Elisheva LissMay 196 minRelationship Uncertainty*This originally appeared in the Five Towns Jewish Times State of Mind column* Dear Elisheva, I would imagine my problem is not unique,...
Elisheva LissApr 73 minShe Wasn't Feeling Pleasure*This post is an excerpt from my schmoozeletter email. Subscribe to it for free here: elishevaliss.com/newsletter * Once upon a time,...
Elisheva LissMar 143 min"Virtue Signaling" Re-examinedLately, there has been a specific kind of backlash on social media against social media about social media, where people take to social...
Elisheva LissSep 15, 20217 minMy Teen Discovered Pornography- What Should I Do??This originally appeared as a column in the Five Towns Jewish Times: Dear Elisheva, I honestly never thought I would be writing a letter...
Elisheva LissAug 15, 20213 minHey, Teachers- Your Students Have IssuesA local teacher once called me to talk about some frustrating feedback she had gotten at work. Apparently, a parent had called the...
Elisheva LissAug 8, 20214 minVacation AltercationsAtara and Azriel are trying to plan a vacation. For the first time since they had kids, they have a chance to get away just the two of...
Elisheva LissJul 23, 20213 minThis One Thing Can Change Everything There's something I've learned in the course of both my work and my spiritual studies has made a profound difference in the way I view...
Elisheva LissJun 4, 20214 minFighting about Whether to Have a BabyHow do you decide when to start a family? How many kids to have? When to stop having kids? Even if we knew exactly how many kids we hoped...
Elisheva LissMay 21, 20213 minAnti-semitism on the RiseThis post is adapted from my weekly schmoozeletter. When I was a kid, many of our religious teachers were first and second generation...
Elisheva LissMay 14, 20213 minPSA: You're Allowed to Break Up with your TherapistAs part of the intake process with new clients, one of the questions I always ask is: "Have you ever been to therapy before?" I like to...
Elisheva LissApr 28, 20216 minWives, Please Don't Surrender(This post is adapted from a special edition schmoozeletter.) Last week, I posted what seems to have been a polarizing opinion on social...
Elisheva LissApr 21, 20212 minWhy Saying: "Divorce is not an Option" Can Actually Hurt MarriagesWere you taught to believe that “divorce” is a curse word? That we don’t even say the “d” word? When I was a young, idealistic grad...
Elisheva LissApr 6, 20212 minSex Is NOT Supposed to Hurt!This will be a short, but I believe, very important post: One of the many awful results of inadequate, misinformed, or nonexistent sex...
Elisheva LissDec 31, 20204 minThe Covid Vaccine and Fearing the UnknownWhen I was a kid, there was this corny joke that made the rounds in our Jewish schools and camps. It went something like this: Joker: I...
Elisheva LissDec 22, 20203 min"I Wear my Issues on my Body"Ruth has been at war with her own body since middle school. She and her sisters reacted emotionally in different ways to the stress and...
Elisheva LissDec 9, 20205 minWhat's the Difference Between a Therapist and a Coach?Is it just me or does it feel like there are ads for coaching everywhere lately? Do you ever wonder what the difference is between...
Elisheva LissDec 6, 20203 minWhy Do Some People "Do Better" in Therapy Than Others? 7 Factors Satisfied Therapy Clients ShareHave you ever noticed that some people will swear that therapy totally changed their lives for the better, and others will say they’ve...
Elisheva LissNov 29, 20203 min"Am I Normal?"At the root of so many people’s questions, doubts, insecurities and fears, lies this niggling question: Am I normal? And it shows up in a...
Elisheva LissOct 16, 20205 minTwo Feelings: A Covid Perspective(This was originally published in the Five Towns Jewish Times) When my oldest was two years old, he attended a half day playgroup. One...
Elisheva LissSep 9, 20203 minCoping with Back to School Season OverwhelmIt’s September, and children everywhere are yanking out their uniforms, knapsacks, paperwork, and supplies, packing up lunches and...
Elisheva LissAug 16, 20204 minYour Body May Have Responded to the Abuse, BUT That Doesn’t Mean You Wanted ItTrigger warning: This post deals with sensitive topics relating to sexual abuse trauma. Ho-kay. This is not really my lane. I don’t treat...
Elisheva LissAug 11, 20204 minHow Do I Get My Partner to Come to Therapy?Do you want to work on your relationship in therapy, but have a partner who just doesn’t want to go? Well, you’re not alone. This is a...
Elisheva LissJul 29, 20202 minI Checked My Privilege. Here's What I Found:I found that I am, indeed, quite privileged. I was raised by two loving, wise, imperfect, but dedicated parents. I was taught the value...
Elisheva LissJul 3, 20204 min“I Used to Rape My Wife”Trigger warning: this may be difficult to read for survivors of trauma. Proceed with caution: Gittel and Shuey have been married for...
Elisheva LissJun 8, 20204 minPreparing to Re-Open a Post Trauma WorldWell- it seems like it's finally happening; after all these surreal days and weeks and months. But how do we prepare for a post-traumatic...
Elisheva LissJun 4, 20205 minWhat If You Cheated on Your Spouse?An Infidelity Dilemma The following story was shared with me by an acquaintance who: Is not a therapy client of mine Specifically asked...
Elisheva LissMay 21, 20204 minI Don't Want to Be StatisticWhat’s the deal with humans as numbers? In my years at college and grad school, I was a pretty good student, but I did fail one course:...
Elisheva LissMay 14, 20205 minAre You Starting To Lose ItAre you struggling to maintain your sense of equilibrium while trying to navigate all the new demands and realities of the COVID19...
Elisheva LissMar 23, 20201 minWhat to Teach Kids Right Now (And Always)What if we covered a little less math, and instead teach kids what really counts. Less social studies, and more social skills. Less...
Elisheva LissMar 22, 20203 minHow to Run Family MeetingsSo we find ourselves suddenly spending more time at home with our families than we ever have before. Trying to juggle parenting,...
Elisheva LissMar 20, 20203 minStruggling with "G-d" In Turbulent Times“These are the times that try men’s souls.” – Thomas Paine One of the many ripple effects of the current health crisis, is the challenge...
Elisheva LissMar 16, 20202 minThe Benefits of Virtual Therapy SessionsOne of the many ripple effects of the coronavirus is that at this time when people need more emotional support than usual, mental health...
Elisheva LissFeb 3, 20203 minTotally Grossed Out By Private PartsPlease Note: This post contains explicit content, is for mature readers only, and may be triggering for survivors of trauma. Fay and her...
Elisheva LissFeb 2, 20204 minThe Problem with Religious Sexuality EducationAs many of you know, one of the most important aspects of the work we do with couples and individuals, is treating the results and...
Elisheva LissDec 29, 20193 minCalling New Private Practice Therapists and HopefulsTherapists: This One’s For You… Are you a therapist who is hoping or trying to build a private practice? Therapists tend to be people who...
Elisheva LissDec 5, 20194 minWhy It's Important to Teach Kids Accurate Names of Body PartsTzivi came home from preschool and told her mom that her Morah had gotten upset at her that day. “Morah said I used a bad word. But I...
Elisheva LissOct 16, 20196 minMy Wife Hates Sex- What Should I Do?Really glad you asked. It’s very painful for a man with a healthy libido to be in a marriage where he feels undesired and constantly...
Elisheva LissAug 29, 20193 minHey Teachers Your Students Have IssuesA teacher in my neighborhood once called me to talk about some frustrating feedback she had gotten at work. Apparently, a parent had...
Elisheva LissMay 22, 20197 min"My High School Principal Nearly Destroyed Me"“My Principal Wouldn’t Let the Other Girls Talk to Me” A courageous letter from a girl who was deliberately ostracized, to the principal...
Elisheva LissMay 13, 20195 minFind Your Horizon Of Healthy Thinking: A Powerful Narrative Therapy TechniqueFind Your Horizon of Healthy Thinking: A Transformative Three-Step Therapy Method for Addressing Inner Negativity Based on the book with...
Elisheva LissMay 9, 20197 minIs Good Therapy Only For the Rich?An acquaintance recently asked me to recommend a suitable marriage counselor for her. I gave her the names of some trusted colleagues but...
Elisheva LissApr 15, 20194 minHang In There Young Mamas, It Gets Easier“Little kids, little problems, big kids, big problems. Just you wait!” warned the more experienced moms; their condescending tones...
Elisheva LissApr 2, 20199 minChoose A Career (Including My Own Story of How I Became a Therapistn some ways, choosing a career path can be more confusing and overwhelming than ever before in human history. There are more options and...
Elisheva LissOct 31, 20185 minHumbled and Slightly Caffeinated Reflections of a Newly-Minted WriterHi, folks. I’m going to deviate from my usual blogging style in today’s post. I generally open with a hypothetical or well-disguised...
Elisheva LissSep 27, 20186 minConfronting Happiness - AnxietyHave you ever found that happiness sometimes brings fear? That often when we find, receive, or achieve something good, it’s almost like:...
Elisheva LissAug 17, 20184 minEmbarrassing Confessions of An Almost AuthorYesterday, I was supposed to be correcting the formatting work for the manuscript of my first and upcoming book. But I got bored, and...
Elisheva LissJun 12, 20185 minThe Suicide Trend: When Great People Want to DieSuicide has been getting a lot of attention in the news lately, due to some high profile cases. Shortly before that, the second season of...
Elisheva LissApr 24, 20183 minDoes My Anxiety Mean I Lack Emunah?Tzivi is a deeply devout 24 year old mother and wife. She prays twice daily, while raising her toddler and baby, and working 30 hours a...
Elisheva LissDec 2, 20175 minWhy Are There So Many More Divorces Nowadays?It’s a magnificent summer night- 75 perfect degrees, and I’m on a delightful walk over a nearby bridge to the beach, with a dear friend...
Elisheva LissFeb 9, 20176 minAssessing Your RelationshipSelecting a spouse is possibly the most momentous decision that we humans make over the course of a lifetime. We are choosing our...