What’s wrong with me? It’s summer and everyone is happy but I’m stressed, depressed and overwhelmed.  Sound like anyone you know? Maybe you’ve been there yourself. And it’s Okay!  We live in a world that avoids uncomfortable conversations. And that makes everything worse. So let’s have the conversations.  Life is full of ups and downs […]

  Emotional health is a priority. We need to stop sweeping things under the rug. You know what I always say…. Silence is the enemy.  My podcast The Be Ruthless Show  has a recurring theme: damage is done when we continuously sweep things under the rug and avoid talking about our emotions. It’s important to […]

A lot of people assume that as a Psychologist, everyone in my world supports my passion for changing the way the world views mental health. I wish! There are many who just don’t believe in Psychology – even in my world. But that doesn’t stop me from being me. It doesn’t stop me from having […]

Leaving Michigan to start my life with Jim was a no brainer … but that doesn’t at all mean that it was easy. To this day, it’s one of the most difficult things I’ve gone through in life. And Denver with Jim was amazing… but it was his city, not mine. Truly a MAJOR adjustment. I […]

After Jim passed away, I found myself constantly saying “This sucks!” When people asked how I was doing. When people talked about their upcoming events. It was my unwanted mantra – This sucks! I couldn’t envision smiling again let alone being happy. I questioned everything, and at some point I made the decision to embrace […]

“There are 700,000 new widows a year In America – and that’s a pre pandemic number!” The W Word. The club we never ever asked to join. The loss of the future we planned. Starting over. Finding our new (widowed) self. Being a widow is absolutely devastating. That doesn’t even begin to describe it, though. […]

As a psychologist, grief expert and widow, I get a lot of questions about grief and depression – both from individuals dealing with loss, as well as friends and family members with loved ones dealing with a loss. Common questions include: “Is this more of a reaction to grief, or is this crossing over into […]

When do I donate my husband’s clothes? Is it too soon?Am I crazy for not being ready? I get these questions regularly, and they’re questions I asked myself during my journey. And here’s the not so simple but simple answer: it’s different for each one of us. So whenever it’s right for you is when it’s […]

Four years. I don’t even know what it means… It doesn’t mean it hurts any less. Quite  the opposite. I miss you even more. It doesn’t mean I understand it any better. I still reach for you before I’m fully awake. Every Single Morning. Which means that I’m sleeping,  something I didn’t do much of […]

I’ve dealt with loss in my life – all 4 of my grandparents, my childhood home, friendships. And when I lost Jim the first time – true love. But through all of those losses, the rest of my world remained unchanged. I still had my family, friends, the career I love. My future as I envisioned […]

How to see your anxiety as a gift! It took me a long time to understand my anxiety, and now it’s important to me to help others on this journey. Because anxiety is many things, including misunderstood. And minimized. And a gift! According to the National Alliance Of Mental Illness “Over 40 million adults in the US […]

stress management We live in a world that glamorizes being stressed. It’s like a badge of honor, and it begins early in life. My 11 year old niece said to me recently, “Aunt Sam – can I call you back? I’m really stressed out right now.” 😂 While adorable and amusing, it’s also rather alarming. […]