Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

Most clinicians still underestimate the degree to which genetic factors shape personality traits and personality development. This is not controversial within behavioral genetics, but it remains surprisingly controversial in everyday clinical thinking. Twin and adoption studies converge on a striking conclusion. Roughly half or more of the variance in most personality traits is attributable to genetic factors (Vukasović & Bratko, 2015). When combined with non-shared environmental influences, that figure exceeds 90%. What is notably absent is a large role for the shared environment, including broad features of upbringing that many psychotherapeutic models implicitly treat as decisive (Krueger et al., 2008).…

Bennett Stirtz and reserves Alvaro Folgueiras and Brendan Hausen all scored 13 points to power Iowa to a 91-51 romp over Western Michigan on Sunday.Stirtz added six assists for the Hawkeyes (9-2), who are unbeaten in seven home games. Hausen shot 4 for 7 from 3-point range.Cam Manyawu and reserve Tate Sage scored 11 each for Iowa, which bounced back from a 66-62 road loss to No. 4 Iowa State last time out.Jalen Griffith and reserve Carson Vis each scored 11 to pace the Broncos (5-6), now 1-5 on the road. Jayden Brewer added 10 points.Manyawu had the final two…

The new weight-reduction drugs have revolutionized our approach to weight control. The drugs have many overlapping actions in the brain and body, however, in general they all mimic the actions of natural gut hormones. The drugs have many biochemical benefits, such as reducing the risk of insulin resistance and promoting fat breakdown. However, the drugs are effective primarily because they reduce feelings of hunger while increasing feelings of fullness. Essentially, we simply don’t feel like eating. That’s all. People consume fewer calories and they lose weight. Lots of weight. This week, one company reported that their new GLP-1 drug produced…

A better life means different things to different people. For one person, a better life might mean better relationships, better emotional well-being, or better physical health. For another, the same idea may instead conjure a desire for better finances or a better work-life balance. Despite these different visions, however, there is a unifying quality about a better life that most of us share: we all want one. Let’s talk about two specific strategies for helping you achieve a better life. These two strategies are 1) more motivation and 2) less friction. Although the first of these strategies receives the lion’s…

‘Tis the season for joy and family togetherness, but for high school seniors, it is also the season to sweat over college applications. While the family is gorging on cookies during another viewing of Die Hard, the compromise Christmas movie, the teens are counting their extracurriculars and polishing their personal essays, aiming for that reach school on their list. And they receive a lot of help, typically, from their school counselors, older siblings, and you, their parents. But often neglected is an essential question: Are they emotionally and socially ready to leave home? As they make this life-changing decision, here…

The holidays are quickly approaching, and although they are full of excitement, there is also a lot of family time and less structured time for children and teens. As a child and teen therapist, I see families navigating meltdowns, sibling conflict, and unexpected tears, even over December. Parents asking me, “Why does my teen act out all of the time?” or “Why does my 5-year-old have big meltdowns?” has led me to explore more about what is going on in the brain at every age of development. I recently finished a TikTok series, where I uploaded videos for brain-based knowledge…

There is an ever-growing multidisciplinary interest in the nature of human-animal relationships.1 When I first learned about Professor Laurent Bègue-Shankland’s new award-winning book, The Social Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond, and read the glowing accolades, I couldn’t wait to read it. Now that I have, I agree that this book is truly important. As he writes, “This book shows how much our relations with animals—from attachment to abuse—reveal our identity and our relations with others.” Marc Bekoff: Why did you write The Social Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond? Laurent Bègue-Shankland: My aim was to create a broad overview of our…

The No. 5 UConn Huskies finished their non-conference slate with a 71-63 win over Texas in Friday night’s game on FOX.The Huskies added another quality win to their resume, while the Longhorns lost their second contest in the last three. Forward Alex Karaban led the Huskies with 18 points, giving the redshirt senior his fourth game this season of 18-plus points, while center Tarris Reed Jr. returned from a two-game absence and contributed across the board.Here are four takeaways from UConn’s sixth-straight win: 1. Tarris Reed Jr. is the Huskies’ MVPReed did it all for UConn on Friday, fulfilling the duties…

It was a holiday. Outside, children spilled into yards and streets, running with sparklers, calling to each other, their laughter cutting through the warm air. Families gathered on porches. Everyone was celebrating. My son was not outside. He lay in bed, in a darkened room, unable to tolerate the noise, the light, the movement of his own body. The celebration happening just beyond our walls might as well have been on another planet. So often, over the years since my children developed neuroimmune conditions, I felt hollow. There was a hole inside me that nothing could fill. I tried everything:…

Another year has come to an end, and another batch of horror movies has been added to the Letterboxd archive. It seems like just yesterday we were disappointed by The Wolf Man but inspired by Sinners.  Rinse and repeat, as 2026 already looks like a bumper crop of horror movies that will make our “most anticipated” lists (there’s always one on their that disappoints). Another Evil Dead? Yes, please. A Silent Hill reboot? We’ll take it. Ghostface returning to Woodsboro? What took them so long? Below is a list of notable 2026 horror movie releases, along with their trailers if…