dr-mona-spiegel

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What Do Adolescent Girls Need?

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Is It Safe for Children to Play Outside?

The horrific murder and dismemberment of a young boy’s body last week has sent shock waves through the tight-knit Orthodox Jewish Community in Brooklyn, NY. When he was first deemed missing thousands of volunteers combed the area looking for him; his death touched them all and a multitude attended his funeral. The lightness of summer is tainted with collective grief, shock and fear. Parents will now review and revise our assumptions about the freedom we allow our children. H

July 22, 2011

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Coaching: How Can It Help You?

FAQs 1. What is Coaching? 2. How Does a Coach Differ from a Friend? 3. For Whom is Coaching Appropriate? 4. Are Coaching and Therapy the Same? 5. How Do I Find a Qualified Life Coach? 1. What is Coaching? Have you ever found yourself in the uneasy position of wanting to reach a specific goal but don’t know what steps to take to achieve it? Or perhaps, even more discomforting, you have a vague feeling of wanting something for yourself but can’t articulate exactly what it is

December 23, 2010

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Anxiety: The Bane of Parents

A young mother wrote to me: "As the mother of a toddler, I'm really grateful to moms and dads who've given me great advice and support. But at the same time, other mom's comments also have made me feel inadequate." "Are we all sensitive and a little defensive," she asks,"because we love our kids so much? Maybe we feel threatened by other people's choices, because we see them as an implicit criticism of our choices." Alte atively she suggests, “Maybe we're more hyper-aware,

May 3, 2010

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Dreams that Don't Leave

They were after me! Dressed in army fatigues, helmeted and holding rifles with sharp bayonets extended before them, they were running up the stairs, getting closer and closer. They were barking, "Achtung! Achtung!" I was terrified. I call this dream and its variations my "Nazi dreams." They occurred frequently when I was younger, then tapered off gradually and resurface every once in awhile. My mother, in her 90's and suffering from Alzheimer's, is a Holocaust survivor. Mos

February 25, 2010

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Anxiety on the Rise

I'm sure you know someone, either in your family or among your friends, who is highly anxious. You will recognize the rapid speech, need for reassurance and fear of new situations, sometimes accelerating into full-blown panic. We have become scared to live. Anxiety, according to the Report of the Surgeon General, is the most common emotional disorder among adults as well as during childhood and adolescence. About 13 of every 100 children and adolescents ages 9 to 17 experie

January 12, 2010

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Women's Midlife Crisis

It's about time. We can publicly discuss a rite of passage for women that is as prevalent as that for males. Our young adult years are filled with daily obligations and we tend not to think about what direction our lives are taking. We stay on the bandwagon fulfilling everyone's needs until something shakes us out our lethargy. Only then do we stop what we're doing to question, "Does my family really appreciate my sacrifices all these years? What do I want in life?" These q

January 4, 2010

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Boy Soldier: The Meaning of Play

He marched down the corridor, head held high, with his own version of a soldier's helmet. A tub used for carrying around blocks was reinca ated as a red helmet with a plastic chin strap. How proud he looked as he marched in tempo to his own drum! This boy was out to win the war. How do we feel when we see a child play soldier? We recoil as we think of the untold numbers of young boys killed on the battlefield. As a result of our adult fears and experiences, we may try to st

October 27, 2009

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The Way She Walks

Her shoulders catch my eye. Thrust back with the confidence of the young, they bridge a petite body which looks firm and healthy. Her white blouse reflects the bright sun while her chin-length brown hair swings rhythmically from side to side, mimicking the cadence of her walk. Her head is tilted back and she looks around as if eager to observe everything. Oh, the assurance of youth! The lass struts along with the ease of nature, traversing cracks and uneven patches of sidewa

October 23, 2009

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Stuck on Words

The Chairman of the National Republican Committee, Michael Steele, was recently interviewed by NPR reporter, Steve Inskeep. And they got stuck on words. The Chairman was the first to attack: "You're doing a wonderful little dance here and trying to be cute," he stated. Inskeep entered the fray by replying, " I respect that you feel that I'm doing a dance here," and counterattacked, "You are giving me a very nice, nuanced position here." The Chairman then became defensive. S

September 1, 2009

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The Female Bite

Summer's a great time for evening walks, except for one problem - mosquitoes. Many couples like to walk at night. They'll be walking along, enjoying the cool air, when zap! One or both of them gets bitten. Mosquitoes don't discriminate between genders. I don't know how they choose their targets. But the mosquitoes that bite are the females. The females literally suck blood to get the nutrients they need to develop fertile eggs. So I started thinking... After giving birth,

July 20, 2009

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What to Do When Feeling Stuck

Have you ever felt totally frustrated, blocked and upset? On Sunday afte oo I was stuck in traffic on my way into NY City. Major bridges, tunnels and highways were all laden with cars and I was in the middle. I had no way out. My only recourse was patience. It was not an easy task because I was not alone. I had my young grandchildren and my elderly mother with me and I felt highly responsible for their well-being. That's how life seems at times. We get caught in situations t

June 2, 2009

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My Family Coach: Parent , Relationship & Life Coaching for Women

Dr. Mona Spiegel specializes in parent coaching, women's issues and interpersonal communication skills training. She provides personal life coaching to women who want assistance and guidance but do not need therapy. Dr. Spiegel is a member of the American Psychological Association and the International Coach Federation.

June 9, 2008