Children Giving Chizuk To Their Disabled Mom

Posted on: February 1st, 2013

Dear Dr. Respler: The letter from the husband lamenting his family’s difficulties brought on by his wife’s physical impairments (“For Better Or Worse – Or Bailing Out,” 1-11) brings back memories of my experience. I was the wife who one day found herself physically incapacitated and unable to do the simplest acts.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: January 31st, 2013

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Anxiety and Bedwetting: Are They Linked?

Posted on: January 31st, 2013

Yossi’s mother was at her wit’s end. Yossi’s grey pants were wet again. It was the second time that week.

Habits: Are You Stuck With Them?

Posted on: January 25th, 2013

In his best selling book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business, Charles Duhigg argues that most of the choices we make may feel like products of well-considered decision making. In reality, they are not.

The Art Of Communication

Posted on: January 25th, 2013

David and his wife had been married for 15 years and believed they knew what each other really wanted. While attending a marriage seminar on communication, David and his wife listened to the instructor declare, “It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.”

Road To Recovery

Posted on: January 25th, 2013

I feel so much shame about my disease and the pain I have caused my family and friends. I am trying to make things better now, and hopefully I will be able to beat this disease for good. As they say in the meetings: “One day at a time!”

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: January 25th, 2013

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A Grateful But Tired Grandmother

Posted on: January 24th, 2013

Dear Dr. Yael: I have, Baruch Hashem, a beautiful family with children and several grandchildren. I am fortunate to be close with all of them. I also work and take care of my parents, like many others in the “sandwich generation.” While I love my life, I am constantly exhausted and overworked.

Demanding Family Equity

Posted on: January 17th, 2013

Dear Dr. Yael: Your recent column on “The Wrongs Of Onas Devarim” (Dear Dr. Yael, 12-28-2012) was, for me, the worst column ever. Here’s why:

Boys And Reading: How Yoni Can Read

Posted on: January 17th, 2013

In the 1950’s, bestselling author Rudolf Flesch offered to give a friend’s son, who was a struggling reader, some help with reading. He soon discovered that the problem did not lie in the boy’s intelligence, but rather in the way that reading was taught to him in school. To set out his reading principles, Flesch wrote a now famous book entitled, Why Johnny Can’t Read – and What You Can Do About It. In it, Flesch outlined the basic approach of phonics, an effective and important manner of teaching reading.

From The Greatest Heights (Chapter I)

Posted on: January 17th, 2013

I have been promising myself that I would write about the death of my twins when I was ready. Ever since that fateful day more than 11 years ago, I have tried to write, dozens of times, but my attempts have drawn many tears and very few words. I tried again very recently, but didn’t get very far. And then the school shooting in Newtown changed everything.

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: January 17th, 2013

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Beating Test Anxiety

Posted on: January 11th, 2013

Avital walked into the test feeling great. She had studied the night before and she was sure to ace her grammar test. But, suddenly, when her teacher passed out the test paper, Avital found her palms sweating and her heart racing.

For Better Or Worse – Or Bailing Out

Posted on: January 10th, 2013

Dear Dr. Yael: A few years ago, our family went through a very traumatic period of time when my wife was diagnosed with a brain aneurism. She has suffered through so much pain and rehabilitation, and things have not returned to normal.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: January 10th, 2013

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Dealing With Bullying

Posted on: January 4th, 2013

Dear Dr. Yael: My seven-year-old daughter is having a very difficult time socially in school. Another girl is making fun of her, and I do not know how to fix the problem. Because she wants to be friends with this girl (although I am not sure why), she puts herself in situations where she is the target of the girl’s ridicule.

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Demystifying Learning Disabilities: Empowering Students

Posted on: January 4th, 2013

Meet Noam, a ninth grader I worked with several years ago. Noam came to my office because he was struggling with his biology curriculum. Though Noam was extremely smart, he had ADHD, which made it hard for him to focus on all of the material presented during class. Before we even looked at the material together, I asked Noam how he learned best. His face was blank as he responded, “Um, Mrs. Schonfeld, I really am not sure.”

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Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: January 4th, 2013

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The Emotional GPS for Finding Your Beshert

Posted on: January 4th, 2013

Recently, there a number of articles dealing with the difficulties singles are having getting married have appeared in various publications. Unfortunately, many young people in their 20’s (and some even in their 30’s) are struggling to find their bashert.

Living With Hearing Voices

Posted on: December 28th, 2012

Ms. S. is 31 years old and has been hearing voices for the past 10 years. The voices come almost every day and they tell her that she is a failure, will never amount to anything, no one likes her or respects her. Ms. S. was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At the age of 21 she was told she has a disease of the brain and will need to take medication for the rest of her life.