Dr. Ron Kaiser
Over the past half-century, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has emerged as the most widely used approach to psychotherapy. There are a few variations of it – with each tracing its lineage to a practitioner who was likely influenced by Albert Ellis or Aaron Beck – or both. The big reasons…
Over the past half-century, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has emerged as the most widely used approach to psychotherapy. There are a few variations of it – with each tracing its lineage to a …
Over the past half-century, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has emerged as the most widely used approach to psychotherapy. There are a few variations of it – with each tracing its lineage to a practitioner who was likely influenced by Albert Ellis or Aaron Beck – or both. The big reasons for its popularity include the relatively short time that it takes to achieve behavioral change and the fact that is a strong body of research that documents its effectiveness. It has been efficacious in the treatment of depression, anxiety, pain, and substance abuse as well as a variety of other…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
October 30, 2023
As I write this blog, terrible wars are going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, virtually every country has enemies that with whom they have no diplomatic relations, politics are more polarized than ever, and even the party that has the majority in the House of Representatives hasn’t been able to…
As I write this blog, terrible wars are going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, virtually every country has enemies that with whom they have no diplomatic relations, politics are more polarized than …
As I write this blog, terrible wars are going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, virtually every country has enemies that with whom they have no diplomatic relations, politics are more polarized than ever, and even the party that has the majority in the House of Representatives hasn’t been able to agree on a speaker. Even on the streets of our cities, an argument or a failure to yield the right of way in traffic can lead to violence. Under these circumstances, it’s reasonable to ask, “What ever happened to the idea of compromise.” I’m not the kind of old guy who says that ever…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
October 9, 2023
Do you find that some of your friendships “feel” more right than others? Do you feel like you are being used – or maybe you are the user? Do either you or your partner have to be more flexible or tolerant than the other for the relationship to continue? No relationship goes smoothly all…
Do you find that some of your friendships “feel” more right than others? Do you feel like you are being used – or maybe you are the user? Do either you or your partner have to be more flexib…
Do you find that some of your friendships “feel” more right than others? Do you feel like you are being used – or maybe you are the user? Do either you or your partner have to be more flexible or tolerant than the other for the relationship to continue? No relationship goes smoothly all the time, but the best relationships allow for this, and people make adjustments to get things back on track. In some relationships, however, there is an undercurrent of inequality that I’ve never found to be healthy. Whether it’s a romantic relationship or a friendship, if one of the parti…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
September 18, 2023
We all have experienced it. There comes a time when there is a break of several days in our schedule – either because of vacation, illness, a family emergency, a conference, or an intense project at work. Whatever it is, it has the effect of derailing us from our normal routine. During that …
We all have experienced it. There comes a time when there is a break of several days in our schedule – either because of vacation, illness, a family emergency, a conference, or an intense project …
We all have experienced it. There comes a time when there is a break of several days in our schedule – either because of vacation, illness, a family emergency, a conference, or an intense project at work. Whatever it is, it has the effect of derailing us from our normal routine. During that time, even though it may be for a very good reason, we stop prioritizing some of our healthy habits – whether it be exercising or managing our diet or reading for pleasure or any of a number of other things that we are committed to doing. Under those circumstances, inertia takes over. We find…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
September 11, 2023
You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression that “the one constant in this world is change”. In his theory of the survival of the fittest, Charles Darwin stated that it’s not the strongest or most intelligent of the species that survives, it is the one that is most adaptable to change. For e…
You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression that “the one constant in this world is change”. In his theory of the survival of the fittest, Charles Darwin stated that it’s not the strongest or mo…
You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression that “the one constant in this world is change”. In his theory of the survival of the fittest, Charles Darwin stated that it’s not the strongest or most intelligent of the species that survives, it is the one that is most adaptable to change. For example, we don’t see dinosaurs wandering the earth anymore, but we have “human dinosaurs” who acquire that nickname by clinging to old ways of doing things when there are now newer and better ways. The history of human progress has been marked by great changes in the ways that we produce go…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
August 7, 2023
My wife and I became apartment dwellers eight years ago, and we were fortunate to move into a building where most of the people are friendly, greet you when you enter the elevator, and wish you well when you exit. We have become good friends with a number of the hundreds of people who live here. …
My wife and I became apartment dwellers eight years ago, and we were fortunate to move into a building where most of the people are friendly, greet you when you enter the elevator, and wish you well w…
My wife and I became apartment dwellers eight years ago, and we were fortunate to move into a building where most of the people are friendly, greet you when you enter the elevator, and wish you well when you exit. We have become good friends with a number of the hundreds of people who live here. Occasionally, however, I may be riding the elevator with one or two other people who don’t make eye contact and don’t even acknowledge my wish for them to have a good rest of the day when one of us reaches our destination floor and exits the elevator. Being particularly courageous, I used to …
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
July 24, 2023
One of the best ways to be productive is to have structure in your life. Productive people generally have schedules with non-negotiable times to accomplish certain tasks. They may attack their most undesirable tasks early so that they are out of the way; they have certain times for checking emai…
One of the best ways to be productive is to have structure in your life. Productive people generally have schedules with non-negotiable times to accomplish certain tasks. They may attack their mos…
One of the best ways to be productive is to have structure in your life. Productive people generally have schedules with non-negotiable times to accomplish certain tasks. They may attack their most undesirable tasks early so that they are out of the way; they have certain times for checking emails rather than being distracted by every ping; and they have times in their schedules for eating, sleeping, and also for having fun. It is sometimes assumed that structure and creativity can’t co-exist. That’s really a myth that’s believed by some highly structured people as well as some …
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
July 17, 2023
It seems silly, or at least unnecessary, to post a blog reminding people to drink water – something that we’ve been doing all of our lives. Yet, almost every day people wind up in hospital emergency rooms with cases of dizziness, fainting, muscle fatigue, confusion and other symptoms of reduce…
It seems silly, or at least unnecessary, to post a blog reminding people to drink water – something that we’ve been doing all of our lives. Yet, almost every day people wind up in hospital emerg…
It seems silly, or at least unnecessary, to post a blog reminding people to drink water – something that we’ve been doing all of our lives. Yet, almost every day people wind up in hospital emergency rooms with cases of dizziness, fainting, muscle fatigue, confusion and other symptoms of reduced cognitive functioning because of dehydration. In extreme cases, it can cause organ failure and death. The problem is especially acute during the summer – when we sweat more, especially if we are physically active. But it doesn’t have to be that way if we pay attention to staying adequate…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
July 10, 2023
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is 85 years old. It is probably the longest study of human development in history. During the few decades that I’ve been following its updates, the study consistently leads to the conclusion that there is one factor that leads to greater happiness, health…
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is 85 years old. It is probably the longest study of human development in history. During the few decades that I’ve been following its updates, the study c…
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is 85 years old. It is probably the longest study of human development in history. During the few decades that I’ve been following its updates, the study consistently leads to the conclusion that there is one factor that leads to greater happiness, health, and longevity. That factor is the quality of our relationships. It is a better predictor than genetic, educational, career achievement, and financial factors. That should be encouraging news to everybody, because good friendships are accessible to everyone – regardless of family backgro…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
July 3, 2023
Some people say that they hate to exercise, and then they go out and prove it by leading a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. But I’m always intrigued by others who claim to hate exercising, but comfortably spend hours doing housework, yard maintenance and gardening, taking walks to shop or spen…
Some people say that they hate to exercise, and then they go out and prove it by leading a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. But I’m always intrigued by others who claim to hate exercising, but c…
Some people say that they hate to exercise, and then they go out and prove it by leading a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. But I’m always intrigued by others who claim to hate exercising, but comfortably spend hours doing housework, yard maintenance and gardening, taking walks to shop or spend time with friends in the neighborhood, or go up and down the stairs of their homes multiple times a day. If that describes you, I have some news. You are exercising! Any type of movement is a form of exercise. Don’t feel guilty about not exercising. Instead, accept it and treat it a…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
June 26, 2023
Oftentimes, the hardest thing about a task is the process of getting yourself started. Many great potential achievements and opportunities have been left on the drawing boards and in the minds of people who didn’t have the drive to get started. They may have been too self-critical or perfectio…
Oftentimes, the hardest thing about a task is the process of getting yourself started. Many great potential achievements and opportunities have been left on the drawing boards and in the minds of pe…
Oftentimes, the hardest thing about a task is the process of getting yourself started. Many great potential achievements and opportunities have been left on the drawing boards and in the minds of people who didn’t have the drive to get started. They may have been too self-critical or perfectionistic or passive, or they may have lacked the confidence to share their ideas with the world. It’s impossible to know how many great ideas never saw the light of day, but we can be certain that there are plenty of them. Make no mistake about it. Getting started doesn’t ensure that a proj…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
June 12, 2023
I consider myself to be a pretty motivated and productive guy. Although I’m in control of much of my schedule, a typical day consists of work, physical activity such as walking and exercising, and spending quality time with my wife and often with family, neighbors, and other friends. I know th…
I consider myself to be a pretty motivated and productive guy. Although I’m in control of much of my schedule, a typical day consists of work, physical activity such as walking and exercising, and…
I consider myself to be a pretty motivated and productive guy. Although I’m in control of much of my schedule, a typical day consists of work, physical activity such as walking and exercising, and spending quality time with my wife and often with family, neighbors, and other friends. I know that I’m not too unique in that regard, but I don’t think that I would be as efficient or effective if I didn’t have routines for easing into the day and easing into the night. I think that a morning and evening routine is pretty important to enable your body and mind to wake up in the mornin…
Ron Kaiser, Ph.D.
May 22, 2023
