I was saddened to learn this week that a patient under my care had died. A man in his 50s who worked hard on his feet all day in the food service industry, he was afraid of losing his job if he came to the doctor. He missed countless appointments. The last time I saw him, he had been having chest...

This boy is a little warrior, but no one will acknowledge and respect who he is. Instead they want him to fit this mythical stereotype of the ethical, reasonable, self-controlled child. When he doesn’t fit this fantasy we decide he must be one of the psychologically disordered millions who require medication.

When my daughter, Leah, was about five years old, a family friend gave her a doll as a birthday present. It was a gift that would lead to one of the worst arguments I ever had with my little girl. The doll was black, but it had long, straight hair. I did not want my daughter spending hours combing—...

My grandmother is the original badass. I can’t even imagine holding a candle to her or the unapologetic, full throttle life she’s led. I don’t remember the first meeting with my grandmother, Miss Adele, when I was still in swaddling clothes. She told me some years later, that she knew that I needed...