will open doors.

Would you like more joy in your life? Examine your own experience, the theory of Sylvan Tomkins, and analysis of Ingrid Lee, and ask yourself questions that will open doors.

Grief

Displaced Emotion: My Grief Was Not About My Lost Jacket

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on October 8, 2021

My overreaction to a jacket that went missing alerted me to a message from my unconscious. Suddenly confronted with grief, I needed to confront my defensive reaction to real loss.

My overreaction to a jacket that went missing alerted me to a message from my unconscious. Suddenly confronted with grief, I needed to confront my defensive reaction to real loss.

Relationships

The Benefits of Maintenance

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on September 23, 2021

Do you struggle to care for the people, things, places, objects in your life? What about your body? Try revisiting the role that maintenance plays in your life.

Do you struggle to care for the people, things, places, objects in your life? What about your body? Try revisiting the role that maintenance plays in your life.

Attention

When the Directions Come From Inside: Pay Attention

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on August 27, 2021

Your "best choice" may be neither practical nor strategic. As complex humans with hearts and souls as well as material needs and desires, it's best sometimes to trust your gut.

Your "best choice" may be neither practical nor strategic. As complex humans with hearts and souls as well as material needs and desires, it's best sometimes to trust your gut.

Stress

Wants and Needs Seen Through the Lens of Well-Being

Roni Beth Tower Ph.D., ABPP on August 14, 2021

Maximize well-being by using Carol Ryff's six-dimensional model to discriminate between wants and needs.

Maximize well-being by using Carol Ryff's six-dimensional model to discriminate between wants and needs.