My Bout with the Flue
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
One winter windy city weekend in 1984, my wife, Barbara, and I were nearly killed by a squirrel but were saved by two dogs – and my sister.
The weekend promised to be uneventful. Typical frigid February, Chicago-style, blustery wind, blistering wind chill, sub-zero deep-freeze temperatures, windows shuttered, furnace on, non-stop, and us keeping warm in our cozy (read: very small) Evanston starter home.
We planned to stay inside the entire weekend...
Whole and Holey
Dr. Glenn B. Gelman
When I think of the personal mentors in my life, I am reminded of their sage insights, their discerning candor, and the genuineness of their own “walk.” Mostly, I recall their unflagging commitment to me – guiding me forward, sometimes back, often up and down and around, and sideways a few times, to be sure, but always in service of me – and my personal growth and development…
Hope, No Hope, and False Hope
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
A core component of resilience – and one of the most essential contributions that we can inspire as helpers - is hope. In my experience, hope is often the one gift we can offer our clients when all else seems lost.
But hope is only hope if it is real.
For some of our adult clients, one of the hardest psychological tasks of life is to...
Difference-Makers
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
Students often beseech me about how critical it is for them to get an “A” in my courses. “Dr. Gelman,” they implore at semester’s start, “I need an ‘A’ in your course. I have a 4.0 so far and I just have to graduate with a perfect GPA.”
A ‘perfect’ GPA is often a matter of personal pride or accomplishment. Some define it as a psychological victory; a vindication of self-worth or...
Late, Later, Latest… Too Late
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wait until it’s late.
Soon it will be late.
Now it is late.
Late, late, late... LATE!
Soon it will be later.
Now...
The Recital
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
The children squirmed anxiously, eagerly, bedazzled by the hustle-bustle flurry about them.
Mothers worked at fever‑pitch, mending leotards, pinning tutus, making last‑minute alterations to hemlines. Expectant fathers fidgeted, and, as if a bit out of place, busied themselves by checking and rechecking their camcorders.
Grandparents bounced babies on their laps or just waited, patiently.
The lights flickered, then dimmed. Rehearsal after rehearsal behind them, the little dancers practiced and readied, the curtain drew open.
The recital began.
Silver Linings
Glenn B. Gelman, Psy.D.
Depression among the elderly. The thought assaults the senses. One conjures images of wintered, diminished existences: life as relentless despair. See the dispirited old man, once proud and vital, now sad eyes glazed and emptied; the fractured, frail widow, demoralized and destitute, incapable of making basic decisions she too long deferred to others. The images fade to futility, bleak loneliness, and resignation.
Depression is not an inescapable denouement of aging…
