In honor of Toni Morrison’s passing, I am reposting an essay I wrote about her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved. I’ll never be the same after reading it. Spoiler alert: If you haven’t read the book yet, go do that …
Category: Mental Health

Don’t Give Up Hope: Using Acceptance & Enthusiasm to Heal Our Troubled World
I’m sure people from every generation have felt this way, but I’m worried. From my perspective, the state of the world is troubled. It feels worse to me than any other point I can remember. Even setting aside the menace …
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The REASON WHY ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Gets It Right On Suicide Prevention (and ’13 Reasons Why’ Is Harmfully Misguided)
Rebecca Bunch, the endearingly narcissistic protagonist of the CW comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is a singing/dancing, self-sabotaging feminist hero. But did you know that in addition to provoking laughter, entertainment and intellectual stimulation, the writers of this show are also providing …

Helping Children Thrive: How I Spoke Up for One Little Girl
The day I first met Rikki in the parking lot of a Motel 6, she effortlessly captured my heart. I had actually started to care about her even before that first meeting. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer …
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Compulsive Liars: The Truth About Lying
“You’re a despicable liar!” These words, shouted by my 11-year-old cousin, John, were etched into my mind some forty years ago. Not because they stung, but because I was so struck by John’s impressive use of the word “despicable,” and …

Confessions of a (Narrow-minded?!) Liberal: Using Friendship to Heal the Political Divide
Chad (not his real name) and I dated in high school. Now we’re friends on Facebook. We do the normal Facebook things, like sending happy birthday wishes, sharing and commenting on cute old photos, and retelling funny stories from the …