First, Dr. MartinSeligman has devoted his life work to studying positive emotion, positivecharacter, and positive institutions, and how this focus can assist people—incontrast to counseling as a focus on what is wrong, on the problems.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html 

Second, Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, “What are the roots of happiness,what makes a life worth living?" For his answer, he looks toward “thecreatives:” artists, scientists, and any person who finds lastingsatisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow," as hecalled it. His eight qualities of flow are Challenge, Concentration, Clear Goals,Immediate Feedback, Deep Involvement, Sense of Self Disappears, Control, and Senseof Timelessness.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html 

Many clients come to me with a desire to improve their primary relationships and family connections. My approach to couple’s counseling draws on various family systems theories and communication models. Here are some informative related links.

Marshall Rosenberg teaches a model of compassionate communication which has been used to stop wars and ease political tensions.  It’s a model that can assist any of us to get closer as we improve our relationships with each other.

Part One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dpk5Z7GIFs

Part Two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbgxFgAN7_w&feature=related

Part Three

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8fbxPAXBPE&feature=related

  Here is a link how to Practice Nonviolent Communication.  http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Nonviolent-Communication

   Here is a link to The Center for Nonviolent Communication with lots of good information about this model.  http://www.cnvc.org/

Here is an informative link regarding psychiatric drugs from University of Washington Professor Dr. Stephen Bezruchka called 

Is America Driving You Crazy?

Many people are struggling with challenges that have left them feeling they need to take psychiatric drugs. Before going any further, I want to say there is no reason to feel bad about deciding to take these prescription drugs. However, I highly encourage anyone currently taking them, or considering doing so, to address emotional and psychological issues directly by seeing an experienced counselor--either through individual or couple's counseling. 

In addition, whether you are currently taking psychiatric drugs, considering them, or wanting to discontinue them, be sure you consult extensively with a physician. I recommend working with an experienced psychiatrist if possible--one who is familiar with the current information regarding psychiatric drugs. Oftentimes well-intentioned general practitioners do not have the time or information to prescribe, monitor and adjust these prescriptions. One should have frequent checkups regarding the effectiveness and especially the potential side effects of these drugs. Don’t be afraid to educate and advocate for yourself. Read as much as you can, and seek the answers to as many questions and concerns as you may have when taking psychiatric drugs.

Parenting partners create their own model, one in which they are equals and peers. They  work equal hours, spend equal time with their children, take equal responsibility for their home. 

Here is a link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/magazine/15parenting-t.html  

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is the text of the Commencement addressby Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, deliveredon June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencementfrom one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated fromcollege. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a collegegraduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. Nobig deal. Just three stories.

A Musician Who Performs With a Scalpel

For Claudius Conrad, a 30-year-old surgeon who has played the piano seriously since he was 5, music and medicine are entwined — from the academic realm down to the level of the fine-fingered dexterity required at the piano bench and the operating table.

 When a Brain Scientist Suffers a Stroke

As a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist, Jill Bolte Taylor has always known more about brains than most people. But when a brain hemorrhage triggered her own stroke, she suddenly had a front-row seat on the deterioration of the brain.

Men: Can Counseling Save Your Life?

Why men die young; There's a reason women are healthier, and it's not entirely in their genes

TIME magazine. Sanjay Gupta, MD. May 22, 2003

Like most doctors, I'm painfully aware that women live longer than men — five years longer, on average. I used to accept the disparity, assuming it was part of our collective genetic inheritance, more nature than nurture. But a new study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Public Health suggests that men's behavior may also be to blame.

Phone therapy seen as anti-depression aid

For many of us, a phone call from a trusted friend can make the world feel a little more in our favor. Now research out of Seattle suggests that phone calls from a therapist can do the same thing for patients with depression.

The study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first major look at treating depression with psychotherapy over the phone.

"This treatment adds significantly to the benefit of antidepressants," said Dr. Gregory Simon, the psychiatrist who led the research on 600 patients at Group Health Cooperative.

He reports 80 percent of patients who received phone therapy along with antidepressants said their depression was "much improved" six months later, compared to 55 percent of those who received the pills alone.