There is no doubt that Whitney Houston was a tremendous talent that shaped music in the '80s and into the 90s... a rare voice who forever raised the bar of what it means to be a singer.

There's no doubt that her death -- and certain aspects of...

Today, on our national day of love, it seems a timely moment to take a look at two primary issues in therapy, as well as two of the leading causes of divorce.

I'm talking about love and sex.

Over the years, I've come to view them the same way I...

I was greatly saddened to hear that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had decided to withdraw their funding of breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood locations nationwide earlier this month. Planned Parenthood'sCecile Richards did a great job of summarizing the details...

There is nothing like a vacation. The to-do lists go away, the nagging "should" voices quiet, and time seems to slow down. Spontaneous walks and naps are welcomed rather than resisted. A latte at a café is a sensory experience to remember, rather than a hurried and even guilty pleasure....

Recently, a singer emailed over some songs for me to hear prior to our first meeting. They were good... other than some standard, easily released tensions, there was nothing in his voice that was concerning or problematic.

What I did hear though, was safety. I heard a tremendous amount of...

An article in the New York Times a couple of years back announced, in an effort to curb 'Eve Teasing,' the advent of eight commuter trains exclusively for women. Not in New York, but in India, where women are constantly subjected to pinching, groping, predatory staring and catcalls...

... that -- in our culture -- is the question. Especially at this time of year.

Earlier this week, I wrote about Kelly Ripa's transition to the helm of the "Live!" enterprise. In sum, I was impressed with the way she handled the shift, her willingness to...

For me, the answers to life's big questions start with "why?"

Why does this piece of music move me so? Why do I feel frustration around that area? Why do I resist X or embrace Y?

A number of years back, I applied "why" to my consumption of most...

You know she's coming long before you see or hear her. The three dogs -- usually napping by the pool or lazily petitioning for a backrub -- come bounding around the corner, tails wagging and eyes beaming. Their mistress is here and it's quickly clear to animals of all varieties...

With the New York City Marathon coming up this weekend, I am reminded of an experience two years ago that not only changed my view of the annual event. It changed my life.

I'd set out that morning for a walk in Riverside Park. As is often the case,...

I've never been much of a "weigh myself" kind of person. I've only been on a scale twice in the past five years -- once on a dare and once in a doctor's office.

While I don't think much about weight, I do think about the foods I eat....

I was in a New Haven bookstore a few years back, browsing through the new bestsellers when I came across Glenn Kurtz's "Practicing". One glance at the table of contents and I was hooked; the book promised- and delivered -- a meditation on the technicality, psychology and emotionality...

I recently began a column about artists making a difference with their creativity in their communities. And I've had the great pleasure of writing about some incredible men and women.

Yet there's more to art than art. Artistry and creativity are not just results on a canvas,...

I was on a walk the other morning, thinking long and hard, again, about a project I'd been putting off. Following a first mile dedicated to denouncing and dismissing it, I moved onto mile two and the many good reasons I had for not working on it any longer. By...

On Friday, Aug. 5, John and I were at the New York City courthouse applying for our marriage license. What could have been just another item on our wedding to-do list became something far greater, as we witnessed men and women gathered together in celebration of their unions.

Weddings are...

A couple of weekends ago, my fiancé and I were driving down Highway 81 -- a primary east coast truck corridor -- through the heartland of Virginia.

Just outside of Harrisonburg, we changed lanes and found ourselves behind a white rig with what appeared to be a corporate motto stenciled...

There's been a great deal of focus on the food industry recently. The perils of GMOs, hormones, fast food, antibiotics and apathy are becoming more widely known, thanks to the likes of Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Morgan Spurlock and even Barbara Kingsolver,...

In my career, I've had some truly extraordinary performance experiences. Being on "American Idol" was no exception.

During season six, I was called in to sing backup vocals for Hollywood Week, which, as many of you know, brings the top 30 finalists to Los Angeles for seven days of...