Dr. Barek Sharif Dr. Barek Sharif

We Are Box People

“Black and white thinking” or as I like to refer to it “polarized thinking” is an all too common phenomenon. Most importantly, people seem to have difficulty with recognizing how their polarized thinking shows up in their lives. One of the frequent manifestations of this are statements like “always” and “never.”
Especially when working with couples I often here it used in the form of, “you never…” or “you always…”

Read More
Dr. Barek Sharif Dr. Barek Sharif

Diversifying Your Emotional Portfolio

If you’ve ever spoken with a financial advisor or have taken a course in finance/investment, a common talking point is diversifying your portfolio (oftentimes in the form of mutual funds). This approach decreases risk. As the saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Why would we not do the same with our emotions, environments, relationships, support, self-care, etc.?

Read More