Personality Blog

Researchers enthusiastically debate the etiology of phobias. Behaviorists point fervently to a pairing of a neutral stimulus and a frightening stimulus as the raison d’être of a phobic reaction. For example, an experiment performed in the experimental dark ages of the 1920’s paired a little fuzzy rabbit with a frightening noise. The subject was a young child, little Albert. He exhibited no fear of the rabbit until the loud noise was repeatedly paired with the animal. He learned to fear the rabbit, even when it was …

Shyness can limit ones enjoyment of life, or if the symptoms are extreme, it can make life excruciating miserable. Symptoms of extreme shyness may meet the criteria for Social Phobia. Social Phobia is defined as (in the DSM IV TR): One strongly, repeatedly fears at least one social or performance situation that involves facing a stranger or being watched by others. Also, the person specifically fears showing anxiety symptoms or behaving in some other way that will be embarrassing or humiliating. The phobic stimulus almost …

When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Do you have a unique awareness that is completely unrelated to your five senses? Do you sometimes know things, yet you cannot explain how you know them? It is said that some individuals are so exceptionally sensitive to their environment, they can perceive what most cannot — disembodied spirits. Perhaps, you are one of these “exceptional” people. All cultures have legends, told in hushed voices, as the tellers look …

Ever since early man drew on cave walls we have attempted to express our inner artistic souls in song, art and words (or in their case grunts). We all have a bit of the artist in us; it is simply more developed in some individuals than in others. Discover how creative you are by taking our “Do Have the Soul of a Poet” test. You will have great fun, ask a friend to take the quiz with you and double the fun.

John Keats, born in …

All of us want to be healthy, slim and our prettiest, unless of course, you are a guy. Then you want to be a buff, muscular stud. Part of the answer may be in learning how to turn on and up your metabolism. Increased metabolism means more calories burned. The changes you may need to make in eating habits and activities really aren’t that time consuming or painful. Perhaps, you just need a little more direction on achieving wellness and a great body (or better). Remember, …

I have been in private practice for fifteen years. In that time I have met many wonderful people who simply want their lives to be happier, more rewarding, more interesting or more productive. I have found that life is like a book. We write into our life book each day. What we write creates our life story. Sometimes we feel a need to edit our lives and go in a more joyous, successful or healthy direction. We can come to this realization for many reasons. Perhaps, we have a life …