Clients come into my practice seeking relief from adversity they’re facing. Divorce, death, depression…any number of difficult events have led them to set up an appointment with me. They’re seeking peace of mind and can’t find it on their own. In this post, I’ll...

By Dr. Robert Puff, Newport Beach Psychologist   “What is peace of mind? And how do I know when I have it?” is a question I’m often asked. Unfortunately, words are insufficient to describe what peace of mind is. Thus using them will always wind up coming short of...

Life can be such a beautiful adventure — that is, if you give yourself permission to experience it. Many years ago, I went on vacation for a week at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. This resort offered sporting-type activities, which made it a unique experience for...

Fear is such a powerful emotion. It has the ability to keep us safe, but for many of us, it keeps us paralyzed, and keeps us living to our fullest extent. When our fears get out of control, we can shut down. They can paralyze us. But we’re here to live our lives well,...

Let’s take a moment to consider the words of one of America’s most prominent and esoteric philosophers, Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau is best known as a New England Transcendentalist when spent the years 1845-47 living on the outskirts of society in a small cabin in...

By Dr. Robert Puff I don't remember how young I was, but I do remember the first ballet I ever went to. It was called The Nutcracker, and it centered on celebrating Christmas with children. I remember sitting in the audience watching the ballerinas, and thinking that...

Did you happen to see the movie A Beautiful Mind? It was released in 2001 to great critical success, and it won four Academy Awards, including best picture. The main character of the film, played by Russell Crowe, is John Nash, a real-life mathematician who actually...

Imagine it’s your birthday, and your friends and family pool their money to get you the best gift you can imagine: tickets for fabulous seats to see your favorite musical act. You get to the venue, you find your place up front, and then you settle in to experience...

As human beings, we have a great capacity to be able to focus. Think about being at a party with people talking all around. You are able to block out the noise and focus on the conversation you’re having with the person in front of you. Or imagine a race car driver,...

Do you have a problem? Maybe it’s a large, vexing problem that causes you to suffer, or maybe it’s a smaller dilemma that nevertheless causes discomfort in your life. My guess is that something isn’t 100 percent the way that you would have it be, or if you’re...