One of my clients, Penny, is a woman struggling with dieting, food and her body. She came to me for help, since weight loss diets were not working, and she began to feel desperate. After menopause, she felt herself “getting fatter and fatter” and couldn’t figure out what to do about it. We’ve worked together […]
On Vulnerability and Creativity
I recently attended a program at my Temple Shalom of Newton, where I am a member. This program was for Slichot, which is the time before the high holidays, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this time, we prepare to consider our actions during the past year, to take […]
What I Like Best About my Work
At this point in my career, I do three different types of work. First, I teach nutrition at Northeastern University in Boston, where I have worked for the past 13 years. I teach undergrads in one course and grad students in another. The second thing I do is provide training, consultation and coaching in Motivational […]
Dieting is Like Holding Your Breath!
We’ve all heard the statistic that 95% of people who lose weight by dieting will gain it back. And yet this does not stop us from trying! We could say, “hope springs eternal”, “I know it will be different this time”. Unless people are willing to really devote themselves to permanent, and serious changes in […]
Using “Wiggle Words” in Motivational Interviewing
An important tenant of MI is that we do not tell others what to do. Who wants to be told what to do, anyway? Even kids don’t like it. Telling others what to do is often rude and disrespectful. Let me be very clear, however. If your job as a health care provider is to […]
