Dr. Chloe Carmichael Blogs

Is Your Professional Image Stuck in 2009?

In Part 1 of this blog series on toxic people, I outlined how to see when you may have a toxic person in your life.  If you think you may have one, please know that you have the power to set boundaries for your own wellbeing!  To keep it simple, you can use the acronym TOXIC to remember a list of options you might consider.

Note: The blog below describes a trend I have seen in my practice. I’m not trying to speak for all gay people everywhere – this blog is just focused on some thoughts regarding patterns I’ve seen in my office this year while working with Manhattan singles.

Reddit AMA + Live WebEx Break-Up Seminar

An event sponsored by Anxiety.org, Dr. Chloe answers your questions LIVE through WebEx, as well as through a Reddit.com /r/IAmA thread! In this “Ask Me Anything” session, the focus is mainly on breakups, based on Dr. Chloe’s popular “Break Up Survival Guide” contribution to Anxiety.org. Check out the video transcripts below, and be sure to read through the extensive Reddit thread!

When business partnerships form, positive feelings like trust and respect are high, and there’s a general agreement regarding roles and direction. However, you may later find that trust wanes. Maybe your partner seems to be focusing more on their own interests rather than what’s best for the business, or you find yourself simmering with frustration over feeling disrespected in large or small ways. Maybe you’re feeling anxious as you discover that you and your partner seem to have different visions of the company’s direction, your roles, or compensation.

As a clinical psychologist in New York City who works with some of the city’s most professionally motivated and strategic social climbers (most won’t admit it until they’re safely ensconced in a confidential session at my office), it’s no surprise that many clients want to brush up on their networking skills. My clients are intelligent, driven people who want to get the best return on investment on the time and effort spent at networking events.

As a clinical psychologist and former yoga teacher who works with driven business people, I want to clarify a common myth that mindfulness is mainly about relaxation and “being present”. Relaxation and feeling fully present are certainly positive components of mindfulness practice, but mindfulness can also be used to increase your insight and awareness around one of your most valuable business assets: your thoughts. By learning to observe our thoughts without reacting to them, we can save ourselves considerable time, money, and energy by choosing to “follow through” only on the thoughts that are truly in service of what we actually want in any given situation. I know this sounds abstract, so here are some real-life examples of how growing your “mindfulness muscles” will help you in day-to-day life:

Have you been secretly daydreaming about going to graduate school? Or wondering if your boss sees you as a good candidate for a position slightly ahead of yours?