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Richard B. Joelson, DSW

Psychotherapist, Author

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Published Articles

A few years ago, I submitted an article to The New York Resident, a free weekly newspaper in New York City that very much resembled the popular and nationally distributed New York Magazine. That first article entitled, “Think Better, Change Better” was well received by the features editor who encouraged additional submissions from me. It was a challenge! My mandate was to write articles that would appeal to a varied and diverse readership that would discuss important topics or concepts with, hopefully, some recommendations or advice to the reader, and that would never exceed 500 words! This led to a series of twelve published articles – all of which are included in this section. The editors re-titled two of my articles while leaving the others alone. “Snatching Defeat” was originally titled, “Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory.” “Dead Flowers,” a title I still don’t understand, was originally titled, “Whose Intimacy Is It?”

Another article in this section, “How Could They Have Said That?” was published by the same newspaper in 1996 and became a much circulated guide for people struggling to ‘say the right thing’ to those suffering the effects of negative or traumatic events in their lives.

I hope that you will enjoy and benefit from these articles as well as the many others in the Resources section of my website.

Filter by article categories:

Complicated Mourning

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Grief Recovery, Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Photo of a woman crying at rainy window

People grieve in many different ways and with varying levels of intensity.

Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Public, Published Articles. 

Why we’re often our own worst enemies…

Is Dependency Unhealthy?

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Life together will be easier for people with similar dependency needs and styles. However, differences between partners in these ways should not be mistaken for different levels of caring.

Pride or Boasting

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Public, Published Articles. 

Pride or Boasting - Richard B. Joelson, DSW

What constitutes healthy pride, something one ought to be able to freely express, and boastfulness or bragging, something most people find objectionable?

How Could They Have Said That?

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Public, Published Articles. 

Sometimes Condolences Can Hurt, More Than Help.

How Not to Feel Sorry for Yourself

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Marsha was someone who believed that one of the main purposes and benefits of her friendships was to have people with whom to share her troubles and get sympathy.

Saying “No” and Accepting “No”

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Many people find it very difficult to say “no” or to accept someone’s saying “no” to them without experiencing negative emotions. As a result, they often say “yes” when they really mean the opposite, which leads to consequences like anger and resentment directed toward themselves and others. A young client of mine who said “yes” to six suitors who asked her to the high school senior prom is a memorable example.

Why Am I Shy?

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Handling Social Anxiety. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt,” is a saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln. This appears to be the negative belief of people who become very nervous in social situations and are convinced that they will say something foolish, thereby justifying their feelings of social ineptitude.

Problem or Condition?

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Public, Published Articles. 

Problem or Condition? Richard Joelson

Managing and Treating Depression. People who seek out therapists for help with depression and anxiety have often struggled with these feelings on their own for long periods of time. The decision to seek help may come as a result of feeling frustrated and helpless to resolve a particular issue or because of a chronic unhappiness with their lives.

Think Better, Change Better

by Richard B. Joelson, DSW.  Category: Help Me!, Published Articles. 

Relieving Anxiety By Identifying Negative Thinking: People in psychotherapy or counseling can be helped to see that their problems may be traceable to anxiety-inducing beliefs caused by irrational thought patterns. This awareness can stimulate a productive therapeutic effort leading to meaningful emotional and behavioral change.

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  • Commentary: Growth and Fixed Mindsets

    June 23rd, 2021
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    April 3rd, 2020

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All content copyright © 2011-2025 Richard B. Joelson. All Rights Reserved.

Essays are not available for reprinting/reuse without express written permission.
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Why Is Registration Required?

As you may know, up until May 2016, this article was freely available to the public without registration. Now, however, this article and many more are available in edited form in my new book, Help Me!.

I was advised during the publishing process to completely remove all of these articles from this site, but it’s very important to me that these articles stay accessible to the public in their original form, to help those in need and to help increase understanding.

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