My Specialities Include
- Narcissism: The word narcissism gets tossed around a lot in our selfie-obsessed, celebrity-driven culture, often to describe someone who seems excessively vain or full of themselves. But in psychological terms, narcissism doesn’t mean self-love—at least not of a genuine sort. It’s more accurate to say that people with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are in love with an idealized, grandiose image of themselves. And they’re in love with this inflated self-image precisely because it allows them to avoid deep feelings of insecurity. But propping up their delusions of grandeur takes a lot of work—and that’s where the dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors come in.
Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe people with NPD as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding. This way of thinking and behaving surfaces in every area of the narcissist’s life: from work & friendships to family &love relationships Read More
- 1st generation and 3rd culture kids don’t tend to identify with the country they’re living in or the country they’re from or the country their parents are from. You can probably imagine how this befuddling background might give rise to confusion. But before discussing the issues that TCKs face, I think it is crucial to look at their families, which are the filters through which kids are initially introduced to culture.
A major factor that determines how kids adapt to cultural challenges is their family relationships. A secure attachment provides an incredibly strong base for children. Therefore, the best gift we can give our children is not an iPad or strategies for dealing with cultural challenges. The best gift we can give our children is our empathic presence in their lives. Being present with our children, our calm attention, and our empathy will help them develop the inner resilience they need to cope with cultural challenges that TCKs face Read More
- What is the difference between expats and immigrants? It’s easy to just compare dictionary definitions of the two, but the way people use the two terms is indicative of the way immigration and the people undertaking it are perceived.
Have you ever wondered why some people who move to work in a different country are called expats while others are called immigrants? The labels can’t reflect distinct purposes behind the move, because both groups leave their previous stomping grounds to seek better conditions elsewhere. Beyond that, there are often underlying reasons that some people distinguish between the two (spoiler alert: in many cases, it’s xenophobia).
So, what is the difference between expats and immigrants, exactly and what problems do we face? Read More
- LGBTQ Arabs & Muslims: In the Arab-Muslim world, homosexuality is typically perceived as forbidden, or haram. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) rights are commonly seen as Western notions. In extreme cases, homosexual behavior is subject to corporal punishment or even the death penalty. These harsh punishments are based on Islamic legal theory and the writings of classical seventh century Islamic jurists in relation to sexual intercourse. The latter in fact developed a highly complex and sophisticated jurisprudence (fiqh) that interpreted the Qur’an and Sunna based on various hermeneutical tools. Hence, under Islamic law, zina, or the act of extramarital sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, constitutes a major offense. It is the first of the hadd crimes, which are the six most serious crimes specified in the Qur’an, considered to be crimes against God. Read More
