Biofeedback for Treatment of Migraines and Stress
Migraines are a type of serious headache disorder that affects women twice as often as men. Migraine headaches are characterized by pain that is typically on one side of the head and accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and sound. In about a third of people, migraines are preceded by an “aura.” An aura is an abnormal sensory experience that can present as flashing lights, numbness or tingling in the face or extremities, a disturbed sense of smell, or having difficulty speaking. Some people with migraines describe having a “funny feeling” that signals their... Read More
Let’s talk about what it’s like to start therapy. Starting anything new is scary, and therapy even more so. How do you know who you can you trust?
A personal recommendation is always best; otherwise look for someone who is located in a convenient place and ask to meet so you can get to know each other. Different approaches abound, and that can be confusing, but what matters most is your gut feeling when you meet the therapist. Is this someone who feels right to you? Chemistry is important, for both the therapist and the person looking for guidance. I usually know sometime during the first... 
“This is a healing. I haven’t allowed myself to heal. I didn’t understand it. I mean I heard what people said when they said this, but I didn’t understand it - until now.”
- Independent filmmaker
At significant moments in sessions, we pay attention to the nuances of our client’s experiential process as it is conveyed through their verbal and nonverbal communication; and we rely on our own experiential process for our vital clinical intuition. We listen through these levels to grasp what our client is experiencing. It is inconceivable to consider the practice of psychotherapy without... 
Violence is a major concern among those who are responsible for the care of mentally ill prisoners. People with mental problems are more prone to violence than healthy individuals, especially people who have significant psychological impairment. Programs that target 
Forgiveness is a significant part of my work with families and couples. Individuals have a difficult time forgiving themselves for behaviors they legitimately have ownership of and for events they had little control over. Forgiving other family members for behaviors can be equally difficult, particularly when fidelity or addiction become the principles at play. There are natural tools that therapists should consider in helping families and couples get through matters that can be deal breakers. These supports should be incorporated as much as possible in the work. Usually, I exhaust these avenues... 
Some time ago, I wrote about the spirit of a play therapist—the idea that each of us brings something unique and extraordinary to the play therapy room that is a blend of our own way of being in the world along with the evolving style of play that naturally fits us. As I contemplated this further, I found myself even more in tune with not only the play therapist spirit, but the play therapist heart. I particularly found this while observing my wonderful play therapy colleagues, noticing that there is something quite extraordinary about their hearts, the kind of dedication to children that is... 
A perception of artists as eccentric, different, and living on the social periphery seems to precede this group outside of therapy and, likely, within the context of treatment as well. There seems to be an unspoken premise that ingenuity is motivated by pain or pathology, or at least some might argue there is a sort of affiliation. Some might assume that this relationship is causal: that trauma causes creativity and thus most artists are contending with some type of affliction. An alternative possibility may be that art is not necessarily motivated by pain; rather the capacity for creative inspiration... 
Perhaps you are troubled by periodic depression or “feeling down.” You’ve experienced first-hand the lack of energy, the feelings of inertia, guilt, and sadness, the disturbances of sleep, appetite, and sexual drive, the sense of longing for the meaning and purpose you once felt life held for you. You’ve tried to snap out of it, but it’s not that easy. And the worst thing about it may be that it seems as though it will last forever. Maybe your highs and lows are a bit more than just normal ups and downs. Your feelings of mild euphoria and expansiveness are exhilarating, but eventually... 
One form of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) is acute phase 
Are you moving through the day on autopilot? Do you sometimes feel as if life is passing you by? Do you find yourself reacting to situations, events, and people with anger and frustration? If you responded yes to any of these questions you’re not alone.
Many of us will face challenging situations in our lives that make us want to retreat from life or lash out at the world. Some of these situations will be life changing, and some of it will be the small stuff.
I actually experienced living on autopilot last week as I was driving to the office. I was coasting along, following my normal route... 
“I have tried everything and cannot lose weight!” How often have you heard this from clients or patients? How often are they contemplating extreme diets or surgery as the last ditch effort? Upon further inspection, how long have they tried to make changes before giving up? A week? A month?
The more restrictive the diet, the faster people quit. Dieting in our society has become a four-letter word. People treat diets like they are being sent to prison. It seems like this is for good reason. Looking at 99% of the diets available, they are full of restrictions. No flour, no sugar, no fat, no... 
Last month a couple of my readers expressed an interest in my take on the fear of change and in guidelines for dealing with it. So that’s the topic for this month’s article.
I thought a lot about change and our reasons for fearing it. There’s a great deal of literature out there on the subject from diverse points of view, ranging from a spiritual perspective to a business perspective of wanting to help employees deal with changes to the status quo.
Since I’m by no means an expert in all of these different perspectives but have been through a few changes of my own in the course of... 
There are many treatments available to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, clients sometimes avoid treatments that cause them to re-experience the traumatic events that brought them to therapy. Fear, 
Highly stressful workplace environments can negatively impact employees, both physically and emotionally. Workplace stress has been linked to elevated blood pressure, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, fatigue, and low productivity. Psychologically, being overly 
