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Separating Facts About Clergy Abuse from Fiction
The recent release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church during the past 70 years has unleashed another round of headline news...
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The Priceless Power of Higher Education
I have been a college professor at Santa Clara University for a quarter of a century and have greatly enjoyed the ritual of sitting on the commencement...
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2 Key Filters to Improve Relationships
We are living in a polarized time, with bitter divisiveness based on politics, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and other distinctions. Incivility also...
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If I Want Your Opinion, I’ll Ask for It
People love to tell you how to live your life, don’t they? There is no shortage of family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, businesses, and of course, magazines...
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4 Ways to Cope with the People Who Drive You Mad
Recently a therapy patient expressed great upset to me while speaking about her adult son. In a nutshell, he just doesn’t do what she wants him to...
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Nurturing the Spirit of Goodness
During the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio an unexpected interaction between two female 5K runners made headline news. Abbey D’Agostino from the USA and...
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10 Ways to Maximize the College Experience
As I enter my 30th year of college teaching (mostly at Santa Clara University) I hope that college students are mindful of a few critical rules that...
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Is Facebook the New Rorschach?
You all have likely heard about the Rorschach, the famous inkblot test used by psychologists for nearly a century to access personality and...
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How Can You Enjoy Exercise More?
We all know that exercise is good for our physical and mental health and well-being, but it is so difficult for most well- intended people to sustain a healthy...
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Filtering Political Discussions through Civility, Compassion, and Common Good
It doesn’t take a psychologist (or a political scientist for that matter) to know that political discourse and behavior has become very ugly in recent months...
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The (Hard and Soft) Science of a Great Night’s Sleep (Part 2)
At Santa Clara University, students can take a course called Health Psychology that, in part, reviews the research and clinical best practices for maximizing...
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Make America Kind Again
You likely have heard about this popular new slogan, “Make America Kind Again,” which has been a variation on President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make America...
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How Sacred Values Influence Our Behavior
Watching the horrific behavior of ISIS-inspired violence is perplexing and unfathomable—as is the remarkable aggression perpetrated by many who...
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The Holidays Can Be an Opportunity for Great Hope
Regardless of your religious tradition (or lack of one) one common denominator as we enter into the heart of the holiday season is the desire for hope. Think about...
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Are Love and Romance Possible in a Narcissistic Culture?
We seem to be living in a more and more narcissistic culture. Evidence from numerous sources suggests that self-centeredness and narcissism are...
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What Santa Clara Does Better than the Ivy League
You’ve likely had the experience of going on vacation only to return home having new insights into the pros and cons of your regular daily...
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Has Civility Become a Quaint Relic of the Past?
I was recently asked to chair a working group on civility for the American Psychological Association. The purpose of the working group is to develop policies...
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5 Ways to Create a Culture of Ethics
Good ethics is good business: Why have so few seen the memo? So often we hear about unethical and egregious behavior of organizations and their...
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Life on Other Planets Would Rock Our World
My friend and colleague, Professor Phil Kesten, offers some remarkable and thought-provoking comments in his current Illuminate article...
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How to have a Job that Isn’t Work
Wouldn’t it be great if you were happy to say: "thank God it’s Monday," rather than "thank God it’s Friday"? I often tell my college and...
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How College Protests Can Embrace Ethics
Can campus protests appropriately embrace important ethical principles? In recent months, colleges across the country have erupted...
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Do you Pass the Las Vegas Relationship Test?
Here's why you should go to Las Vegas before saying "I do." While Hollywood highlights the magic of intimate relationships - think movies such as...
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Why A CEO Hires SCU Grads Over Stanford Grads
I recently attended a neighborhood event hosted by a Silicon Valley CEO and his family. When he learned that I teach at Santa Clara...
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6 Rules To Stay Healthy In 2016
Portion control is out of control in America. With a third of the American population considered obese (with body mass index scores at 30 or...
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Surprising Ways Your Mind & Body Interact
When it comes to health and wellness, belief matters and matters big time! Biopsychosocial factors all integrate to determine health...
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Helping Others Is Good For Your Health
I have an elderly patient in my small psychotherapy practice who is a wealthy Silicon Valley retired professional with no relatives. He participates...
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4 Things You Need to Know About Happiness
We all want to be happy. Who doesn't? But most people fail to realize why their attempts to secure happiness are typically fraught with...
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The College Professor Becomes the College Parent
I have newfound respect, sympathy, and solidarity for the parents of my college students during recent months, especially parents who live...
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7 Rules of Forgiveness
I gave a lecture on forgiveness at Stanford University and noticed that almost everyone in the audience admitted they've struggled with trying to...
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6 Rules to Avoid Being a Smartphone Jerk
Smartphones have taken the world by storm. One of my students tells me she knows second-graders who have them. If those children are like most...
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Is a Liberal Arts Education Dying?
In an article entitled "Get Rich U" published in the New Yorker, author Ken Auletta discussed the cozy relationship between Stanford University...
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Why Your Exercise Environment Matters
I was born and raised in Rhode Island, so I certainly don't take our terrific weather for granted. Year-round beautiful weather along with our...
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"It's fun to be Catholic Again!"
Our dear friend Thomas Reese, S.J., said of Pope Francis "I haven't been this hopeful about the Church in decades ... it's fun to be Catholic again!"...
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Randy Wouldn't Do That, He's a Santa Clara Guy
At Santa Clara University undergraduates must take at least one course in ethics before they graduate. While most of these courses are taught...
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Santa Clara's 3 C's Matter...A Lot!
At Santa Clara University we often refer to the 3 C's: competence, conscience, and compassion. Although living and working in Northern...
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The Vatican Global Conference on Clergy Sexual Abuse
Will Catholic bishops use quality data and best practices to solve problems, or not?
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My Most Important Insight as a Psychotherapist
Sacredness, respect, dignity, and reverence organizes and centers me. And you?
