Welcome, and thank you for your interest. I’m Dr. Nancy Irwin. As a doctor of psychology and a therapeutic hypnotist, I know for a FACT that we are all born to win. We LEARN to fail; and whatever we learn, we can un-learn. Therefore, it is my honor to dissolve that negative programming and free your inner winner.
I treat over 100 issues including fears, smoking, anxiety, insomnia, phobias, weight control, and it is my mission to heal the sexually abused.
I recently published a nonfiction on midlife crisis: You-Turn: Changing Direction in Midlife (Amazon.com) www.makeayou-turn.com
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Reality maven Kim Kardashian took to her Twitter to post an au natural self-portrait of herself in the bathroom this week: no makeup, no designer dresses, no Burkin bags, no six-inch platform pumps.
So was Kardashian, who has some 13.5 million Twitter followers and is considered the holy grail to many tween and teen girls, promoting positive body image with her anti-glamour snapshot? Or is she doing the reverse?
“This is quite irresponsible for someone in her position. She is tacitly encouraging girls to use their body parts to get attention,” Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Nancy Irwin told FOX411’s Pop Tarts. “She is in a great position to model a healthy boundary between her private and public life. She is blurring those lines and sadly potentially encouraging young girls to bare their body. When someone feels the need to post pictures of herself in her underwear, it is generally out of an excessive need for sexual attention.”
“People are disturbed not by the events that happen to them, but by their view of these events.”
Epictetus, 55-135 A.D.
I just love the Ancient Greek philosophers, particularly the Stoics. Stoa is Greek for “porch,” which is where those great minds sat when they congregated to philosophize. The Stoics were calm, unflappable, making nothing more or less of any reality they dealt with. And Epictetus was born a slave, so he knew harsh reality. They believed that all suffering arises from attempting to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting to control that which we can. They also believed that human beings have a duty to care for one another, and that by doing so, one can achieve happiness and peace of mind.
Bottom line: It’s a drama-free life.
The Cynics, on the other hand, seemed to thrive on drama. Cyn is Greek for “dog,” and these philosophers veritably barked at those who disagreed with or displeased them. Obviously, this is where we get our English word for cynical. Cynics generally thrive on negativity.
Imagine, if you will, the Stoics perched (stoically, of course) on their porch, stroking heir beards, cool as cucumbers, while the Cynics chased one another around the yard barking ferociously, carping, negative, disturbing the peace.
We have a choice of how we want to move through life, moment by moment, day by day. Calmly watching life unfold in front of you, or constantly running around and raging? Living in acceptance or ranting endlessly?
Whitney Houston’s family made it clear her ex-husband Bobby Brown isn’t wanted at her funeral in New Jersey on Saturday, and shouldn’t attempt to attend, according to multiple reports. It looks like Brown got the message, as he’s slated to perform with New Edition at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut at 8pm on Saturday.
Some grief experts say it could be the right move.
“By performing the night of the funeral, he may be dealing with his grief,” said L.A psychologist, Dr. Nancy Irwin. “Again, maybe [their daughter] Bobbi Kristina prefers the comfort of others (her grandparents, aunts etc.) and maybe she blames her father for getting Whitney hooked in the first place. We do not know.”
Brown,18, was reportedly involved in a hauntingly similar bathtub scenario the day before her mom was found dead underwater. Security at the Beverly Hilton Hotel was called to Brown’s room, which was booked under her mother’s name, and on the same floor as Houston’s room. They were forced to unlock the bathroom door when Brown wouldn’t answer. According to TMZ, Brown was found asleep in her bathtub.
Then after her mom’s death, Brown was taken to Cedars Sinai hospital not once, but twice. She was first brought in mere hours after her mother’s death to be treated for stress and anxiety, according to TMZ. Then on Sunday she was removed from the Beverly Hilton on a stretcher for the same reasons before being released later that day.
“I fervently hope that … Whitney’s daughter, will get intervention immediately in the form of grief therapy. Even though she was certainly fully aware of her mother’s addiction issues, it was potentially still quite a shock to her. None of us are ever prepared enough to lose a parent, even when it is expected,” said Los Angeles-based psychologist, Dr. Nancy Irwin. “What might best help her now is a therapist who specializes in grief as well as addictions, so that Bobbi does not try to numb out her pain through any substances. Fortunately, she does have the resources to get the best help available, and I hope her family members who maybe thinking more clearly than she right now will get her the help she needs. Hopefully, the hospital that treated her for anxiety/panic attacks this weekend will refer her to some excellent sources.”
I have gotten really acquainted with Mike Montgomery, over at WBGZ Alton, IL.
I hope everyone had a nice love filled day. I think a great way to get a Valentine’s day spirit started, if you are in a relationship, here’s a great day to make a list, check it twice, and start focusing on what’s right about your partner. What made you start choose this person, why would choose them again? Some people might be thinking,”what was I thinking”? Well, that would be a great Valentine’s gift to give yourself. Maybe you’re not in the right relationship. That’s not the end of the world, but smart people take note of that and just start thinking about what they can learn from this. Instead of saying, “oh my gosh”, “I’ve done it again”, I’m such a loser”, “I keep dong this”. It’s OK; some of us have to have a pattern before we can wake up and make a more correct or more appropriate choice. So, take this day to focus on if your relationship is really fulfilling for you. And if you are single and you’re not in a relationship, here’s a great time to think about who have you dated over the past year, what your experiences were like, and are you really doing a good job about breaking your old unhealthy patterns and being better about choosing more appropriate new partners. Get really clear about the vision of the kind of mate you would like to attract.
My second college appearance this month was with Chuck Mraz of Morehead State University in Kentucky. I had the opportunity to discuss my book on their Front Page radio show.
Front Page, a half-hour talk show at 9 a.m. on Morehead State Public Radio. You will have the chance to participate in their discussions on politics, public affairs, the arts….the issues that are front and center in the mountain region. You can pick up a copy of Front Page at 9AM or catch the rebroadcast at 4PM each weekday.
Many people feel like they’ve gotten into a channel in their lives and this is their path and this is where they have to stay, but my book is all about telling people that it is not necessarily your channel; you can always change ways, even later in life. The world is changing so fast right now with technology, careers that a lot of students are choosing in their college years now my not exist in ten or fifteen years. That may sound kind of depressing, but actually the opposite can be true, because when one bulk of careers go down the tube, others replace them. Charles Darwin said “the only way to change is to keep changing”. This is the most adaptable thing about our species. It’s not the most intelligent people that survive, but the ones who can adapt to change.
So, are you ready to change directions? You can decide at anytime, but mid-life does seem to be a common time when we think about life, death, or doing what we’re doing in this time on earth and how we’roing it all. I say go ahead and make that YOU-TURN.
I had the grand opportunity to chat with Shelley Irwin on Grand Valley State University’s Morning Show. Shelley Irwin joined the WGVU family in December 2001. In 2008, Shelley received her fifth consecutive Gracie Allen Award from American Women in TV and Radio for excellence as a program host.
Join Shelley Irwin every Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 11:00 am on your Public Radio station, WGVU: FM 88.5 and 95 or streaming live.
To listen to my interview with Shelley, click play on the video below and begin to make a healthy change for yourself!
I always appreciate the opportunity to comment in big publications such as The New York Times. Sometimes, I am able to reach a larger audience, which is always great, seeing that I aim to empower as many people as possible.
In light of Valentine’s Day, I recently provided commentary on an article titled “Love You! Now, the Difficult Stuff …” NY Times writer, Eric V. Copage, gathered a range of experts to provide insight on how couples should communicate and ask questions in preparation for marriage. Interesting comments were provided by Arielle Ford, Diana Kirshner, Rachel A Sussman and others.
“AS Valentine’s Day nears — always prime time for engagements — marriage experts advise asking some unromantic questions after posing the big romantic one.
Surprisingly few newly engaged couples seem to have these frank discussions, some of which can serve to avoid painful misunderstandings later on.”
I wrote, “Some partners will shut down when uncomfortable questions are asked, yet others “are happy to be open books. If your partner wants some privacy — as opposed to secrecy — you might want to honor that.”
This past Tuesday, I appeared on Wellness For The Real World with Dr. Veronica Anderson. It is always a pleasure to appear on this show, which boasts a weekly listenership of 26 million worldwide, with 7 million of those listeners representing the United States. Dr. Veronica and I, along with other guests during the show, discussed ways of losing weight by having the right mentality.
Sure, we’ve all done the diets, the exercise fads. But the secret to weight loss (or most anything) is finding and maintaining the right mindset — then all the details seem to take care of themselves.
In a recent commentary in The Star Ledger, I gave insight into how considering the gender of a job interviewer, and adapting your communication style to that of the gender, may help you secure that position you are applying for.
A female candidate recently was offered the opportunity to interview for a job with a large financial institution. She knew that she was going to be interviewed by two individuals, one a man and the other a woman. Her job coach suggested that she approach the male and the female differently, which she did.
When she interviewed with the male she used words like “productivity,” “ROI,” “effectiveness,” “efficiency” and “bottom line.” She focused on keeping her answers short and to the point. She sought to be “friendly but strong.” When she interviewed with the woman, however, she used words such as “team,” “helping” and “contributing.” When asked about her successes she gave examples of how she had helped her team to succeed, and how she mentored others in the department who needed help. She felt that she had effectively connected with both interviewers and that the adaptation of her communication style to reflect the interviewer’s gender made a “big difference.” The result, she received a job offer. The coach who advised her to adjust her communication style based on the gender of the interviewer was Frank De Raffele, co-author of the just released book, “Business Networking and Sex: It’s Not What You Think!” (McGraw Hill/ Entrepreneur Press 2012)
According to De Raffele, although “HR professionals are trained to be objective, and they generally are, if you can get them to identify with you on a deeper level, it can make the difference in getting offered the job or not.” This connection, he notes, does not necessarily happen at a conscious level. The interviewer may not know why he or she feels a strong connection with you. It can result not so much from the substance of what you say, but rather from “your communication style and showing respect for their point of view.”
To read the full article, including my commentary, visit The Star Ledger.
Fox News Commentary: Kim Kardashian’s Bra Tweet
Check out the latest with the Kardashians.
Reality maven Kim Kardashian took to her Twitter to post an au natural self-portrait of herself in the bathroom this week: no makeup, no designer dresses, no Burkin bags, no six-inch platform pumps.
Just her sports bra and sweats.
So was Kardashian, who has some 13.5 million Twitter followers and is considered the holy grail to many tween and teen girls, promoting positive body image with her anti-glamour snapshot? Or is she doing the reverse?
“This is quite irresponsible for someone in her position. She is tacitly encouraging girls to use their body parts to get attention,” Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Nancy Irwin told FOX411’s Pop Tarts. “She is in a great position to model a healthy boundary between her private and public life. She is blurring those lines and sadly potentially encouraging young girls to bare their body. When someone feels the need to post pictures of herself in her underwear, it is generally out of an excessive need for sexual attention.”
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