Click here to read an original op-ed from the TED speaker who inspired this post and watch the TEDTalk below.

TEDTalks bring to mind creative people presenting innovative ideas and imaginative inventions. It isn't the forum you expect to hear a model suggest we not begrudge...

This obsession with celebrities and their journey into motherhood baffles me.

From the first signs of baby bumps ("is she or isn't she?") to the days after delivery ("is she too fat or too thin?"), these women are paraded all over the media as if they were the first...

Ask people what they remember most about middle school and it may very well be something to do with having been teased -- or as we now say, bullied. Often, it's the first time they were made painfully aware of their religion, race or lack of athletic prowess. More likely,...

When Demi Moore famously shaved her head for the 1997 film G.I. Joe, many admired her courage. More recently, Charlize Theron shaved her head for the upcoming movie Mad Max, and reactions were similar. "With that face, " blogs buzzed, "it's hard not...

Most people can avoid the kind of scrutiny that pro golfer Charlie Beljan recently endured when his panic attack was caught on national television. But you may be among the millions who privately struggle with the jitters before speaking in public.

Does your face redden, your...

"It's tough getting old!" is a familiar refrain among the Forever Young generation. "What's the world coming to?" is another on the list of growing concerns as we age.

Some of us worry about our future -- healthcare, social security and dementia. Others focus on larger issues...

We have heard that playing Scrabble and doing crossword puzzles may help keep our minds sharp as we age. Now, new research suggests that if we can find a way to play these games while walking on a treadmill, we may stay sharper even longer.

We are all eager...

So many flowers sent, so much chocolate consumed. But as Valentine's Day approaches, the holiday is often bittersweet for more than a few.

With the breakdown of families, religious affiliations and other social structures that once ensured connection to others, a romantic partner is currently viewed as the primary...

Did anyone notice how stunning the over-50 crowd looked at the 2013 Golden Globes?

Even with Meryl Streep out with the flu (yes, she is no longer the only gracefully aging woman in Hollywood!) there were many others -- Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda, Sally...

Is there a familiar aroma emanating from your kid's room? Do you shake your head and ignore it thinking, "Hey, I got high when I was a teen and I turned out OK, right?" Well, think again.

While recent studies show some good news regarding the decline in...

As we enter 2013, the acute pain of the Sandy Hook massacre is beginning to recede. While some people yearn to move on, others vow never to forget.

As part of the healing process, I suggest we do both; move on, but use this recent tragedy to...

A young patient told me she was having a difficult time celebrating a recent promotion when her closest colleague was let go that very same day. Even worse, a number of her good friends were still unemployed and had no place to live. "So many of them are...

The Sandy Hook massacre has us all terribly unsettled.

We are all trying to deal with it in our own way. Parents comfort their children; politicians debate gun control; First Responders deal with the shock and therapists, with the grief and distress.

As a psychologist, I find myself...

It seems like a nice problem to have; a gifted child with a seemingly promising future. But when -- and how much -- should a parent get involved? And when should they get out of the way?

This was the dilemma facing the parents of a 12-year-old boy who came...

Whether you are a teen or over 60, your body undergoes constant physical change. And as these changes occur, they evoke a set of emotional responses that relate not only to your age, but to the circumstances associated with your stage of life.

The psychology behind...

Watch the TEDTalk that inspired this post.

Face it; Boomers tend to be instinctively apprehensive about modern technology. Innovation makes us uneasy -- especially when it threatens to interfere with human connection as we know it. People texting instead of talking, phones buzzing mid-conversation,...

Among the countless indelible images of Hurricane Sandy (and possibly of future storms to come) are the sharing of power strips in the areas lucky enough to have electricity.

The very need to make contact is understandably crucial during chaotic times.

So I was...

When Hurricane Sandy left families without power this week, some parents worried that dark streets and restless teenagers were a recipe for more disaster.

Even under normal circumstances, most teens push boundaries. They talk back, break curfew, lie and sometimes cheat and steal as they navigate their...

Last week I posted "The 2nd 'Talk' Women Aren't Having About their Bodies." I wrote it to encourage readers to share their menopause experiences and work together with the World Health Organization to bring change to the way our culture views this normal -- yet still...

Some of you may not remember when menstruation was called "the curse." But it wasn't that long ago when it was considered a taboo topic, worthy of shame and embarrassment.

Now, women are quite nonchalant about their periods -- teens even call it their "friend...