My apologies to those of you who received a broken email from me yesterday. That’s what we in the business call a misfire. It seems I’m a bit out of practice. I’m a little embarrassed to say it’s been nearly two years since I updated my website, but that’s not due to laziness. Most of my creative energy has gone toward video lately. For starters,
You’ll probably get the urge to yawn if you stare at this yawning dog. Why? Because you’re a kind and empathetic person, of course! That explanation, and more, in this month’s thrilling edition of PsychNotes.
Here’s a little challenge for ya. Take a look at this chart of cognitive biases and see if you can identify two that you’re especially guilty of, and two that you’re reasonably good at avoiding. I suffer inordinately from reactive devaluation and gambler’s fallacy, and I’ve gotten reasonably skilled at avoiding confirmation bias and hyperbolic discounting, when I try. How about you?
The first mass media April Fool joke was reportedly the BBC’s 1957 Panorama segment on spaghetti harvesting, for which a cameraman hung “pounds of spaghetti over trees in a little Swiss village” and persuaded locals to harvest the crop. The BBC was inundated with calls. “[T]he majority either wanted to know where they could see a spaghetti harvest, or obtain information to start a spaghetti farm” (Humphrys 1999). It was a simpler time. Here are some research goodies from last month.
My fascination with psychology began as a child, growing up in the family-owned bar. Watching my father defuse all manner of problems, I knew that I had found my calling. You might be surprised how clinically savvy a bar owner must be.
I worked my way through the University of Colorado at Denver with jobs ranging from security guard to loading dock worker, and earned B.A. degrees in Psychology and Communication. After college, I worked in such glamorous places as detox facilities and a home to troubled teens. I also spent part of each week with the Denver Chapter of the Guardian Angels for five years, where I learned conflict resolution skills from the best in the business.
THERAPY
I offer solution-focused therapy, always with your particular situation in mind. I don’t use cookie-cutter approaches, and treatment is always tailored to your goals.
COACHING
In addition to my Denver-based clinical services, I offer coaching by video in the US and Canada. The coaching arm of my practice is geared toward men, but women are always welcome here too.
