Symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma Following a traumatic event, or repeated trauma, people react in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond to trauma, so don’t judge your own reactions or those of other people. Your responses are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events. Emotional and psychological symptoms of trauma: Shock, denial, or...

Sometimes the world moves in mysterious yet tragic and incredible ways. The story out of Penn State is an example. My wish as a Clinical Psychologist and an advocate for victims of sexual abuse is that Joe Paterno recognizes the unique and powerful moment in time that has been thrust upon him right here, right now. Joe Paterno must realize he has been given an opportunity to make real change around the issue of child sexual abuse. With his...

Everything must be balanced by something else — even happiness. Shadow and light, sweet and salty, good and bad, joy and pain. Our lives are filled and defined by paradoxes, an awe-inspiring ebb and flow through triumph and tragedy and back again. Nobody asks to have her world rocked by tragedy, but for many, these earthshaking moments often bring the surprising gift of clarity. Two tragic events helped define my sense of self, my...

Everything must be balanced by something else — even happiness. Shadow and light, sweet and salty, good and bad, joy and pain. Our lives are filled and defined by paradoxes, an awe-inspiring ebb and flow through triumph and tragedy and back again. Nobody asks to have her world rocked by tragedy, but for many, these earthshaking moments often bring the surprising gift of clarity. Two tragic events helped define my sense of self, my...

Connecticut mother Jennifer Ghoshray, who homeschools her two daughters (ages 6 and 7), brought her kids to the gruesome trial of multiple-murder suspect Steven Hayes, telling reporters that it was for a “civics lesson.” Really? Oh — and she had prepared them by discussing the case for “six or seven months.” Really?! Oh — and what Ghoshray was having her young daughters focus on was the emotional state of...

What would you say to your mom or dad if you were told they would be dead in a matter of months? How would you spend your remaining time with them? Do you wonder what they would want from you at the end of their life? Are there things you would want to express to them before they passed away? As a mother, I sit here writing this with one part of my brain thinking, “What would I want from my kids if, say, they were in their 40s and I had...