Category: Body-Mind Psychotherapy
The Good Therapy Blog
January 11th, 2012 |
We all, at one time or another, use food for soothing. Eating is a pleasurable experience. The problem lies in using food for comfort rather than dealing with our emotions because food only provides a temporary escape only to have emotions resurface again and again. For may people, they are taught from a young age that emotions are not meant to be expressed, but just dealt with on their own and to move on with a brave face. This is, in most cases, not done in malice, but for the sheer fact that we are uncomfortable with emotion. We are uncomfortable with our own emotions and certainly more uncomfortable... Read More
December 26th, 2011 |
How often have you made a New Year’s resolution only to have it fail by February? You are definitely not alone. The concept of a New Year’s resolution sets you up to fail. Consider this: between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s, we are bombarded with food, food, food, drink, excessive spending and stress. Resolving to make change after six weeks of this madness would set anyone up for failure. It is the Fat Tuesday before Lent. We load ourselves up with unhealthy behaviors in preparation for the ultimate sacrifice. We then tell ourselves that our lives will be different next... Read More
June 17th, 2011 |
Developing Resilience and Groundedness with Mindfulness
If you've seen Kung Fu Panda, you know how important the belly center can be in resolving disputes (Skadoosh!). In the last article I went through in detail how the brain and heart centers are involved in the shift from the Punishment Model of discipline. This shift away from punishment involves the application of Positive Discipline and Mindfulness to our relationships. The belly center... Read More
May 25th, 2011 |
So often, people talk about the struggles they experience, and how they’ve grown from the pain in their lives. It’s true, but the sentiment is often that it takes pain to grow. What’s not often discussed is how human beings grow from joy, from being in connection; that is, how we heal and grow stronger from the joyous moments in our lives.
These moments might be in the form of comfort: the savoring of a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cool night, or the texture of flannel sheets, sharing a smile with a stranger on the street. Or, it might be in the form of connection: laughing with friends,... Read More
May 13th, 2011 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Nearly one third of people in the United States are using some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to new research. Mind-body therapies represented the largest increase in the use of CAM in the last several years. This type of therapy includes methods such as breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. In a recent article,... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Berkeley Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 12th, 2011 |
A new study suggests that mind/body therapy can increase the chance of pregnancy in in vitro fertilization treatment. The Mind/Body Program for Infertility at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was designed as a 10-week program that would allow participants to learn stress reducing techniques through "cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation training, negative health behavior... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Los Angeles Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 9th, 2011 |
We see a number of clients in our practice who struggle with feelings of anxiety. Working with mental and emotional responses to stress is helpful for these clients. We also take time to learn about where the person feels his/her anxiety in the body. Some common physical manifestations of anxiety include:
-Rapid heartbeat
-Tense muscles
-Stomach “in knots”
-Shallow breathing
-Clenched jaw
When under stress, our bodies may enter what we call “fight or flight” response. In other words, our nerve cells begin firing, stress hormones are triggered, and our primitive response patterns... Read More
March 8th, 2011 |
In addition to being a psychotherapist, I am a certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner and a yoga instructor. I’ve long been interested not only in movement but in the role of body-oriented techniques in the process of psychological healing.
This began when I was in my late twenties, long before I ever knew that I would someday become a psychotherapist. I started taking stretch and yoga classes at a fitness center where I took aerobics, and discovered that I was beginning to experience my body from the inside, rather than looking at it (and judging it) from the outside. I was forging... Read More
February 12th, 2011 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Therapists and counselors talk often of the connections between physical and mental health. Medical practitioners are starting to come on board, and plenty of ancient practices (e.g. yoga, T’ai Chi, meditation, etc.) bridge that gap by their very nature. When we talk about the connections between mind and body, it’s easy to say, “Of course, that makes sense. Your mood affects how you feel physically, and your body’s health affects your mood.” But too often, we stop short of really putting that knowledge to work in our daily lives. It’s easy to compartmentalize:... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Pleasant Hill Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
February 1st, 2011 |
What do you do when you’re feeling anxious, depressed or stressed out? How do you treat yourself? Are you able to be compassionate towards your own emotional pain or do you engage in self criticism, judgment or blame?
For most of us, our initial reaction to pain is to look around for someone to blame, blame ourselves or ignore our suffering. As humans we avoid pain and seek pleasure. We either avoid pain by getting distracted: taking drugs, drinking, gambling, become workaholics, surf the internet, etc. Or we go to the other extreme, reacting towards the world and ourselves through judgment,... Read More
January 31st, 2011 |
Mindfulness-Based Therapy is an approach in which the principles of mindfulness are applied for therapeutic purposes. What does it practically mean? In my article “Mindfulness and Knowledge", I pointed out to the 5 basic elements of mindfulness:
1. Pause.
2. Bring awareness in - body, sensations, feelings, thoughts
3. Connect with the breath.
4. Be in the present moment.
5. Adopt a non-judgmental approach – applying compassion.
While working with clients I developed recognition of two main components that emerge... Read More
December 28th, 2010 |
We all do it, assess where we are each year and vow to improve in the coming one. Many of us are probably having the conversation with ourselves right now. We might even be thinking about how to improve our relationships, and maybe we are thinking of how we can be a better partner to our mate. Whatever you may be considering, let’s look at the changes differently this year. Why not make 2011 your breakout year, and your best yet?
I’m talking about making... Read More
December 20th, 2010 |
The holiday season means hearing songs with lyrics like "It's the most wonderful time of the year" and "Joy to the world." To people who struggle with memories of abusive relationships, this time of year can be far from wonderful or joyful. The holidays can trigger unhappy memories, even traumatic experiences. Instead of experiencing family togetherness, there's loneliness, anxiety and depression. If you are one of those people whose heart aches from abusive relationships, here are some suggestions to help yourself during the holiday season.
Take control of how you want to spend the holidays.... Read More
November 30th, 2010 |
So far this series has explored how the body-mind reacts to situations in early life where there is stress from external tension or inconsistent care. But what happens when care is forthcoming to the point where a growing child feels stifled? Let’s conjure up a scenario to explore this.
Imagine a child who is oohed and ahh-ed over. This is a good thing right? Right, but the saying “everything in moderation” has merit even here. When a baby is fondled and oohed and ahh-ed over, it is meant as encouragement and an exchange of joy- this is essential for healthy development. But for... Read More
