Awakening to the Culture of Cognitive Dissonance
One of my critical parenting moments happened on an August evening years ago as I was putting my five year-old daughter to sleep. We were lying in bed together under the cool air from the ceiling fan—me silently begging her to relinquish herself to sleep and her holding on to the day and wanting to process her deepest thoughts in this precious, quiet time in the dark—when she asked, “Mommy, is Santa Claus for real?” Now, I’m a psychotherapist accustomed to dealing with all sorts of unexpected stories, and I was well prepared for any number of parenting dilemmas, but I was…
Healing During Flu and Cold Season With Nature’s Powerful Ingredients
As we transition from summer into the fall and winter seasons, flu and cold outbreaks are to be expected. But what can you do to prevent or reduce the symptoms of these common illnesses? Traditionally, herbal remedies have been used as immune boosting preventatives without interfering and altering your body’s natural immune system. Such remedies are still used…
Thimerosal Monkey Study Fuels Media Smugfest Despite Unanswered Questions
Newsweek magazine published a lengthy article on October 2, 2015 titled “Anti-Vaxxers Accidentally Fund a Study Showing No Link Between Autism and Vaccines,” written by Jessica Firger. It’s about a study funded by SafeMinds, a 501(c)3 non-profit “grassroots organization comprised of parents, self-advocates, scientists, clinicians, government relations specialists…
No Medical Exemption for You
When vaccine risks turn out to be 100% for you or your child, you are expected to quietly accept that you are “unavoidable collateral damage” in the war on microorganisms. This cruel utilitarian rationale, also known as “the ends justify the means,” has been used by public health officials and medical trade groups to narrow the medical vaccine exemption, so that, today, almost no medical condition qualifies as an official reason for a doctor to grant someone a medical exemption to vaccination. At the same time, there are no good biological mechanism studies or large clinical trials validating the…
Eye On the Flu Shot
Honduran Coups, Vaccines…
For many years when I would travel to Honduras, I would ask my friends and relatives why things were the way they were in that country (I was born there but emigrated with my parents to the United States when I was 4 or 5 years old). It seemed that no matter what Honduran governments did, the country was never able to pull itself out of its misery of extreme poverty…