How to Combat Workplace Mobbing

March 31st, 2010 · 15 Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. John got to work a little earlier so he could finish his report at a research institution before the rest of the staff arrived.  As he entered the windowed office he was surprised to see two colleagues leave his work station.  He touched his computer.  It felt warm.  He booted it [...]

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In Memory of…

March 3rd, 2010 · 6 Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Chelsea King, 17, went for a jog after school last Thursday.  Her body was found Tuesday in a shallow grave a half mile from her car.  Chelsea was a straight A student, an athlete and a musician in the prestigious San Diego Youth Symphony. Beloved by many for her charming personality, [...]

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Our Website Caught Pig Flu

February 24th, 2010 · No Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. It poses quite a challenge to an anger management professional when your website gets hacked.  That’s exactly what happened to us two weeks ago.  Some lonely soul with too much time on his hacker hands sent visitors to our site on a joy ride through Chinese websites.  The hack sidelined our [...]

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What to Do When Your Boss is Evil

February 10th, 2010 · No Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Most baby boomers will switch jobs 10 times in their life, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ideas about corporate loyalty and job security seem quaint and antiquated now. Today everyone is a free agent. When job competition appears steep and jobs are scarce, a bad boss can mess [...]

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The 2009 Road Rage Award Goes To…

January 13th, 2010 · 2 Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. The 2009 Road Rage Award goes to Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson, 59. The doctor wins for speeding past two cyclists, slamming on his brakes, causing one to hit the rear window of his red Infiniti, and the other to suffer a separated shoulder. Dr. Thompson, unable to bear the (one-second, two-seconds, [...]

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Predictions for 2010: Mental Health

January 6th, 2010 · No Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. At the start of a new year, news outlets, psychics and financial analysts give their predictions for the new year. Psychic Sylvia Browne predicts 2010 will bring an increase in childhood skin cancer and a cure for the common cold. CNN predicts web trends like more television starts coming to us [...]

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Do the Hard Stuff

December 9th, 2009 · No Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. As a child I was blessed with two friends who profoundly inspired me. Michelle, blind from birth, was one of the most popular girls in the school. With exquisite auditory acuity, she recognized voices and would shout out across the quad, “how ya doin’ Gina!” before I ever saw her. She [...]

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Three Secrets to Holiday Happiness

November 18th, 2009 · 2 Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. Many years ago my friends and I found ourselves facing a holiday season with no money and no family. Too broke to travel home, we decided to get creative. A twisted, puny, discarded shrub, stuck in a coffee can wrapped in aluminum foil became our Christmas tree. We took needle and [...]

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Sunny With a Chance of Swine Flu

November 12th, 2009 · No Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. A few days ago my daughter and I were diagnosed with the swine flu also known by the less friendly, H1N1. Symptoms include head ache so bad you can’t lift head off bed, sore throat, post-marathon fatigue (without the runner’s high) and body pain like being run through a rock polishing [...]

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Pissed-Off About Happiness

October 14th, 2009 · 6 Comments

By Gina Simmons, Ph.D. “I hate happy people,” said Mark, a former anger management client. “I just want to punch them in the face.” Mark wore his unhappiness with a hostile chip on his shoulder. Unable to appreciate the joy in others, even the sweet innocence of a baby’s laughter, he consumed himself with bitter [...]

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