Parents have been emailing and calling with the natural reaction after hugging their children goodbye, “I can\’t believe how sad I am. Is this normal?” YES. Why wouldn\’t you be sad saying goodbye to someone you love? I still go through those separation feelings when I hug goodbye and I have lots of experience with aloe Kleenex. FIVE TIPS FOR EMPTY NESTERS: PUT YOURSELF IN THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE. You have been devoted to your children. BEGIN DEEPENING AND HEALING ALL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. Review ones you want to deepen, let go of, or make some shift. ALLOW YOUR ADULT CHILDREN TO... Read More

Here\’s a tough one . . . Your Mom and/or Dad has moved in with you. At some point s/he told you s/he wants to pay you something to help defray the cost and you said no. Or maybe when the subject came up and you were uncomfortable and said “let\’s discuss it later”. I mean. . . what do you say? Your aging loved one is now living with you so s/he is not a guest. In fact, it\’s even worse than that . . . they\’re your parents!! After all they\’ve done for you, can you seriously ask them to pay rent? So now s/he has moved in with you and the issue of money has... Read More

Author: Nancy D. O\’ Reilly, PsyD and Margaret U.www.womenspeak.com Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos In Feeling Youthful at Any Age the reader can expect to come face-to-face with the fear of aging. Revelations are not sugar-coated, they are realistic and no-nonsense, but they are also optimistic. Clinical psychologist Nancy O\’Reilly and journalist Margaret Castrey endeavor to increase our understanding, awareness, and eventual acceptance of the aging process. They suggest going directly to the section dedicated to your particular age and then reading on to the age you will be entering... Read More

Author: Anne Marie Smith and Michelle Gamble-Riwww.second-bloom.com Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos Living authentically may take some restructuring and luckily, for women approaching midlife, that restructuring is sure to be underway– like it, or not. With the wanted and unwanted changes there is usually fear and it can be paralyzing, debilitating, and often in great supply. Authors Smith and Gamble-Risely share their stories, and the stories of several other courageous women who have broken patterns of stagnation and taken risks in spite of the fear; as a result they are now celebrating their... Read More

Author: Richard Atkinson and Jane Scandurrawww.singlefilm.com/janes-bio.php Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos The burgeoning number of single men and women in the US is indicative of changing gender roles, societal norms, and shift in the economic benefits of marriage. A thoughtful and informative approach to understanding the transformation comes by way of Atkinson and Scandurro\’s Single , a video documentary about single life in America. Featured throughout the 73-minute film are thought-provoking interviews with various professionals: sociologists, psychiatrists, and professors of political... Read More

Looking Back – My Forty Years as a Psychologist This month\’s column records my personal journey as I head for retirement this fall after being employed 40 years as a clinical psychologist. Perhaps my comments on my own journey could have meaning for some of you if you are on a similar journey. I got my very first professional job August 1, 1969 at the tender age of twenty-six. Were we ever really that young? Although I started in a research psychologist position, studying the effects of Ritalin on children\’s learning and behavioral problems, I remember thinking at the time…would... Read More

Recently during Pilates class, my teacher sent me to the wall for a set of standing push-ups. “Place your hands on the wall at breast level,” she instructed. I placed my hands on the wall at breast level. I saw that my hands were headed for the Gulf of Mexico. “How did this happen?” I asked, sorrow catching in my throat. “You know what they say,” said my Pilates partner. “After 40, it\’s all maintenance.” I gritted my teeth and performed three grueling sets of push-ups, determined to show that my strength and agility were not sliding nearly as fast as some of the rest of... Read More