Fun fact: 80% of human communication is non-verbal. Think of the attitude and physical expression that drives the chef’s kiss gesture. That gesture says so much more than the word delightful.

Words floating free of our bodies (i.e. on paper or screen) are slippery and easily misinterpreted. That’s why writing is so hard. That’s the core problem with texting, making it a terrible way to communicate effectively. Yet, not only has texting become ubiquitous, expecting an immediate reply has too. Any delay arouses impatience, anxiety, or worse. Ghosting—

Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been all about making public, in a spirit of advocacy, the many, many challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions.

But there’s not much out there about the working and personal lives of mental health providers. And what there is, is inaccurate, being based on fiction, such as the television sitcom Frasier. Let me make you aware of what my life as a psychiatrist is like.

Let me make you aware of what my life as a psychiatrist is like.

Juneteenth—celebrated on June 19th by most Black Americans—commemorates the legal end of slavery in Texas on June 19th, 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.

In honor of Juneteenth, I’m reposting the following essay.

How I Challenged a Privileged White Male Friend’s Racism The hardest part? First, I had to listen to him.