Alcohol consumption, when done in moderation, has been linked to a variety of benefits, including improved cognitive function, enhanced attractiveness, and a reduced risk of certain diseases.

However, the research community has shifted to a more skeptical and measured discussion of the research suggesting the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.

Here's an objective, closer look at some of the contrarian findings on the benefits of moderate alcohol intake from recent research…

The more alcohol people drink, the greater the damage to the cerebral cortex. High alcohol intake can lead to a thinner cerebral cortex, research finds.

The cerebral cortex is the layer of neurons that support most higher-level cognition. However, the brain damage caused by drinking is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon.

The more people drank, the greater the damage to this area of the brain. The irony is that alcohol damages the very areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling alcohol intake.

However, people who had been alcoholics but now abstained showed the brain can recover.

Older American couples endure more than six years of misery before seeking help.

It’s like driving your wheels over and over in the same place so often that you’ve worn deep ruts into the marital driveway.

The sooner you enter couples therapy, the better. This is one of the reasons why Millennials enjoy such a delightfully low divorce rate.

They pursue couples therapy at the first sign of trouble. And they do so earlier than any other recorded generation…

Is Dating ok during a separation?

As long as you are living apart, and abide by any legal agreements, dating while separated is legal.

However, dating while separated may have emotional implications that may impact the quality of life for your entire family for years to come…

So, you’re on Ozempic to manage your diabetes or shed those pesky pounds, and suddenly you’re finding yourself in some rather…interesting situations.

Maybe you’re gambling more, indulging in public displays of affection (or more), or even eyeing divorce as a shiny new start.

As a couples therapist, I’ve started hearing more of these tales, and it’s making me wonder: What’s going on with Ozempic and impulse control?

Narcissism can often be mistaken for just high self-confidence or a little bit of self-absorption.

But trust me, as a couples therapist, I've seen that this personality trait is far more complex than that.

What is Narcissism?

I think of emotional abuse as a combination of two of the Four Horsemen (Contempt and Criticism) standing upon an aggressive foundation of chronically manipulative and controlling behaviors.

It is the investment in control and domination that is the chief feature of emotional abuse. Here’s what you need to know…

The kind of gaslighting we see in couples therapy is typically a relentless pattern of deception, unreasonable criticism, mean-spirited scrutiny, and contemptuous verbal aggression.

But gaslighting, like other forms of emotional abuse, occurs on a broad continuum.

The milder forms often respond to science-based couples therapy, but extreme gaslighting is typically far more problematic…

When a marriage is dying, we spend more time with the partner in our head. Then the problem-saturated narrative takes over.

Your real partner is trying to be heard, as are you, but neither of you feels understood.

When a marriage is dying, both parties ache to be heard.

This research was partly inspired by the trend of ‘Break-it Rage Rooms,’ where people smash objects to release their rage.

A meta-literature review of over 150 studies found that deep breathing, yoga, and the traditional method of counting to ten are more effective ways of managing anger than destroying furniture or screaming into a pillow.

Contrary to popular belief that anger should be expressed or ‘vented’, the most effective anger management strategies involve reducing arousal levels.

As many as one in six folks may exhibit signs of 'severely problematic' news consumption, akin to an addiction-like state.

Research indicates that humans with a news addiction are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, and compromised physical health.

News addiction can manifest as a deep preoccupation with news stories to the extent that it dominates one's waking thoughts and disrupts daily life, including sleep patterns.

Psychosis is a defining symptom of severe mental illnesses like delusional disorders, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, characterized by an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Neuroscientists have pinpointed two crucial brain systems behind this condition, offering insights into its core mechanisms.

One of these systems serves as a filter, sorting important internal thoughts and external stimuli from irrelevant ones.