Blog

Women’s History Month may have come and went, but when you’re dubbed “The Mother of Holistic Medicine,” have a new book coming out and you’re 102-years old, you more than deserve to be mentioned along with the greatest women alive. Gladys McGarey, MD’s life and achievements have may have eluded the history books, but that’s about to change as her upcoming book, The Well-Lived Life, is poised to become a best-seller when it is released in early May by Atria Books, a Simon and Schuster imprint. Dr. Gladys was born

By Sheila K. Collins PhD I first saw Ilana Rubenfeld in February 1975, in an auditorium at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. As a faculty member I was helping to facilitate a touring presentation from Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. This retreat center and creative incubator of the human potential movement had sent four of their star faculty members, three men and a woman, to raise issues not likely to be addressed by traditional universities. One of the questions, still on their current website, fits with the presentation

On the planet, there is a need to heal race-linked wounds, particularly anti-black race-linked wounds that stem from systemic racism.  It is well known and chronicled that anti-black race-linked wounds are embedded in cultural scripts and societal practices and have been inflicted historically on enslaved people of African descent in the United States, as well as on darker complexion people globally.  More specifically, Black men more often have been the targets for many of the inhumane acts exhibited by those who consciously or unconsciously created and/or maintain systemic racism.  Systemic

Existential guilt is a beneficial emotion. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on November 15, 2022  KEY POINTS Existential guilt, which acknowledges that guilt is inherent in being human, is a beneficial emotion for healing and personal growth. Neurotic guilt means we take too much responsibility for our relationships and the world. Denial or avoidance of guilt means we take too little responsibility for our relationships and the world. Often in our culture, guilt is not considered a valuable emotion. It is viewed as an

The importance of intention, intuition, and action. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on May 17, 2022  KEY POINTS Self-actualization is not a one-time event, but goes on throughout life as one is faced with opportunities. Intention, intuition, and action are all required to move toward an actualized life, and that process is not linear. While navigating toward actualizing an intention, one needs to continuously do a gut check. As human beings, we want to live an actualized life, both personally and in

Personal reflections evoked by the pandemic. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on August 4, 2020 Human beings are always connected and always alone. This paradox is inherent in being human. It is a given of existence, no matter our status in life. We can be surrounded by thousands, or in a forest by ourselves. Whatever the circumstance, we will still be alone within ourselves and simultaneously connected to a planet of 7 billion-plus people. The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a light on this existential

Uniting existential and humanistic philosophies By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on January 30, 2020  How is an existential philosophy compatible with a humanistic philosophy? A few days ago, a colleague of mine posed this question to me. I think it’s worth exploring because I believe the two philosophies make an integrated whole. The existential philosophy explores what it means to exist and how we make meaning of our existence. The humanistic philosophy explores what it means to be human and values the uniqueness of each

One therapist’s perspective. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on November 1, 2017 In 1973, at 24, I attempted to kill myself by taking an overdose of pills. Thankfully, I didn’t succeed. As I offer my reflections on suicide, I will share some of my journey. I’ve been an existential-humanistic psychotherapist for over 40 years. I’ve worked with adolescents, adults, and seniors who have had suicidal thoughts and feelings (suicidal ideation), from a minor to a major extent. Given both my personal and professional experiences, I

Understanding the existential-humanistic perspective. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on July 28, 2017  I’m often asked what is the existential-humanistic perspective. Simply put, it comes from the root words of ‘exist’ and ‘human.’ ‘Existential’ is an exploration of our existence and ‘humanistic’ is an exploration of what it means for each of us to be human. The bottom line is that we exist—we are alive. The challenge of our lives is how do we choose to live our existence and how do we

A Paradox of Being Human By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on December 20, 2016 I’m an existential-humanistic psychotherapist. A main theme for many of my clients over the years has been why do we exist? Why does my life matter? After all, we live on a pale blue dot in a vast solar system on the far edge of a galaxy in a remote part of the universe. What’s the point? It’s all going to end anyway. Why focus on the here

A unique kind of love By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on May 14, 2016 Our culture has reduced love to emoticons, yet love means so much more than a smiley face or a like button. Greek philosophers considered the emotion of love to be so complex it needed at least six variations to explain the extent of human experience. Their definitions ranged from Agape (love for everyone) to Eros (sexual passion) to Philautia (love of the self). In the spirit of the ancient

Creating a Sustainable Future. By Bob Edelstein, LMFT, MFT This blog was originally posted in Psychology Today on May 30, 2015 Being authentic is an act of courage, a way of being that moves towards health and wholeness. Being authentic is not a selfish act. Nor is it short-sighted. If we are supported to be our authentic selves, we will ultimately act in the best interest of ourselves, of each other, of our community, and our world. If we are coming from our authentic core, we live by values (I’ve