Dr. Stanley Goldstein - Author and Psychologist

It was another winter day in the rural area. An isolated place where the local village consisted of a post office, a bar, and a grocery store. Several times while driving there, I had imagined that I was at the end of the world.

The teenager rode his quad along a bare trail. As (more…)

While, understandably, most efforts during disaster relief are given to those closely effected, communities far from the damage scene can also be impacted through their strong cultural, national, or religious identification with the victims.

Though the traditional Posttraumatic Stress Disorder reactions of nightmares and flashbacks will be absent, other symptoms can exist: angry outbursts, (more…)

Many parents hate toy guns and refuse to buy them for their children or even to have them in their home. Perhaps feeling that their use will encourage their child to become overly aggressive or lack self-control. But the common desire of children to play with toy guns has nothing to do with anger: (more…)

Several years ago I gave a workshop on public speaking at my local Chamber of Commerce group. One guideline I suggested was to avoid telling political or religious anecdotes. No matter how funny they might seem to the speaker, one could never predict the reaction of a stranger who might be offended.

But rules should (more…)

For many years I testified in court as an expert witness, usually for the government. I enjoyed this activity, as do most people when they are provided an audience for their pronouncements. And there was some humor.

To effectively attack the testimony of an expert witness an attorney must be prepared. Confronting such (more…)

Unlike medical disorders psychological problems have long been stigmatized though one is no more bizarre than the other. A psychosis is no less natural than a broken leg for both result from stresses beyond the capacity of the individual's structure to endure. Thus they develop a symptom, which is a professional term for the (more…)

School bullying can be described, simply, as an interaction between youth which comprises a bully, another youth who is the object of their attention, and bystanders. A situation where the bully inflicts discomfort on their victim--verbally, physically, or via computer--and there is an imbalance of power between them. Yet this brief description masks its complexity.

For (more…)

Freud met William James several times, at his visit to Clark University and then shortly before he died in 1911. Freud regarded James as the only American genius he had ever met. And he had one quality which Freud greatly admired: that James spoke better German than he did. What did James think of Freud, (more…)

When patients ask whether their of their child's treatment will be successful, my usual reply is that I can guarantee nothing since I cannot control all of the elements in their life. Which makes sense to most people for they know that success cannot be certain with any human endeavor.

Consider the construction of a bridge. The engineer (more…)

Both parents and doctors become troubled when a child is diagnosed as "psychotic." Naturally enough, for this difficulty cripples their ability to function in the world. Yet this child is concerned with reality but it is that of their internal world rather than their external environment.

The reason for this is simple: the child (more…)