Verified by Psychology Today

Rich Encounters

From the brain and memory to medical miracles and more.

Aging
Retirement Blues

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on April 26, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness during our career years can help counter the trepidation and emotional turmoil felt by many at the time of their retirement.

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness during our career years can help counter the trepidation and emotional turmoil felt by many at the time of their retirement.

Career
The Impact of Retirement on Families

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on April 3, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness behaviors throughout our working lives may lessen the emotional challenges of retirement.

A Personal Perspective: Focusing on wellness behaviors throughout our working lives may lessen the emotional challenges of retirement.

Career
A Surgeon Puts Down the Scalpel

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on March 25, 2024

Personal Perspective: The joy of retirement can be challenged by many unanticipated stressors. Building resilience in midlife better prepares us for this period of transition.

Personal Perspective: The joy of retirement can be challenged by many unanticipated stressors. Building resilience in midlife better prepares us for this period of transition.

Artificial Intelligence
Alexa, I'm Not Feeling Well

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on January 5, 2024

Personal Perspective: What role will there be for humans in healthcare once artificial intelligence is able to routinely outperform medical professionals?

Personal Perspective: What role will there be for humans in healthcare once artificial intelligence is able to routinely outperform medical professionals?

Self-Talk
Is Your Inner Voice a Voice?

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on December 19, 2023

Personal Perspective: Do you have an inner voice? Do you realize your spouse or your best friend may not? What are the implications of this?

Personal Perspective: Do you have an inner voice? Do you realize your spouse or your best friend may not? What are the implications of this?

Parenting
7 Ways to Burn Out Your Kids

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on November 2, 2023

Personal Perspective: We have thrust kids into a universe where they are expected to hyper-achieve in every component of their lives.

Personal Perspective: We have thrust kids into a universe where they are expected to hyper-achieve in every component of their lives.

Career
An Imbalanced Balance

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on September 28, 2023

Too many of us gauge our balance in life by our time spent in its various components. Here's a different way.

Too many of us gauge our balance in life by our time spent in its various components. Here's a different way.

Burnout
A Lesson on Burnout From My Son

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on September 5, 2023

A Personal Perspective: A heart-rending interaction with my son taught me a life lesson on the importance of mindful engagement.

A Personal Perspective: A heart-rending interaction with my son taught me a life lesson on the importance of mindful engagement.

Leadership
We Use "Specialized” Language Too Much

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 28, 2023

Personal Perspective: For best results when addressing a single counterpart or a vast audience, practice using simple, plain, non-specialty-specific language.

Personal Perspective: For best results when addressing a single counterpart or a vast audience, practice using simple, plain, non-specialty-specific language.

Empathy
"But He Was Drunk": Judging Our Patients

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 8, 2023

A Personal Perspective: We in health care often make judgments about our patients, their behaviors, their worthiness. We are not alone. We all could use some work on our empathy.

A Personal Perspective: We in health care often make judgments about our patients, their behaviors, their worthiness. We are not alone. We all could use some work on our empathy.

Burnout
The Inherent Challenge of Caring for the Elderly

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on August 1, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Studying the life of one specific patient helped me understand strategies for minimizing burnout and bolstering resilience in the care of the elderly.

A Personal Perspective: Studying the life of one specific patient helped me understand strategies for minimizing burnout and bolstering resilience in the care of the elderly.

Grief
I'm Sorry for Your Loss

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on July 21, 2023

A Personal Perspective: With the disappearance of bereavement rituals, we need to be more direct in acknowledging and tending to the grief of those suffering a loss.

A Personal Perspective: With the disappearance of bereavement rituals, we need to be more direct in acknowledging and tending to the grief of those suffering a loss.

Body Language
Peering Under the Mask

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on July 10, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Have we lost some of our drive and ability to read each other's expressions and other non-verbal cues as we interact?

A Personal Perspective: Have we lost some of our drive and ability to read each other's expressions and other non-verbal cues as we interact?

Burnout
Burning Out Doctors Before They Reach Medical School

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on June 23, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Medical careers are burnout fodder enough, but now we are subjecting pre-med students to poorly-defined and excessive extracurricular expectations.

A Personal Perspective: Medical careers are burnout fodder enough, but now we are subjecting pre-med students to poorly-defined and excessive extracurricular expectations.

Burnout
How Much of Burnout Is Self-Inflicted?

Gary R Simonds MD MS FAANS on June 16, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Restoring the balance. So many of the stressors leading to burnout feel imposed upon us. But what are the ones that we can control and improve upon?

A Personal Perspective: Restoring the balance. So many of the stressors leading to burnout feel imposed upon us. But what are the ones that we can control and improve upon?