Psychologist, Author, Teacher of Mindfulness and Compassion

Short Essays and Blog Posts Featuring Dr. Susan Pollak


Caring for Trauma with Compassion
"For the past several months, nearly everyone I've seen in my clinical psychology practice has been talking about trauma. I've been studying and treating trauma since 1990, but this is unprecedented..."
Finding Peace with Work
"Stress, these days, seems to be inseparable from work. There’s a rapidly growing litany of desk-work-related maladies with catchy rhyming phrases such as 'online spine,' or 'tech neck,'..."
The Moldy Fridge of Shame
"I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with the details of daily life. The other day, I was tired and behind in nearly everything. It was time to make dinner..."
Mindfulness in Relationships
"The Love Prescription by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, two of the nation's leading experts on relationships, widened my professional horizons and expanded my understanding..."
Turning Toward the Relationships in our Lives: Small Moments, Many Times
"While we often think of practice as sitting alone, silently, it turns out our meditation skills are enormously helpful in relationships..."
Three Steps to Refresh from Tech Overwhelm
"Many of us now live a large portion of our lives online. From work or school, to talking with friends and family, we depend on our screens to keep us connected..."
Meditation for Zoom Fails
"A few months ago, I experienced a very public and humiliating Zoom crash. It was something out of a classic anxiety nightmare, only updated..."
Finding Compassion and Kindness During Tough Times
"As I reflect on the fighting in the Ukraine, as well as the political fighting, violence, and hatred within our country, the words of the poet Warsan Shire grab me..."
Finding Compassion and Kindness During Tough Times
"There’s an ancient Zen saying that I believe speaks to our current situation: The whole world is upside down. I think about this as I listen to the news of storms..."
Please Make It Stop!
"Please make it stop!" my client cried in frustration on the Zoom screen. "I’m so done. My family always told me that life never gives us more than we can handle..."
Ghosts
As I walk into the waiting room of the family clinic where I work, a tall woman with deep, dark circles under her eyes rises when I call her name. I’m struck by the words on her faded black T-shirt: It Ain't...
Wise Hope
Transitioning out of a post-covid world can bring up a lot of conflicting emotions. "How safe are we? Will the vaccine really work..." Follow the link to download the Ten Percent Happier app to listen to the talk...