by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Dec 22, 2006 | Mental Health
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News Look,” I said to Lawrence a week after he decided to quit drugs for good, “this is going to be really, really hard because eventually, you’re going to be in pain and you won’t wanna stay there. That’s when you...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Dec 15, 2006 | Marriage and Relationships
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News A key, maybe THE key to relationships is being a giver, not a taker. But even that isn’t enough. You have to give what the other person actually wants, not what YOU would want. Scene 1 The old lady shuffled...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Dec 1, 2006 | Mental Health
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the FLorida Jewish News Eight pairs of eyes were starring at me, their expressions serious. “So, Miss Hirschhorn,” they continued their interrogation, “what would you say are your strong points?” I was being interviewed for graduate...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Nov 24, 2006 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
We were making progress, this new couple and I. Eli was getting it. He realized that his sarcastic remarks, his put-downs, his glares, and his barely-controlled anger all constitute verbal abuse. He was starting to work effectively with his tools, too. He had...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Nov 10, 2006 | Marriage and Relationships
You know the story: The text and photo did not belong to the person who put them on his/her profile. There you are, stuck with someone you wouldn’t answer the door for and you’re out on a date. Ugh. Let this be a lesson to you. If you were shopping for a second-hand...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Nov 7, 2006 | Marriage and Relationships
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish Journal “Boy, what he did to me infuriates me,” Jack told me as his face turned red. “No, that isn’t enough,” he went on, “I want to do him one better. He deserves it. Getting even isn’t good enough for him.” “You...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Nov 7, 2006 | Marriage and Relationships
We all know what positive reinforcement is: Something you give to someone to increase behavior you want. You give it following the behavior and, if done with skill and intelligence, it will lead to more of the same. For example, you tell the woman you’re out with,...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Oct 20, 2006 | Mental Health
Mental illness and criminality are evaluated by different sorts of professionals doing very different things. Here are some of the points of distinction: Mental Health Evaluation In the State of Florida, all the five major classes of psychotherapist—Marriage and...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Oct 6, 2006 | Parenting
She sits sullenly looking at the floor. They all do, the teenagers roped into therapy by angry parents. “It isn’t enough that she isn’t doing her homework; it turns out she’s online with boys behind my back,” growls Mrs. Portnoy. “She’s only 14 and I’m scared to death...
