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The College Admissions Scandal

13 Dec, 2019 Blog

In March of 2019, the country was outraged when two famous actresses, Lori Loughlin and Felocity Hoffman, were discovered to have cheated in the college admission process. They paid college admissions coach, William (Rick) Singer to get their daughters into college unethically by helping them cheat on their college admissions test (SAT) as well as by blatantly lying about their credentials. Singer even went as far as to assist applicants to pose as recruited athletes in order to improve their chances of admission into prestigious colleges. These actresses were not alone in their participation. Dozens of other wealthy parents disregarded the values of h[...] Read More

Keeping It Real

12 Dec, 2019 Blog

As a psychologist specializing in addictions and relationships, I need to make a full disclosure: I met my husband in a bar. It was 26 years ago when we first locked eyes at Rock Lobster, a popular outdoor restaurant/bar on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. We had an easy banter and although we had never met before we quickly realized that we had several friends in common. He was a handsome young lawyer with a warm smile. On our first date he disclosed to me how tough his last year had been. He shared that he had recently failed the Bar Exam and was subsequently fired from his job. He told me how ashamed he was and described a painful experience of going out to the holiday[...] Read More

Navigating the Holidays

19 Nov, 2019 Blog

Coping with Toxic Family Members

Yesterday one of my patients asked me “Are all families as dysfunctional as mine?” I looked at her with a smile on my face and shared one of my favorite quotes. “The only perfect families are the ones you don’t know.” What that sentiment was intended to imply was that all families have some dysfunction if you look beneath the surface. Although I stand by that statement, I do want to acknowledge that some families have more toxic energy than others. With the holidays coming up, there is often the expectation of spending more time together as a family. There are frequently overnight stays, family meals and partie[...] Read More

Who sits at the table in your Boardroom?

14 Nov, 2019 Blog

“Who sits at the table in your boardroom?” I asked my handsome, elegantly dressed fortysomething year old patient. He looked at me with a confused expression on his face. He was a man in recovery from an addiction who was struggling with some difficult relationship decisions. He is similar to many of the high functioning executives whom I counsel and was not sure if I were referring to the boardroom for the financial organization where he works, or if I were looking for a deeper meaning. It was actually the later explanation. I told him to close his eyes and then take several deep breaths. When he seemed in a more relaxed state of mind, I asked him to visualize bein[...] Read More

Why Stay Married?

12 Nov, 2019 Blog

Why do the challenging task of working on your marriage? It may be easier to just “cut and run”, by starting fresh with a “clean slate” and a new partner. That way you do not have to engage in Couples Therapy where you have to rehash pain, disappointments and failed expectations. There was an old movie called Shall we Dance (2004) that starred both Richard Gere and Susan Sarrandon. Although the movie was kind of silly it had one of the best quotes about why to stay married that I have ever heard. In the movie, Richard Gere’s character had a secret that his wife did not know about. He was taking a dance class. Susan Sarrandon’s character knew that he[...] Read More

Unmasking the Illusion of Perfection in Our Relationships

08 Nov, 2019 Blog

Written by: Dr. Alyson Nerenberg In our society, little girls are raised watching Disney movies. In most of these stories they observe that a beautiful princess will overcome obstacles in order to find her own ideal true love. They believe that once they find that perfect Prince Charming they will ride off in to the sunset and have the happy ending that they deserve. As these girls get older the same fantasy of a perfect partner is promoted by romantic comedies. All the protagonist has to do is work through her own misunderstandings and erroneous beliefs and she will find the ideal partner who will provide her wi[...] Read More

When Your Marriage is Crashing Down

07 Nov, 2019 Blog

Written by: Dr. Alyson Nerenberg Okay, so there was an explosion in your marriage and you are wondering if you should stay. Whether it was a marital affair, the uncovering of an addiction, a financial betrayal or an act of dishonesty, you are feeling lost and wondering if you should stay. Before I give you any advice or suggestions just breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out. It is all going to be okay. First off, you do not have to make any decisions right now. What you do need to do is take care of yourself. Be loving, gentle and kind with yourself as you take some responsibilities off your plate. Whether that means asking a fr[...] Read More

Navigating Life’s Wrong Turns

14 Oct, 2019 Blog

Written by: Dr. Alyson Nerenberg One of my life struggles has always been that I am “directionally challenged”. In the past, I used to get overwhelmed by maps and needed to write out my directions in words so that it would all make sense to me and I wouldn’t end up lost. Fortunately, one of the greatest inventions of all time has been created: navigation systems for cars and phones. Instead of having to pull over and depend on the “kindness of strangers” to provide me with directions, I can just follow my Waze app. This is an amazing life hack that many millennials take for granted. In therapy sessions, I often sha[...] Read More

Grieving Blog

05 Dec, 2018 Blog

Dr. Alyson Nerenberg,Psy.D., CSAT-S helps with ways to deal with grieving.

Written by: Dr. Alyson Nerenberg Last December I had a texting communication with a “friend” who had recently lost her father. She was communicating to me through texts about how painful her grieving process was. I had commiserated with her and said that “I so got it”’ and that I hoped the year 2018 would be better for both of us. She quickly attacked me and said “you didn’t lose your parent so how could you possibly understand grief?” I then received a barrage of texts about how much deeper her pain was than anything I could possibly understand. There was a lot that was wrong with this communication. The first and most important point, was that it was done through texts and not through verbal communication where tones of voice and contexts could be understood. The second poi[...] Read More

Eating Disorder Treatment and Recovery

02 Oct, 2018 Blog

Jessica Feldman, M.S.S., LCSW of Alyson Nerenberg Psychology Associates, talks about eating disorders, treatment and recovery

By: Jessica Feldman, M.S.S., LCSW As a therapist, treating an eating disorder is complex, multi- faceted, and non- linear. It requires the ability to collaborate with a strong team of both professionals specialized in treating eating disorders as well as the loved ones who are integral to the individual’s recovery. It is this experience and more for an individual who is contemplating seeking treatment or beginning treatment. An individual in the early stages of recovery may be confused by where to start and whether now is the right time for them to commit themselves to treatment. It is common for individuals to delay seeking help due to distorted comparisons and questioning whether one is “sick enough.” An individual who is initially s[...] Read More