by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. From the time an infant is first placed in his mothers arms, then given his first feeding, the mother/child relationship is linked to survival. An infant reflexively squeezes mommy’s finger, tilts his face toward hers, and the bond of emotional attachment forms. Nursing mothers release the hormone oxytocin, fostering a warm, [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. The Power of Imagination Insanely brilliant and far too young for all of his accomplishments, Neurologist Alvaro Pascual-Leone was the first to map the brain using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS can turn on or off parts of the brain so researchers can determine the function of a specific brain area. [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. The Nutrition Connection Matthew burst into my office with a handful of hard candy in his suit pocket and a scowl on his face. He sat down and said, “I don’t have time for this, but my wife said she’d leave if I didn’t take anger management.” Matthew grabbed a hard [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Part I: Anger and Motivation Nothing like anger to energize and motivate. Everyone from the high school football coach to a police officer knows that a healthy dose of anger can push a kid to a touchdown, or help a cop run those five blocks to catch the bad guy. Some [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Author, speaker and researcher, Lisa Frederiksen, agreed to an interview with me about her two books, written for people who are in a relationship with a problem drinker. We discussed what she’s learned about the disease model of alcoholism, changes in the brain, and what loved one’s can do to remain [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Fans of the television show, The Office, recognize the character, Dwight Shrute, a rigid, aggressive, authority-obsessed bully. Dwight, (played by the wonderful actor Rainn Wilson) regularly pounces on co-workers, both verbally and physically, to prove his superiority. We talk to managers and employees who describe painful encounters with aggressive, inflexible, co-workers. [...]
by Davida Price, MS, IMF, MT-BC When we hear angry music we know it. Even if the lyrical intent of the music is not anger, some music, called heavy metal, deathcore, punk, screamo, progressive rock, and rap include ticked off lyrics, angry girls, and dissed boys. In this post, I plan to explore music with [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Pink hearts, latex balloons, red roses and cherub-covered candy boxes signal the season for lovers. For those suffering the recent loss of a relationship February feels like the loneliest month of the year. On television, happy beautiful people accept extravagant gifts with giant red bows and enormous shining smiles. Everywhere you [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. War and other forms of violence create physical and emotional scars that have challenged health care providers for decades. We’ve worked with war veterans who struggle with unemployment, broken relationships, drug addiction, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many of us in the field of mental health, who work to repair [...]
by Gina Simmons, Ph.D. A delusional young loner becomes obsessed with a blonde woman. Disgusted with politicians and the government, he writes rambling rants difficult to understand. He hides the truth about his life from his family. He isolates from friends, buys a gun, attempts to assassinate a politician. While this sounds like the story [...]
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