Maureen Chapman

Betrayal

David betrayed his life partner and he was not prepared for his partner's emotional distress. He wanted to know when it would end. He asked "Why isn't sorry good enough?" David needed to understand that his partner's reactions were normal....

Why do we Lie?

Lying destroys relationships and damages the bonds between human beings. The Journal of Intercultural Communication Research (2016) states that "we all lie, but not all lies are the same. People lie to achieve a goal: WE LIE IF [we believe]...

Empathy and Mirror Neurons

Empathy differs from sympathy. Sympathy reflects an understanding of another person' situation- but viewed through your own eyes. In contrast, empathy is what you feel when you can step outside of yourself and enter the internal world of another person....

The Gifts of Introversion (or being quiet)

Very few people are completely extroverted or introverted, but for those who are closer to the introverted end of the spectrum, please read on. Extroversion has been seen as the ideal personality type. What we are now recognizing is that...

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Sam came in highly nervous to attend his first therapy session. He was distressed and stated his doctor wanted him to have Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for his depression, anger, and anxiety. Sam feverently added, “I don’t have a million...

Health Anxiety

People with health anxiety focus on specific sensations such as feeling dizzy, fatigue, joint pain, digestive problems, a headache or a quick and sudden heartbeat. Such physiological symptoms are typically not harmful if they are short lived and do not...
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Bipolar Disorder

Since Alexis was about 16 she had bouts with depression, irritability, doing poorly in school, crying and isolating herself. After awhile she seemed to get better, and started to engage with people, becoming the life of the party, talking a...
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Emotional Intimacy

The idea of love has captured the imagination of humanity and has intrigued the hearts and minds of men and women since the beginning of time. Years ago I came across a couple who were moving towards divorce following 32...

Destructive Narcissistic Parents – Part II

In the Summer of 2010 a published PsycHealth article on "Destructive Narcissistic Parents" triggered a number of calls from the adult offspring of these parents. They felt relieved in recognizing that they were not alone, nor were their parents who...

Destructive Narcissistic Parents

Susan was asked to go to her parents' home for dinner. After trying on four outfits, she fell into a heap on the bed crying. Mark, her husband, had seen this behavior before. Wrapping his arms around her he gently...