Saturday's Song for the Soul: I Am Light, India Arie

Thought for the Day: I heard the song, for the 1st time during the cool down at the end of a Zumba class. It blew me away. I asked the instructor who it was singing. I have not shared a Saturday Song for the Soul for some time, but believe this one, I Am Light by India Arie,  is an important one for these divisive times. We all need to remember that we are the light that emanates from within. May the wisdom of this song strengthen you and give hope that we will find a way to heal the great divide in our nation. Be the light. Shine on your neighbors. Help one another. This too shall pass.

Is Your Personality Profile Being Used To Brainwash You and Undermine Democracy?

Thought for the Day: I have intentionally, with a heavy heart, been silent on this blog for some time now.  Followers of my blog know I usually have something to say about the psychological impact of significant events in the news. Throughout the contentious campaign and election, I avoided politics and wanted to be respectful of all political views. As a psychologist, I feel my political opinions do not belong in my practice as a therapist. However, current events make me feel it is my social responsibility as a psychologist to speak up. I feel it is imperative to warn people of the misuse of psychological research to usurp people’s privacy in an effort to influence their behavior in unethical and possibly illegal ways. I am also concerned about the impact of the political climate on the emotional health of my clients, America, and the entire world. I do not consider myself an alarmist, but am increasingly worried that the abuse of what should be protected psychological techniques and information is endangering the future of our democracy and the free world.

     I started writing this post in December, but found myself unable to finish it until now. Psychologists are not immune to traumatic events, misleading information or targeted advertisements. Like many people in our great country, the results of the election left me shocked, dumbfounded and frightened. For the first time in my life, I was reluctant to speak my mind publicly. Would I be black-listed like people in the McCarthy Era? Would trolls start posting on my blog, Facebook page or twitter feed? Would my professional credibility be questioned? Could my family be endangered?  

     Although I am still fearful that speaking my mind may lead to potential harm, I have come to realize that unprecedented times demand unprecedented actions. I saw a sign at a demonstration which said, "Nothing About This is NORMAL." As a psychologist who has lived through many transitions of power, I can attest that what is happening in our nation is not normal. As a child, I often wondered what I would have done if I had grown up during World War II. I hoped I would have been part of the resistance. As a Jew, growing up in Texas, although I was in a minority, I barely experienced anti-semitism but was well aware of the devastating impact of genocide of my ancestors who were unable to make it to the United States. My grandmother lost four siblings, her parents and most of her aunts, uncles and cousins in the Nazi death camps.

     I have always been proud to have the freedoms provided by being a citizen of the United States. I have supported and fought for civil rights of others and against injustice. My parents taught me to speak my mind, to cherish the right to vote and to accept the results of elections even when my candidate lost. Following the last election, I first took a wait and see approach. When I began to worry about the transition, I joined groups, made phone calls to congressmen, sent post cards to elected officials, demonstrated in NYC and at the Women's March in DC, and posted a few Facebook posts more privately. Even though I did these things, in many ways it felt like it could have been as anonymous as attending an AA meeting. I have been in a quandary as a clinical psychologist and author about daring to write and speak my mind more openly. These fears have been engendered by the current president and the Republican Party members bullying and challenging their opponents to simply "get over it." This is not due to being "sore losers." It is due to genuine fears of the tactics being used to undermine democratic safeguards and to destroy institutions designed to promote checks and balances in a democracy.

   Something changed for me since the Muslim Travel Ban was imposed. I spent the weekend with my husband, brother and two sisters-in-law in Vermont. The retreat had been planned since December and I was looking forward to a reprieve from post election stress. When the news broke about the Muslim Ban, I was shocked and upset to see the events unfold across the nation and around the world. We talked, commiserated, and tried to come up democratic solutions to resolve the state of affairs. We sang songs Saturday night hoping it would provide some therapeutic relief. However, even songs that had nothing to do with politics seemed to take on new meanings as we tried to cope with the madness unfolding across our great nation. 

     Perhaps having the support of family as we tried to cope with the constant barrage of the new president and the GOP’s plans to create chaos in our society helped me find the strength to speak up. In addition, an article I read online caught my attention also gave me courage. As a psychologist, I feel compelled to help the public understand how the invasion of privacy and misuse of personal psychological information by the Republican Party is endangering the democratic process. Read on to learn more…

The Wake Up and Dream Catalyst: The Power of One Positive Thought

           
Here's another shared post from my CoupleTime.net blog, where I share simple easy recipes to enhance your relationships.
     Today's recipe is slightly different. Current research in psychology has proven that resilient people tend to be positive thinkers. They tend to see the glass half full rather than half empty. One way to fill that glass is to practice thinking positive thoughts, one small thought at a time. Read on for the recipe...

Need An Intimacy Boost? Prepare Our Recipe for a Love Martini

Need An Intimacy Boost? Prepare Our Recipe for a Love Martini

July 1, 2016

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Melissa Glaser, MS, LPC and Dr. Barbara Lavi

 Here's another post from my new blog. I hope you like it and will share with others! Have a great holiday weekend!

   I must admit that as a psychologist, when Melissa sent me the photo for today's recipe, I was a bit worried. I spend too much time in my practice helping families battle the impact of alcoholism to have ever written about martinis on my blog, The Wake Up and Dream Catalyst. However, when I looked at this recipe, it became clear that this martini needs no alcohol to produce the desired effect of intimacy, joy and pleasure. You can serve this Love Martini as often as you like without worries of addiction. read on for the recipe...

Love Martini

Prep Time: Make a date with your partner for a few hours of quality CoupleTime

Ingredients:

• 1 oz of Excitement
• 2 oz of tenderness
• 4 oz of passion
• 4 oz of sexy feelings
• Several pinches of tender touch
• Your best glasses

Directions: 

     Fill a shaker with cool tenderness. Pour in excitement with thoughts about a long, sustaining future. Add in sexy feelings and passion. Shake all the ingredients together till you leave your stressors behind.

While pouring the martini, strain out any interfering thoughts andwatch your partner’s expression of joy. Garnish with your tender touch.

Enjoy sharing the sweetness of the moment with your partner

     Sometimes we need to leave the cares and responsibilities of the world behind, to clear our minds in order to enjoy fulfilling intimacy.  Giving yourself permission to focus on the physical connection with your partner is a great gift for both of you.  Relax, unwind, and get high on connecting with your partner.

     If you find this post helpful, please share it on social media with your friends. We'd also love to hear how this recipe helped you and your partner reconnect after a difficult day!

Passion Fruit Compote: Bring Romance Back Into Your Relationship With This Recipe!

Here's another recipe from the CoupleTime.net The Joy of Loving Relationships Soulmate's Cookbook. 

     If you and your partner have been lacking intimacy, it’s time to disconnect from the virtual world into which we constantly immerse ourselves. This scrumptious recipe will help you bring back the romance. Lock your IPhone in a drawer. Instead, of staring at the phone or the computer, lock eyes with your partner over a soothing, candlelit dinner.  Recent studies have shown that social media is destroying our society’s social skills because it reduces face-to-face interactions. Use the delicious, de-digitalized dish below to communicate and connect with one another the old-fashioned way!

Candlelight Passion Fruit Casserole 

       Prep Time: 1 - 2 hours of uninterrupted couple time

       Ingredients: 

               * Candles, 

               * 1 tablecloth, 

               * Dinner,

               * Soft music,

               * No cell phones, tv, iPads or other    distractions,

               * No children (make sure they are in bed),

               * Heartfelt listening,

               * Sharing the highs and lows of your day, 

               * Element of surprise (optional) may help make this recipe more exciting

       

Directions: 

Schedule a date with your partner, prepare or purchase dinner, set the table with your best China, tablecloth, flowers and candles. Turn on soft romantic music and light the candles. After dinner slow dancing (optional). 

If you use this recipe, feel free to share a selfie and/or let us know how it worked. We'd love to hear from you! If you'd like to get more recipes like these, sign up to follow the blog. As always we hope you will share this with friends as well! Have a great week.

CoupleTime.net: Must Have Recipe To Avoid Conflicts With Your Lover: Hot Cross Buns

Thought for the Day: In the last post, I shared a recipe: Say Cheese All Day, Keep The Therapist Away, the first in a series The Joy of Loving Relationships for CoupleTime.net, The Relationship Spa. I hope you tried the recipe and will share your results. +Krishna Patel shared her results earlier this week: "I tried your recipe today morning while he was leaving for office. First he got confused and than gave me a tight hug and left for office. Thanks for a wonderful recipe."  Today’s post was written by my partner at CoupleTime, Melissa Glaser, MS, a Master's level licensed professional counselor with over 25 years of experience working with couples and families. I’m sure her recipe for Hot Cross Buns will be a helpful addition to your favorite relationship menu. We hope you will share this with your partner and friends and let us know how it helps.

Hot Cross Buns

Time involved: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

                       -   1 comment or interchange that rubs you the wrong way
                       -   Patience
                       -   Thoughtfulness,
                       -   Restraint, and
                       -   A dash of humor

Read on to learn how to make this recipe...

Say Cheese All Day, Keep The Therapist Away

This post is part of a new series related to a new project, I am involved in, CoupleTime.net. I will be sharing recipes for healthy relationships on a regular basis. Please let me know what you think of these posts. Feel free to share the recipes with friends and family just as you do food recipes. These are food for your soulmate & you!

  Everyone knows the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." I know it may seem ironic that a psychologist would suggest that saying cheese would keep the therapist away, but if CoupleTime.net is successful I hope it will help prevent couples from needing to see therapists. Don't get me wrong, I am a staunch believer in psychotherapy to help couples overcome crisis in their relationships. However, Melissa and I decided to develop CoupleTime.net as preventative medicine for healthy couples to enhance their relationships. The weekly tips here will be easy to follow recipes to keep you and your soulmate satisfied, happy and connected. The first recipe is an appetizer, Say Cheese Bits. Read on to get the recipe...