 Ask your dentist, your doctor, your car mechanic, or your financial advisor. They’ll all tell you that it is essential, a “no brainer,” to check on the health of your teeth, your body, your engine, and your portfolio, on a regular basis, to make sure that any problem is detected and addressed as early as possible.
Shouldn’t it be obvious that our own emotional health and that of our loved ones deserve the same attention? Regular annual mental health check-ups are becoming the new dental hygiene visit of this savvy generation of adults and parents. One in four people will have a mental disorder at some point in their life. Earlier identification offers the chance to intervene to limit the progression of the disorder and limit the disruption to the person’s functioning and development, thus improving their life in many ways. Regular annual mental health check-ups are also valuable opportunities to identify and learn the skills we need to more easily succeed at upcoming transitions in life. Prevention, preparation, identification, remediation. All accomplished in a painless, routine mental health check-up with your mental health professional. If you don’t want to take the time to visit your professional every year, you should at least do a self-assessment of your mental health. I have created a tool that will allow you to do this. Take a look at SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR ADULTS: HOW AM I DOING PSYCHOLOGICALLY? After you answer the 20 simple questions, your results will come to me, and I will call you to briefly discuss your results. As we start April, it is important to note that May is Mental Health Month. It is never too early to give yourself the gift of a little attention to your, and your loved ones’, mental health. Please call me with any questions.
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 Your Uncle Charlie may be getting forgetful. Does that mean that he has lost the privilege of making a new last will and testament or completing other legal actions?
The answer is complicated. If you know an elder whose thinking is not excellent, and who is about to sign a will or other contract, assign powers of attorney, etc., it would be very prudent to obtain an expert opinion on how solid the elder’s abilities are. One of my psychological specialties is to provide an expert, independent assessment of the mental capacity of a living person to sign a new will or other important documents. The assessment is performed in the same week as the new document is signed. Remember, the more important the document is, the more important it is to know now how solid the elder’s capacity is, and therefore how solid their legal right to sign it is, and therefore how reliably the signed document will stand up against any future legal challenge. Avoid painful surprises in the future by obtaining an expert assessment today. Dr. Chafetz can be reached at 469-233-5566. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you back to my office. Like so many of you, I very quickly moved my work to my home. During this time, I continued working with patients over the internet, but now we are finally getting back to normal and I am starting to meet with people face to face. Watch my video to hear more. It's Mental Health Awareness month. We don’t talk enough about mental health challenges, and we don’t do enough to de-stigmatize them. Which leads me to this video.
If life’s obstacles are pressing down on you or someone you know, let this month be the moment when you find the right person to help with these issues. Please watch my video now. The wild ride that has been 2020 continues with autumn bringing new challenges. My practice has seen a surge of new patients. Watch my video to learn why.
The global pandemic continues, but I believe we have reached "the end of the beginning." In this vlog, I discuss what we should expect from ourselves and others now.
I wish you the best during these challenging times. If anyone you know is struggling, please encourage them to reach out for support, and let me know if I can help. As this pandemic stretches from weeks to months, the isolation caused by sheltering-in-place brings on a range of emotions and potentially conflicts with family, friends, and colleagues. If you or anyone you know is struggling, I am here to help. Call me.
Last week, Dr. Paul had the opportunity to speak to the Dallas Executives Association about "Connecting the Dots" during this pandemic.
In my latest vlog, I address our new reality of living with COVID-19 and the opportunity to make sure that later we have something to show for it.
I wish you all the best at this challenging time. If anyone you know is struggling, please encourage them to reach out for support, and let me know if I can help. As 2020 dawns, its time to look forward, and actively set ourselves up for success in the New Year.
 I sat down with Good Day Fox 4 host, Lauren Przybyl, to discuss tips for surviving the holidays and my book "Loving Hard-To-Love Parents."
Are you "celebrating" the holidays with a difficult relative or friend this year? Then you MUST watch my new video.
Authors and playwrights always build conflict into their stories.
Why? Because, if there is no conflict, there is no story. There is a valuable psychological message in this for regular people and real life. Listen as Dr. Chafetz explains. Anyone whose spouse develops dementia quickly finds their life profoundly and painfully disrupted.
If you know someone in this situation and would like to be a stronger support to them, please watch this week's video and give me a call. Does having an unpleasant emotion mean that you have a big problem?
Hear my opinion, then let's chat about how we can work together. We have all heard of the effects of the smartphone on people being truly present with each other.
In this week's vlog, I discuss the irony that our interface with the smartphone is called a "screen." Check it out, then let's chat about how we can work together. I often quote the words of other people.
Do you? Why do we do this? Who quotes your words? In this week's video, I discuss these questions. Patients often comment how difficult it must be for psychologists to "listen to people's troubles all day."
Sharon's mother has been difficult forever. Sharon has negative feelings about herself and a hard time keeping friends.
Is there a connection? People differ in how much emotional closeness they want with their significant other.
In this week's vlog, I discuss how the degree of emotional closeness we have can affect our happiness. This week's video is about Phil, who has struggled with a difficult father all of his life. As a result, Phil has had trouble relating to certain other people, too.
If Phil's dilemma sounds familiar to you, we should talk. Helping people through life's transitions is not just my job, but truly my passion.
In this week's video, I describe Denise*, whose pleasant mom has become difficult with the onset of dementia.
If Denise's dilemma sounds familiar to you, we should talk. *Not to be confused with Clarisse, discussed in my previous vlog! In this week's video, I describe Clarisse.
Have you ever realized something about your life or work, even though it had been true for many years? I did!
In this week's video, I reflect on the moment I coined the term CODOP, for Children of Difficult Older Parents, and became inspired to write my book, "Loving Hard-to-Love Parents." Watch this weeks vlog about that moment of "sudden insight." Perhaps a new insight awaits you |
Dr. Chafetz“My passion is ensuring that every adult is mentally ready to succeed in all transitions that comprise the adult years. The meaning in my life comes from helping my patients see themselves, their situation, their future, and the entire world with new eyes and a newly courageous attitude. |
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