Keeping the Peace at Thanksgiving
As a therapist, every year I’m caught short by how quickly it comes upon us: the season of misery caused by holidays.
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Tag Archives : Cecilia Ford
On the Bright Side: A Day at the Beach
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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Researchers have found correlations between coastal living and better mental health, and have documented that the ocean has many positive effects on health and well-being.
On the Bright Side: Three Kinds of Advice You Can Safely Ignore
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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One of the most popular buzz words is “mindful.” This word is almost everywhere these days, so much so that it is becoming meaningless. I almost lost my own mind when I saw a sign in a clothing store the other day claiming they were “mindful” of the origin of the seeds of the plants their fabrics came from.
On the Bright Side: Are Women Better Leaders than Men?
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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“The elephant alpha-female emerges not according to the strongest or most aggressive personality, but on account of the respect earned by other elephants. She demonstrates leadership through her wisdom, strength, and her extraordinary skills in problem-solving."
The ‘Real’ Women of Independent Films
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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The lives dramatized in these films aren’t always easy to look at but we will all recognize parts of ourselves in them and be glad that these talented actresses and filmmakers have the courage to look honestly at these women. Quirky, ambiguous, contradictory, idiosyncratic, independent films are like real women themselves, always surprising, and in a class by themselves.
A New Treasure from Elizabeth Strout: ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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No matter how long it has been since we have left home, we still long for our mothers, even those who haven’t suffered the kind of deprivation described by Elizabeth Strout.
Alone Together: Humans in the Digital World
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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Though we are all more connected, networked, and wired than ever before, the price has been the erosion of intimacy, and decline in our powers of empathy as well.
Dr. Ford on Emotional Health: Young Women, Dating Apps, and Sexual Hyperactivity
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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While casual sex became acceptable to many young people, it wasn’t until the advent of the Internet that people didn’t have to actually meet each other to have sex. A recent article in 'Vanity Fair' describes the “hook-up culture,” which is facilitated by apps like Tinder and Hinge, as the “dating apocalypse.”
Dr. Pat Consults: Dementia—Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Diagnosis
By Megan Riddle, M.D. Ph.D.
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There are a number of risk factors for developing dementia. These can be thought of broadly in two categories: those that you can do something about and those that you cannot. Risk factors you can’t change include aging—risk dramatically rises with age, with more than 50 percent of those older than 85 being affected—and genetics.
Medical Monday: Alzheimer’s Disease—Symptoms and Progression
By Dr. Baxter Allen
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Approximately two thirds of the people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in America are women. Women in their 60s have a 1 in 6 risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease over the course of their lives.
Dr. Ford on Emotional Health: The Caregiver’s Dilemma in “Still Alice”
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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The most important person in Alice’s life—her husband, John—doesn't seem to realize the magnitude of Alice's underlying illness. His preoccupation with himself and his own needs prevents him from understanding that taking Alice away from everything she could still recognize would be devastating.
A Psychologist’s Thoughts on Change
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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People who walk into a therapist’s office are brave. Not because there’s a stigma attached to it (at least not in New York, where I practice) but because they are willing to reveal themselves to a stranger. They are not complaining. They are willing to say, “I want to look at things I have hidden even from myself.”
Dr. Ford on Emotional Health: The Illusion of “Having It All”
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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Most working mothers feel that they don’t “have it all”; what they have is two full-time jobs. What they have is “too much” . . . and we have a long way to go before a comfortable choice is available to all.
Dr. Ford on Emotional Health: The High Impact of the Holidays
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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Instead of feeling pressure, we can be helped if we understand that holidays are not just for children, but are important, healthy rituals that maintain—and even improve—our emotional well-being.
Dr. Ford on Health: Alcoholism and the Older Woman
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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A friend of mine did not realize that her mother was abusing alcohol until her caretaker quit abruptly one day with a torrent of complaints in Russian. The only word my friend recognized (repeated with particular alarm) was “Smirnoff!!!”