http://www.goodtherapy.org/the-human-being-of-therapy-article.html Latest articles Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:45:14 GMT en-us http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-cant-be-cured-0209124/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-cant-be-cured-0209124/ Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:55:54 GMT Depression doesn?t go away for everyone. For most people, depression is temporary and passes naturally or passes once the person has expressed the feelings and resolved the thoughts causing the depression. But there are a small percentage of people who can talk about their issues, express their feelings, take very good care of themselves emotionally, even take medication and have a great life and still be depressed throughout their entire lives. They may have periods of feeling good, periods of feeling less bad, and periods of feeling horrible, but the depression never goes away permanently. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/discrimination-harmful-psychological-effects-0208121/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/discrimination-harmful-psychological-effects-0208121/ Wed, 8 Feb 2012 16:58:40 GMT People who are discriminated against can suffer significant negative consequences. General well-being, self-esteem, self-worth, and social relations can be severely impacted as a result of discrimination. But recognizing exactly how perceived discrimination affects an individual is much less understood. Previous research has suggested that perceived discrimination can lead to mental health problems such as increased stress, depression, and anxiety. In an effort to better comprehend the exact relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological health, Que-Lam Huynh of the Department of Psychology at California State University recently led a study that examined the effects of this type of prejudice on Latin American participants. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-have-i-done-for-me-0206124/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-have-i-done-for-me-0206124/ Mon, 6 Feb 2012 18:28:46 GMT All too often, women and some men  (in my experience, mostly women) experience the fatigue of ?having it all.? More and more women, by choice or necessity, work a full-time job in addition to family and home responsibilities, leaving little, if any, time for them. Likewise, many of us in the helping professions struggle or have struggled with the balance of giving so much emotionally to not only clients, but also family and friends, and find ourselves depleted. In both cases, it is very easy to face burnout. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychotherapy-and-recovery-take-time-0202125/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychotherapy-and-recovery-take-time-0202125/ Thu, 2 Feb 2012 22:16:55 GMT Quick, would you prefer 100 million dollars right now or a penny that that doubles every day for a year? Next question, would you like to be cured of your depression, relationship problems, eating disorder, or addiction immediately or would you like to work on it? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-based-treatment-anorexia-teens-0202121/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-based-treatment-anorexia-teens-0202121/ Thu, 2 Feb 2012 17:34:25 GMT Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an approach that is used to treat many mental health challenges, including anorexia nervosa in teens and adults. Anorexia, which usually develops during adolescence, is seen by some as an individual?s method of gaining control over something in their lives during a time in which they feel controlled by parents, teachers, peers, and society in general. CBT has been seen as an appropriate treatment because it addresses the cognitive and behavioral processes, the thinking and eating habits of the teens. However, in a new study, James Lock, professor of Child Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine, tests the validity of family-based treatment (FBT) for the treatment of anorexia. FBT aims to bring the teen to a healthy weight with the assistance of the parent and then relinquishes the maintenance of that weight back to the teen while examining the emotional and social challenges facing the teen. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/letting-go-fear-of-loss-0201125/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/letting-go-fear-of-loss-0201125/ Wed, 1 Feb 2012 20:46:25 GMT Not long ago, a friend of mine suggested that the greatest fear humans experience is the fear of death. I disagreed, saying that I believed their greatest fear is fear of loss. Death is something that is very abstract to most people, in my opinion, unless they have recently tended to a dying loved one or been otherwise exposed to the actual end of life. However, most people, in my experience, live in fear of loss, to a greater or lesser degree. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gifts-of-trauma-survivors-0201124/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gifts-of-trauma-survivors-0201124/ Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:28:07 GMT Traumatic experiences along with the mending process can expose the shrapnel from what feels like perpetually open wounds. Time lost to history and recovery, missed opportunities, broken relationships, and a delay in building life?s foundation are side effects of these experiences. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/taking-love-in-0113125/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/taking-love-in-0113125/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:41:57 GMT Love is one of the most elemental of emotions?it is a building block to some of our deepest relationships and a component in many of our happiest days. Yet the ability to freely give and receive love is a fragile skill, which traumatic experiences can all too easily dent or damage. Learning how to be loved is a vital part of your healing, and here are a few tips on how to regain your ability to accept someone?s care, concern, and nurture. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/calming-emotional-chaos-grief-0130125/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/calming-emotional-chaos-grief-0130125/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:20:06 GMT A death, divorce, illness, sudden unemployment, or any major loss, creates chaos in your life. This emotional fracturing, as well as the practical aftershocks of dealing with estates, lawyers, housing, finances, doctors, etc., often yields intense feelings that can be overwhelming. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/age-matters-in-the-client-therapist-relationship/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/age-matters-in-the-client-therapist-relationship/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:16:38 GMT A strong therapeutic bond is imperative in order to achieve a successful outcome in psychotherapy. This bond must begin with the initial intake session. Research indicates that clients who feel disconnected from the clinician due to cultural, ethnic, or even religious differences, are more likely to terminate treatment as early as the first session. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/rural-men-avoid-counseling-0127120/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/rural-men-avoid-counseling-0127120/ Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:00:48 GMT Men, in general, are far less likely than women to seek professional help for mental health problems. But a new study, led by Joseph H. Hammer and David L. Vogel of the Department of Psychology at Iowa State University, suggests that men from rural communities are even more resistant than urban-dwelling men when it comes to getting psychological counseling. The study expands upon previous research by the team and explores the factors that create barriers to treatment. For example, in the study, Hammer and colleagues identified self-stigma as the primary reason that men from rural areas do not reach out for help. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-compassion-defends-against-helplessness-0127124/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-compassion-defends-against-helplessness-0127124/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:30:47 GMT After having worked in a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected girls for 8 years, I observed that the phenomenon of learned helplessness had become an all-to-common denominator for these children. It was very rare that an abused child was placed with us for a single incident of abuse. By the time these children reached our facility, many of them had already been physically or sexually abused numerous times throughout their childhood and adolescence. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/working-with-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-clients-0111124/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/working-with-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-clients-0111124/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:30:33 GMT As you would with any client, be sure to conduct a complete and comprehensive interview. Be sure to ask about what they thought life would be like, versus what reality is. Is there a loss of a dream? Any traumas? Are they ?out? or in process of coming out? It is wise to remember and even educate folks that ?coming out? is a lifetime process and not a discreet event. People may ?come out? at different levels in different settings (e.g. family, friends, work, etc). Be prepared to ask questions over time, as answers will change as clients feel more comfortable and safe. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/socioeconomic-status-linked-to-physical-psychological-health-0111111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/socioeconomic-status-linked-to-physical-psychological-health-0111111/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:48 GMT Socioeconomic status (SES) influences many facets of a person?s life. Researchers have theorized that low SES is associated with poor physical and mental health throughout life, but few studies have examined the long-term effects. Even fewer studies have examined how positive or negative mood, resulting from SES, influence physical health. ?Given this background, the present study examines inter-individual differences in the development of positive and negative affect and physical health as well as in the dynamic associations between emotions and physical health in the second half of life according to education as one aspect of SES,? said Ina Schollgen of the German Centre of Gerontology in Berlin, Germany, and lead author of a recent study exploring SES, affect and physical health. Previous studies have have shown that positive affect (PA) decreases in old age and negative affect (NA) decreases until age 60, then stabilizes. But Schollgen?s study is among the first to link NA and PA, as a result of SES, directly to physical health. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-treatment-and-recovery-problematic-0106114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-treatment-and-recovery-problematic-0106114/ Fri, 6 Jan 2012 16:43:24 GMT The decision to contact a therapist, set up an appointment, interview the therapist and agree to move forward with treatment might seem to imply that a client is ready to pursue their goal of feeling better. Unfortunately, ambivalence surrounding the therapeutic process as well as its outcome occurs far more commonly than clarity around this pursuit. Healing would presumably be the obvious goal for all of us; why wouldn?t we want that, right? Clients have offered fairly good reasoning as to why not; if we hope to be able to move beyond the ambivalence and into confronting the trauma, providing a space to acknowledge where the individual is in regard to their process would be a necessary first step. Common reasons for not pursuing treatment from the client?s perspective will be discussed here as a means of normalizing hesitation while validating concerns about process and outcome. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/client-therapist-communication-1220111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/client-therapist-communication-1220111/ Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:41:33 GMT Story: ?Once at the end of a first session, my client asked for some ?homework? so I suggested she do some journal writing about a habit she had discovered during the session. When she arrived for the next session, she sat down, looked at me, and immediately began almost screaming that she ?couldn?t trust me?I was just like all the others?she knew this wasn?t going to work?I had a formula that I applied to all my clients?and I wasn?t going to take a personal interest in her??. ?My goodness, you certainly have strong feelings!?, I replied. ?Yes, I do! I just can?t believe you gave me journal writing. I hate journal writing, and I bet you do that with everyone!.? ?Well, I guess I?ve learned something about you. I?ll never ask you to journal again!? She then burst out laughing at the absurdity of this much anger. Soon we were both laughing. I let her know I understood how important my personal attention and care were to her. She sat back and said, ?I can?t tell you how touching it is that you are interested in learning about me and willing to change how you are in response. And, even more amazing that you didn?t just reject me as a client.? My intention with journaling homework was to offer her something to think about and help her get more involved in therapy. The impact was that she felt distanced and uncared for. Her unconscious intention in her anger was to prove to herself that once again therapy wasn?t going to help. The impact of my response was that she got treated the way she had longed for. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/daily-functioning-with-schizophrenia-affects-verbal-skills-1209112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/daily-functioning-with-schizophrenia-affects-verbal-skills-1209112/ Fri, 9 Dec 2011 22:00:48 GMT One of the most debilitating elements of schizophrenia is the erosion of neurocognitive skills. People with schizophrenia often struggle with social adaptation, employment and other areas of daily functioning as a result of diminished neurocognition. Research has shown that verbal capacity is an effective measurement of intelligence and cognitive abilities in people who have neurocognitive disorders and those who do not. ?In healthy populations, oral vocabulary scores correlate highly with overall measures of IQ and are considered the single best predictor of overall IQ,? said Matthew M. Kurtz of the Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior at Wesleyan University. ?Studies that have investigated the relationship of intellectual capacity and neurocognitive function have most often done so in the context of similarities and discrepancies between estimated premorbid and postmorbid IQ and their relationship to neurocognitive function revealed that individuals with schizophrenia with low estimated premorbid IQ and low current full-scale IQ show most severe  neurocognitive de?cits with particularly marked impairment in executive function and memory in some studies, and attention, executive function, language and visuospatial function in others.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/who-gets-which-friends-120920115/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/who-gets-which-friends-120920115/ Fri, 9 Dec 2011 21:51:07 GMT You're getting a divorce. In addition to the friends you brought into the relationship, you and your ex have made many friends together through your children's activities, your jobs and the places you have volunteered. You both rely on their friendships to help with childcare and have established a social circle that meets both your needs. In addition, you have been talking to these friends about the difficulties you have been having in your marriage and want to be able to keep this support system. It has been so important for you to have close friends to talk to about all the things that have been difficult as your marriage is ending and you work on transitioning to your post-divorce family. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/achieving-better-health-emotional-balance-contentment-1208114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/achieving-better-health-emotional-balance-contentment-1208114/ Fri, 9 Dec 2011 16:00:30 GMT Around this time of year, many of us reflect on the triumphs and tribulations of the past twelve months and begin thinking of what we hope to manifest in the coming year. At the most basic level, I think what a lot of us want falls under the broad headings of good physical health and emotional balance. Thus, I?ve come up with a list of six low-to-no cost complementary medicine strategies for achieving the above. Each approach addresses at least one of the following: mind, body, or spirit. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/surrogate-families-show-healthy-functioning-1208111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/surrogate-families-show-healthy-functioning-1208111/ Thu, 8 Dec 2011 19:13:38 GMT The number of children born through surrogacy has increased dramatically in the past several decades, up from 2,000 just fifteen years ago to over 17,000 in 2007. Susan Golombok of the Centre for Family Research, Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies at the University of Cambridge, has conducted prior research on surrogacy and preschool-aged children, but recently led a new phase of the study examining the effects of surrogacy on older children. ?There are two types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy, in which the surrogate mother and the commissioning father are the genetic parents of the child, and gestational surrogacy, in which the commissioning mother and father are the genetic parents,? said Golombok. ?Thus, children born through gestational surrogacy lack a gestational link with their mother, and children born through traditional surrogacy lack both a gestational and a genetic link.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/changing-brain-chemistry-changing-paradigms-1208114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/changing-brain-chemistry-changing-paradigms-1208114/ Thu, 8 Dec 2011 18:09:16 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/externalization-trauma-ptsd-symptoms-healthy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/externalization-trauma-ptsd-symptoms-healthy/ Wed, 7 Dec 2011 20:25:21 GMT Trauma symptoms are often experienced and viewed as invasive and malevolent.  Helplessness, hopelessness, confusion and a condemnation of self for their existence also appear thematic.  The initial layer of trauma treatment is frequently the unraveling of self-loathing for the expression of symptoms themselves; survivor and therapist collude in their endorsement of them as being inherently destructive and are to be eradicated.  A divergent perspective could be that symptoms are an expression of health versus illness.  Viewing the manifestation of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) as having utility may offer an alternative understanding of the client?s presentation as offering direction to treatment, internal compassion, decreasing fear of symptoms and can foster a relationship between survivor, therapist and Trauma.  Additionally, the externalization and personification of Trauma may illuminate the individual functions of client presentation while offering precise direction for treatment. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/adolescent-turning-point-provide-positive-benefits-126111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/adolescent-turning-point-provide-positive-benefits-126111/ Tue, 6 Dec 2011 16:37:28 GMT Turning points are life experiences that permanently change the course of one?s life. The death of a parent, a divorce, or even a geographical move are all examples of turning points that can have a positive or negative affect on an individual. ?The most defining characteristic of a turning point, however, remains that the event is perceived as significant or life-changing to the individual,? said Royette Tavernier of the Department of Psychology at Brock University, St. Catharines in Canada, and author of a recent study. How individuals process those turning points is referred to as meaning-making and is theorized to affect well-being. ?The purpose of this study was to examine whether meaning-making within turning point narratives, as well as the timing of these turning points, would be associated with psychological wellbeing among a sample of Grade 12 high school adolescents,? said Tavernier. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/ways-be-present-practice-everyday-mindfulness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/ways-be-present-practice-everyday-mindfulness/ Mon, 5 Dec 2011 17:15:41 GMT I don?t know about you, but today, unplanned items on my agenda added up to distractions that resulted in an overwhelming urge to tear my hair out. As often happens, I had loaded way more into my schedule than could be accomplished by a reasonable person within a day. It?s now 7:40 pm DST and I?m feeling grateful that the destination for this article is 3 hours behind my time zone; therefore, my missive will officially arrive in time, by sheer luck. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sudden-gains-improve-long-term-therapeutic-outcome-125111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sudden-gains-improve-long-term-therapeutic-outcome-125111/ Mon, 5 Dec 2011 16:47:22 GMT Every individual responds to therapy in their own way. Some people have sudden enlightenments during therapy, while others see a gradual reduction in symptoms little by little between their therapy sessions. These reductions in symptom severity are called sudden gains and are common among people receiving treatment for depression and anxiety. Previous research has shown that one of the biggest benefits of sudden gains is the residual effect they have. ?Individuals who experienced sudden gains reported lower levels of depressive symptoms at post-treatment, 6 months following treatment and 18 months following treatment, compared with individuals who did not experience sudden gains,? said Idan M. Aderka of the Department of Psychology at Boston University, and lead author of a recent analysis of sudden gains. ?These findings suggested that sudden gains were related to better treatment outcome at termination and at follow-up.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/finding-source-energy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/finding-source-energy/ Sat, 3 Dec 2011 18:00:19 GMT Part One: Finding Source Energy http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/having-calling-affect-job-commitment-satisfaction-1202112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/having-calling-affect-job-commitment-satisfaction-1202112/ Fri, 2 Dec 2011 21:00:39 GMT Some people insist they have been called to a specific vocation, while others merely work a job. ?Scholars from a variety of disciplines have begun to explore what it means to have a calling and how this relates to outcomes, consistently finding calling to be associated with enhanced work-related and general eudemonic well-being,? said Ryan D. Duffy of the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. ?Moreover, barriers may exist that limit people?s abilities to carry out their callings, thereby impeding the potential positive psychological effects of having one.? Duffy recently led a study to discover if people who were living their calling were more satisfied and committed in their jobs than those who were not. In other words, Duffy asked, ?More simply, what is it about having a calling that makes individuals more satisfied at school and work?? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/emotional-perception-influences-how-people-cope-defeat-1211112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/emotional-perception-influences-how-people-cope-defeat-1211112/ Thu, 1 Dec 2011 20:00:00 GMT Feelings of psychological defeat are common symptoms of many mental health problems. In some research, psychological defeat has been linked to the onset of psychosis and other challenges. ?Defeat may also contribute to the development and maintenance of schizophrenia,? said Judith Johnson of the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham in the UK and lead author of a recent study on defeat and emotion. ?Perceptions of defeat have been associated with the onset and exacerbation of a range of psychiatric conditions and disorders, including depression, anxiety, and suicide,? said Johnson. ?Thus, the aim of the current research was to investigate the extent to which the emotion regulation strategy of reappraisal moderated the impact of failure on perceived defeat among both a nonclinical sample and individuals diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, for whom perceived defeat may be particularly important.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/holiday-energy-balance-kids-1202114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/holiday-energy-balance-kids-1202114/ Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:30:28 GMT Do the holidays consume you with joy, merrily moving along, or do you find yourself rushing, pressed for time, anxious about getting it all done? Whichever way it unfolds for you, as we busily bustle through the holidays, it is important to remember that kids are doing the same thing right along with you, perhaps even to levels that create a sense of internal chaos and emotionality that they are unaccustomed to dealing with. This is especially true for those with sensitive natures or already existing anxieties. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/balanced-gratitude-1201114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/balanced-gratitude-1201114/ Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:30:21 GMT With Thanksgiving behind us and the holiday season in full swing, it seems fitting to talk about gratitude. Gratitude captures both the verbal expression of thanks as well as an overall attitude of appreciation. This disposition of thanks brings obvious benefit to the recipient of gratitude, but it also enriches your life ? you being the giver of gratitude. All to say that growing gratitude is an important task to focus on. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/caregiving-styles-influenced-attachment-styles-1130113/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/caregiving-styles-influenced-attachment-styles-1130113/ Thu, 1 Dec 2011 00:00:03 GMT Evaluating and assessing someone?s need for care is a critical component of acting as an effective and objective caregiver. However, according to a new study led by S. Jeffrey Bailey of the Department of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick Saint John in Canada, the attachment style of a caregiver can influence how they respond to a patient?s needs. ?The Social Communication Model of Pain raised the possibility that characteristics of those observing pain may also in?uence evaluations of individuals experiencing pain and that these evaluations could in?uence caregiving responses directed to those in pain,? said Bailey. ?Attachment theory is a well-supported biopsychosocial framework for investigating reactions to others in distress that holds promise for developing a more complete understanding of factors involved in evaluating individuals experiencing pain.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-intervention-improves-sleep-apnea-treatment-adherence-112911/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-intervention-improves-sleep-apnea-treatment-adherence-112911/ Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:00:45 GMT Sleep disruption caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nearly 5% of people throughout the world and upwards of 15% of Americans. OSA is characterized by respiratory interruptions that cause a person to wake from sleep in order to begin breathing again. Medically, these conditions are referred to as hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. ?Daytime sleepiness and hypoxia of the brain are associated with cognitive deficits, such as impaired working memory, attention, and psychomotor problems,? said Sara Olsen of the Psychology Department at Royal Brisbane and Women?s Hospital in Australia. ?Hypoxia of the heart increases the risk of heart-related diseases, such as hypertension.? Overall, lack of sleep and impaired cognition can lead to decreased physical health and increased risk for injury, such as car accidents. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/egg-sperm-donor-children-benefit-from-full-disclosure1128111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/egg-sperm-donor-children-benefit-from-full-disclosure1128111/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:00:41 GMT In the last several decades, more than 3 million children have been born with the help of an anonymous donor or gamete donation. These children are often raised by two parents, with whom only one of which they are biologically connected. ?Those who become parents through assisted reproductive procedures involving gamete donation tend not to tell their children about their donor conception; thus, the majority of children conceived in this way remain unaware that the person they know as their father (in the case of sperm donation) or their mother (in the case of egg donation) is not their genetic parent,? said Susan Golombok of the Centre for Family Research and faculty member of Politics Psychology Sociology and International Studies at the University of Cambridge in the UK. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/thinking-connection-between-exercise-body-image-1128114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/thinking-connection-between-exercise-body-image-1128114/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:22:29 GMT There are styles of thinking that are commonly related to anxiety and unhappiness. One patterned way of thinking that is identified by therapists who work with cognitions is the all-or-nothing style. It is very often a part of the negative body-image experience. This way of thinking can lead to a lot of unnecessary distress but is also a symptom of feeling overwhelmed. When the mind is faced with too much to deal with, a tactic it uses to conserve energy is to reduce its interpretation of experiences to simple categories: black or white, all or nothing, all bad or all good. In this effort to simplify and manage complex experiences, the mind protects itself in a short-term gain/long-term pain manner. Because life experiences can indeed be complex, we need to be able to tolerate the discomfort of staying open-minded as much as possible. The more we can withstand the discomfort, the more readily we can grow into new understandings, accommodating the complexity into our frame of thinking. This impacts relationships to self and others. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapists-apa-controvery-over-dsm-v-1125111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapists-apa-controvery-over-dsm-v-1125111/ Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:00:39 GMT The upcoming release of the newly revised DSM-V has spurred much debate in the past several months. A recent article, published an open letter from Dr. Don Locke, president of the American Counseling Association (ACA), to Dr. John Oldham, President of the American Psychiatric Association, which outlines the primary concerns the mental health community has with the proposed revisions to the diagnostic tool that has been relied on by medical professionals for decades. Locke summarizes the collective concerns by saying, ?Our concerns focus on empirical evidence, dimensional and cross-cutting assessments, field trials, the definition of mental disorder, and transparency,? says Locke, speaking on behalf of the 120,000 licensed mental health professionals within the United States. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-therapists-can-address-sleep-disorders-1122112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-therapists-can-address-sleep-disorders-1122112/ Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:00:33 GMT Chronic sleep problems are common, but can have serious mental and physical consequences. ?Sleep deprivation at its worst is literally torturous; even mild chronic sleep deprivation changes brain chemistry and physiology, leading to deterioration of cognition, memory, and mood,? said Dolores T. Puterbaugh, a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of a recent article emphasizing the therapist?s role in helping a client overcome sleep problems. Puterbaugh believes that many of the techniques being used for various mental health challenges can also be used to improve a client?s sleep patterns. ?Counselors are trained in addressing the intersection of cognition, behavior, and emotional distress; their code of ethics also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary consultation in treating complex client problems whenever that is appropriate, said Puterbaugh. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/screening-tool-for-pediatric-bipolar-1121112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/screening-tool-for-pediatric-bipolar-1121112/ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:00:20 GMT College in London theorized that self-reports and parent reports of symptomology would provide a more accurate picture of a child?s overall behavior. ?This study uses an alternative approach to the question of youth BP starting at the level of individual symptoms that occur during an episode of elated mood,? said Goodman of his recent study. Goodman and his colleagues were concerned mostly with bipolar not otherwise specified (BPNOS), a condition that previous research has suggested eventually develops into BPI or BPII. ?These findings suggested that BP-NOS?defined by having episode durations of less than 4 days?is important and may be on a spectrum with BP-I and BP-II,? said Goodman. ?However, the particularly poor agreement between parent- and child-reported episodes and the fact that they did not increase in duration with advancing age did cast some doubt on the validity of BPNOS and whether it was on a continuum with BP-I and BP-II.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/prolonged-exposure-therapy-treating-ptsd-veterans-1118111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/prolonged-exposure-therapy-treating-ptsd-veterans-1118111/ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:51 GMT Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) has been identified as one of the most effective forms of therapy for veterans with PTSD resulting from combat. Veterans from Vietnam, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation New Dawn (OND), along with Gulf War Veterans, struggle with PTSD as a result of trauma experienced during their service. However, although these veterans may realize some relief of their PTSD symptoms with PE, the effectiveness of the therapy is directly related to the type of trauma the veterans experienced. ?The purpose of the current study is to compare PTSD and related outcomes in veterans from various combat theaters, OEF/OIF/OND, Gulf War, Vietnam, receiving a manualized Prolonged Exposure (PE) intervention for PTSD in a southeastern VA Medical Center,? said Matthew Yoder of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and lead author of the study. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/navigating-between-workplace-truth-safety-1117114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/navigating-between-workplace-truth-safety-1117114/ Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:30:05 GMT A while ago I had an interchange with someone that got me thinking.  It went like this:  http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/redefining-gender-rules-1114114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/redefining-gender-rules-1114114/ Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:15:27 GMT When we are born, and these days often even before, the big question is, ?Is it a boy or a girl?? The way this question was answered when we were born impacts us every day throughout our whole lives. This is the day we are assigned a gender. In our culture we treat boys and girls, and men and women, very differently. Everything is gendered, from toys and clothes, to emotions and ways of thinking. No one is off the hook from these gender scripts; they tell us how to dress, act, and even how to interact with other people (Bem, 1993; Gagne & Tewksbury, 1998; Gagne, Tewksbury, & McGaughey, 1997). Some people fit these scripts well, and some people don?t. But before we can talk about gender, we have to define it. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-with-eating-disorders-life-quality-studied-1114111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-with-eating-disorders-life-quality-studied-1114111/ Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:09 GMT Eating and food issues can have a significant impact on someone?s quality of life (QOL). ?This is of particular relevance for the atypical eating disorders, called eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), thought to represent the majority of clinical presentations,? said Tracey D. Wade of the School of Psychology at Flinders University in South Australia, and lead author of a study examining the relationship between eating issues and QOL in women. ?This body of research would suggest that the presence of an eating disorder is associated with impaired QOL, by comparison with healthy controls, the general population, primary care patients with medical disorders such as arthritis and hypertension, and people with other diagnoses of psychiatric illness,? said Wade, referring to the data collected from the Medical Outcome Studies (MOS) Short-Form Scale (SF-36). Wade added that although there is little research on women with EDNOS compared to women with anorexia or bulimia, the small pool of evidence for EDNOS shows that these women have lower QOL than healthy women. ?Those girls with EDNOS had significantly higher levels of functional impairment, mental health service use, and emotional distress than those without eating disorders,? said Wade. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-attachment-affect-emotional-disclosure-1113111-2/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-attachment-affect-emotional-disclosure-1113111-2/ Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:00:25 GMT Sharing emotional experiences, or engaging in emotional disclosure, can be a cathartic process, resulting in reductions in stress, anxiety and tension. ?In an opposite manner, the active concealment of distressing information is associated with psychological distress and physical symptoms such as headaches and backaches,? said Angela M. Garrison of the Department of Counselor Education and Counselor Psychology at Western Michigan University. Similarly, people with depression or anxiety often suppress their emotions to avoid facing negative feelings. Research has shown that individuals who have attachment issues struggle with emotional disclosure as well. Because emotional disclosure is so closely linked to depression and attachment, it is difficult to determine how each condition affects emotional regulation. ?Specifically, depression symptoms and attachment are both associated with emotional disclosure, but depression symptoms and attachment are also related to each other,? said Garrison, lead author of a recent study on emotional disclosure. ?For theory clarification, it is therefore important to disentangle the effect of depression symptoms on emotional disclosure from the potential effects of attachment on emotional disclosure.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-immediacy-has-promise-case-studies-1112111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-immediacy-has-promise-case-studies-1112111/ Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:00:43 GMT Therapeutic immediacy (TI) is a term used to encompass any discussion between a client and therapist during a session. The therapeutic alliance formed between the two parties as a result of the discussion is fundamental to the success of treatment. ?Recently, in order to capture the more interactive and dyadic nature of the therapeutic relationship, this definition has been broadened to also include any client-initiated disclosures of feelings about the therapist or their relationship, and the revised term of therapeutic immediacy has been suggested,? said Jason Mayotte-Blum of the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, and lead author of a recent study on the effect of TI. ?Typical examples of therapeutic immediacy include exploring parallels between external relationships and the therapy relationship; client or therapist expression of in-session emotional reactions; inquiring about the client?s reactions to therapy; the therapist commenting on his or her experience of the client; supporting, affirming, and validating the client?s feelings in the therapy relationship; and expressing gratitude. Use of therapeutic immediacy in the therapeutic relationship can then act as a template for interpersonal functioning in the client?s outside relationships.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gifted-students-targets-for-bullying-1111111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gifted-students-targets-for-bullying-1111111/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:00:23 GMT The stereotypical high-achieving gifted student is no longer reminiscent of a character out of Revenge of the Nerds. In that movie, the academically gifted students were teased and bullied mercilessly. But in real life, gifted students blend in seamlessly with their peers. However, with all of the research available on the increasing problem of bullying, few studies have been conducted to determine if gifted students are more vulnerable to bullying because of their academic differences. The shallow body of scientific evidence provides mixed results thus far. Some studies have suggested that gifted students are at increased risk for victimization, while others suggest they are at decreased risk. And still other studies have shown that gifted students have higher bullying rates within their own groups as a result of the pressure they are under to compete with one another and achieve. To provide clarification on this issue, Megan Parker Peters, a school psychologist at Vanderbilt University, led a study on bullying among gifted students. ?In the current study, we sought to determine if rates of bullying and victimization among gifted high school students differ from those of high-achieving (HA), but not gifted, peers in Advanced Placement (AP) classes,? said Peters, who conducted the study with her colleague Sherry K. Bain of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/distress-for-adolescents-with-funnel-chest-1110113/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/distress-for-adolescents-with-funnel-chest-1110113/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:00:58 GMT Funnel chest is a term used to describe the medical condition known as Pectus excavatum (PE), a deformity of the chest wall that occurs in one of every thousand children. ?It is well known that children with PE are affected by their body image, that they often experience embarrassment, have low self-esteem and feelings of stigma,? said Susanne Habelt of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the University Children?s Hospital in Basle, Switzerland. ?These psychological criteria influence the patient's life deeply.? She added that although recent studies have looked at how surgery affects the quality of these children?s lives, few researchers have examined the psychological symptoms related to PE, both before and after surgery. ?With this as background the aim of our evaluation was to perform an extended psychological status in order to establish a psychological indication for treatment,? said Habelt. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/survive-thanksgiving-while-not-feeling-thankful-1110114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/survive-thanksgiving-while-not-feeling-thankful-1110114/ Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:08:24 GMT Picture it: Thanksgiving Day, 2011. You?ve just joined your family at the table to feast on turkey and stuffing when suddenly, a festive, well-meaning relative suggests that everyone go around the table and share something that they are thankful for. Ugh. If you are one of the millions of Americans who is suffering with depression, this may feel like an impossible, unanswerable question. If you've been feeling such deep despair that you haven't been able to get out of bed for the last several days, then you probably feel that you don?t have anything to be thankful for. You?re probably just trying to get through the day. And you probably want to push your chair away from the table, tell your relative to mind his own business, and crawl back into bed. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/harness-marriage-bond-power-1109114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/harness-marriage-bond-power-1109114/ Wed, 9 Nov 2011 21:05:58 GMT I knew a couple whose divorce cluttered up the Broward County Courthouse for 10 years. That was before I went back to grad school for my doctorate but I kept thinking, ?Surely something could have been done to release this couple from each other?s clutches.? There was. One party escaped the country and I never heard the rest of the story. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/classroom-participation-increases-emotional-intelligence-1109111/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/classroom-participation-increases-emotional-intelligence-1109111/ Wed, 9 Nov 2011 16:00:37 GMT Emotional intelligence is recognized as an important factor in quality of life and outcome achievement. The body of evidence supporting this theory has increased dramatically in recent years. But little research has examined how education influences emotional intelligence. ?Some empirical findings suggest that emotional intelligence, unlike IQ, can be improved through learning and development opportunities,? said Jacqueline Landau of Salem State College, and lead author of a recent study on the effects of classroom participation on emotional intelligence. ?The purpose of the present study is to explore the role participative classroom environments play in the development of college student's emotional intelligence (EI), and whether EI is related to academic achievement.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/three-depression-types-1108114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/three-depression-types-1108114/ Tue, 8 Nov 2011 15:00:55 GMT I want to mention three more types of depression experiences in this series describing the variety of ways people can experience depression. They are: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/following-parents-footsteps-1107114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/following-parents-footsteps-1107114/ Mon, 7 Nov 2011 18:30:45 GMT ?Like father like son?; ?Like mother, like daughter?. These sentiments are often expressed with great joy and pride. Parents are delighted and honored when their children seek to emulate them. Boys and girls will follow dad around with their own hammers or bake cookies like mom. As children grow older and think about their choices of ?what they want to be when they grow up,? some choose to be in the same occupation as the parent. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/when-criticism-undermines-creativity-how-cognitive-restructuring-helps-you-go-on-creating-1104114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/when-criticism-undermines-creativity-how-cognitive-restructuring-helps-you-go-on-creating-1104114/ Fri, 4 Nov 2011 14:35:42 GMT ?I will never, ever sing again!? my client practically wailed as she flung the Arts section of the local newspaper down on the sofa of my counseling room. ?Just look at this: ?She had a pleasant voice, was poised and communicated well with the audience but her voice was less steady than that of the other soloist?. I am absolutely ruined - no one will ever hire me to sing again! I?m just quitting.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/help-your-children-exercise-1103116/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/help-your-children-exercise-1103116/ Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:55:21 GMT Everyone knows that there is a significant connection between exercise and physical health, and now there is research showing a connection between exercise and mental health. The question then becomes, ?How do we get our children and teens to exercise, knowing it is so good for them?? Typically, younger children will get 30 minutes of exercise each day at school, but experts suggest that children should get 60 minutes each day. Many teens get little or no exercise at all. As parents, we can encourage our children to get up and move, exercise, play and invigorate themselves, as this helps them to become healthier and happier in several ways. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/living-with-relationship-frustration-1103115/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/living-with-relationship-frustration-1103115/ Thu, 3 Nov 2011 16:26:03 GMT Many couples I work with come in with a large amount of stress and difficulty. The causes vary, but the behaviors people use to respond to the upset are often predictable. People who start out loving each other sometimes find themselves so burdened by stress and difficulty that they end up feeling frustrated in the relationship. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/pulling-alongside-distress-1102112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/pulling-alongside-distress-1102112/ Wed, 2 Nov 2011 14:18:04 GMT We have been looking at compassion and how to increase the compassion you have for yourself. The first article in this series looked at the concept of compassion as a whole, the second explored how to recognize your limits and the third focused on how to have tenderheartedness towards your distress. This article focuses on the final part of the definition of compassion, namely the tendency to pull alongside the suffering with a proclivity to alleviate it (the definition of compassion we are using is: a recognition of pain/distress coupled with a tenderheartedness towards the distress and a tendency to pull alongside the suffering with a proclivity to alleviate it). http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-pursuit-of-happiness-internal-or-external-1101114/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-pursuit-of-happiness-internal-or-external-1101114/ Wed, 2 Nov 2011 01:00:58 GMT According to Randy P. Auerbach of Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, positive feelings and feelings of happiness are the result of intrinsic pursuits. ?Intrinsically-motivated goals are thought to be inherently interesting, pleasurable, and/or meaningful,? said Auerbach. ?In contrast, extrinsically-motivated goals are typically sought in order to attain a reward (i.e., material goods or money) or to avoid punishment.? Research has shown that pursuing both intrinsic and extrinsic goals can be beneficial, but not when one is at the expense of the other. Auerbach said, ?Guided by self-determination theory, the research posits that the neglect of intrinsic goals ultimately thwarts the satisfaction of core, inherent psychological needs for relatedness, competence and autonomy, which in turn contributes to negative psychological outcomes including depressive symptoms.? Additionally, people who value extrinsic goals over intrinsic goals may neglect their interpersonal relationships and exert all of their time and energy in the pursuit of material objects and money. Another concern is that children whose parents value extrinsic goals above intrinsic ones may not foster sufficient interpersonal skills in their children, creating maladaptive relationship models for them as adults. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/addressing-mens-counseling-fears-increases-treatment-compliance-1101112/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/addressing-mens-counseling-fears-increases-treatment-compliance-1101112/ Tue, 1 Nov 2011 20:00:53 GMT Less than one fifth of college students who struggle with mental health issues ever seek help. ?Because reasons for the discrepancy between those who might benefit from mental health services and those who seek it can be numerous (e.g., effect of time, natural process of healing, and relief provided by a social network), scholars have sought to identify barriers to seeking treatment,? said Stefania Aigisdottir of Ball State University, and lead author of a new study examining the reasons why young adults avoid therapy. ?The search for barriers is grounded in the notion that the decision to seek MHC (mental healthcare) is influenced by two opposing forces: approach factors (e.g., positive counseling attitudes, experience of distress) and avoidance factors (e.g., fear of and negative attitudes to treatment).? Another main reason people refuse to reach out for help is because of the stigma attached to mental health issues. ?Public stigma refers to the negative social labels attached to persons who seek mental health services,? added Aigisdottir. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapist-spirit-redefined-1101115/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapist-spirit-redefined-1101115/ Tue, 1 Nov 2011 18:38:15 GMT As a Play Therapist, when you hear the word play, what images come to mind? Do you see an active, energetic scene with puppets dancing and jumping? Or is it more along the lines of quiet engagement between therapist and child processing an art creation, or Sandtray? Might you be seeing in your mind?s eye a lively storytelling narrative, or peacefully sharing a collection of worry stones? Chances are, the first image that comes to mind is a representation of your Play Spirit. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/love-versus-object-personification-synesthesia/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/love-versus-object-personification-synesthesia/ Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:01:32 GMT Perhaps you?ve come across one of the many articles or videos with titles like, ?In Love with the Eiffel Tower?, or a recent National Geographic Taboo program called ?Forbidden Love?? The topic is Objectum Sexuality (OS), a rare sexual orientation which includes affectionate, romantic, and sometimes erotic attraction and relationships with objects. The beloved objects can range from transport to landmarks, from sporting equipment to fisheye buttons. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/weight-suppression-affects-bulimia-treatment/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/weight-suppression-affects-bulimia-treatment/ Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:00:21 GMT : http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/finding-right-therapist/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/finding-right-therapist/ Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:00:26 GMT : http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/forgiveness-effects/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/forgiveness-effects/ Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:57:29 GMT Forgiveness is often misunderstood. I recall asking a colleague to forgive me for my unskillfulness in handling a situation that affected him. I had made an important decision without consulting him. I was truly sorry.  His response to my request for forgiveness, however, surprised me: "If I forgive you, it will be as if it never happened. And it did happen so forgiveness wouldn't be right." Forgiveness, in fact, is a very deep feeling of reverence for life and willingness to somehow let go of past hurt. It does not require forgetting or condoning or even reconciling, as my colleague imagined and felt. In that moment with my colleague, I sat still. I wanted to explain what forgiveness was, as I understood it, but I had the sense that the core of the issue was not forgiveness, but my colleague?s need to hang on to the hurt. When you aren't forgiven, what CAN you do? With this man, what I found I could do was to feel compassion for his need to keep his hurt as part of his story. And then, with sadness, I could let go of my need to be cleared of the burden of this hurt, so that we could move forward with good will. I must say that as a result of this interaction, somehow our current working relationship dramatically improved, but I continued to feel a shadow waiting in the wings.  Was it mine? His? Ours? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/going-to-china/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/going-to-china/ Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:26:21 GMT On October 20th, I?ll be landing in China (Beijing, to be precise), accompanied by a group of psychoanalysts and therapists who have been teaching and supervising Chinese student analysts in training, using Skype and other distance learning methods. I am psyched. I will see, in person, students with whom I?ve developed warm relationships, and it is amazing how close people can feel even though they are far away from each other. We?ll be seeing each other for the first time. Or will we? It?s more accurate to say that we?ll be meeting in a different dimension than usual; the two-dimensional screen will vanish and be replaced by three-dimensional flesh and blood. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/restlessness-boredom-groundlessness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/restlessness-boredom-groundlessness/ Thu, 6 Oct 2011 15:39:22 GMT While there are a multitude of distractions and amusements available to anyone with a library card, it is not unusual to go through periods of boredom when not even the most scintillating book, movie, or conversation will sate the crankiness demon. At those times, it is best to stop whatever you are doing and simply sit with what is. Are you feeling annoyed, frustrated, agitated, sad, or self-critical? Welcome whatever comes up. Investigate it. Do something paradoxical and try to increase the feeling. This may sound counter-productive, but it will actually help you figure out what is going on. If you let yourself go deeply into your boredom the underlying issue will surface. Once it does, ask yourself how you want to handle it. Consciously choose to explore your thoughts and feelings though journaling, talking with someone (friend, relative, clergy, or therapist), or simply breathing, meditating, and allowing them. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/way-around-grief/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/way-around-grief/ Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:43:43 GMT Grief, a deep feeling of sadness over a loss, is one of the most difficult experiences a person can have. During the grief process, we may feel hopeless, out of control, dead inside, empty, pained, afraid, angry, or just about any other painful emotion one can name. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-defining-self/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-defining-self/ Thu, 1 Sep 2011 20:39:48 GMT How do you know what you are and what you are not, and why? Where did you gain this knowledge and experience that influences your current behaviour and choices? In the process of the development of your Self, did you consciously stop to think about if you wanted to be shaped in a particular manner while it was happening? Certainly there were moments where you may have wanted to stop an experience or avoid pain, but in retrospect can you say that it didn?t shape who you are today that in some way that has value to you?  Do you want to, and can you re-author your Self and hence shape your experiences? Some people look to the body to try to control their experience of self in the world. Does this have any merit? When does it become a problem? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sit-with-discomfort/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sit-with-discomfort/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:48:09 GMT I have a confession to make: I don?t believe you can feel happy 24/7, any more than you can feel anything every minute for your entire life. We are designed to feel a broad spectrum of emotions because, so far, they have kept us safe and helped perpetuate the human race. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/video-games-decrease-nightmares-soldiers-ptsd/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/video-games-decrease-nightmares-soldiers-ptsd/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:44:25 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-alliance-transference-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-alliance-transference-psychotherapy/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 01:00:00 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-affect-brain/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-affect-brain/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:53:48 GMT What does therapy actually do? How does it work? Does anyone really ever change? The field of neuroscience has exploded in recent years, revealing a number of findings about the human brain; how it develops, how it operates, and how it changes. Neuroplasticity explains that the brain is not a rigid organ, but is malleable, and changes throughout life, both in structure and function. This change happens through our experience. We actively change our brains by the way we respond to our environment. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/emotional-inflexibility-grief/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/emotional-inflexibility-grief/ Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:00:58 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-love-play-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-love-play-therapy/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:32:20 GMT I?ve learned to trust myself, to listen to truth, to not be afraid of it and to not try and hide it. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/progressive-thinking-boost-mood/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/progressive-thinking-boost-mood/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:00:31 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/personal-power-shift/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/personal-power-shift/ Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:25:43 GMT Let's say you have an interest in power issues and dynamics. For example, you notice you are overly cautious in using the professional power that goes with your position of trust. Or, you are so well-boundaried that you can't be flexible with your power when it is appropriate. These two beliefs are toward the extreme on the "use of power continuum."  Holding any position that is extreme makes you extra vulnerable for making ethical mistakes. Right Use of Power calls us to examine and evolve our relationship with both personal and professional power. The health of this relationship is crucial to using power well and more significantly, to using power for the good of all.  I have been thinking about the process of evolving more satisfying and effective beliefs. Obviously, it is more complicated than just deciding you want a new belief or a new habitual response. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/talk-painful-feelings-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/talk-painful-feelings-therapy/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:16:49 GMT You?ve sat comfortably on your therapist?s couch for six months talking about everything under the sun; how you prefer to do your laundry, how nothing is ever good enough for your spouse, how irritating your mother is when she compares you to your older sister, how traffic makes you crazy.  You feel comforted, your feelings validated, your motivation lifted.  You walk out of there, pensive yet energetic, ready to face any challenge.  You feel like you are moving toward your goals with more clarity. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/parent-child-interaction-therapy-positive-outcome/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/parent-child-interaction-therapy-positive-outcome/ Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:00:58 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sudden-gains-children-post-traumatic-stress/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sudden-gains-children-post-traumatic-stress/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:50:43 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-making-is-not-enough/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-making-is-not-enough/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:43:10 GMT Art making is not enough. Storytelling is not enough. Writing lyrics/music is not enough. Dancing is not enough to transform emotional pain and suffering into emotional freedom. If art making were enough, we wouldn't be reading about talented artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain and others who tragically slipped through a fissure in their lives to the other side because they succumbed to their demons. Demons, in this context are disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (IV) of the American Psychiatric Association. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/root-debt-issues/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/root-debt-issues/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:09:06 GMT In our world today, there has been a known and much talked about issue of personal financial debt and national financial debt. This has been foreground in the news in light of the recent debt ceiling talks and agreement. It is real and it is serious. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-health-professionals-terrorist-attack-victims/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-health-professionals-terrorist-attack-victims/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:42:43 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/intrusive-thought-interpretation-young-older-adults/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/intrusive-thought-interpretation-young-older-adults/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 01:00:02 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anticipated-social-stress-emotional-inertia/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anticipated-social-stress-emotional-inertia/ Fri, 5 Aug 2011 01:00:40 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/love-drugs-primitive-brain/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/love-drugs-primitive-brain/ Wed, 3 Aug 2011 18:22:10 GMT The most common question I get in my work and sometimes from my friends is ?Am I an alcoholic?? This is usually followed by ?Does this mean I have to go into rehab? Will I ever be able to have a drink again?? I believe that treatment for addiction should be individualized to take into affect each person?s individual needs, complexity and readiness to change. Every case is different. Sometimes the answer is undeniably ?It?s complicated? I was trained to apply systematic screening and assessment in order to determine if say Alcohol Abuse vs Dependence is present based on DSM-IV criteria and make treatment recommendations based on the ASAM placement criteria. You can learn more about them here (http://www.alcoholcostcalculator.org/business/about/dsm.html) and here (http://paulearley.net/ASAM-PPC-Articles/asam-textbook-chapter-4-5/Assessment-Dimensions.html) http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-compassion-trauma/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-compassion-trauma/ Mon, 1 Aug 2011 15:50:10 GMT A common but not frequently recognized side effect of traumatic life experiences is an excessive harshness towards self, which often times co-exists with a healthy degree of care and concern for others. While this harshness towards self can be expressed in a multitude of ways, a commonality is the existence of different standards ? be it the standard regarding fairness, worth, acceptability, love, etc?? for yourself and others; with the standards for self being more stringent, unrealistic and possibly even unattainable. Phrased another way, you judge yourself with more rigorous criteria than you use for anyone else. Ultimately, this demandingness does not lead to increased achievement but rather perpetuates the emotional mistreatment and ensuing wounds you experienced in your past. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-trust/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-trust/ Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:58:06 GMT If hope is the thing with feathers, as Emily Dickenson said, then trust floats on gossamer wings. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/reconstructing-meaning/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/reconstructing-meaning/ Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:51:05 GMT Last month we discussed the role affect regulation plays in recovery from trauma. Affect is driven by thoughts and in turn, thoughts are informed by meanings. It is useful to note at the outset many of these meanings lie outside conscious mind?s power and scope. Deeper mind, with its vast storehouse of implicit memories and ability to condense meanings and code them in various ways, makes meaning much more than just a conscious construct or a unidimensional belief. Trauma in general, and relational trauma, in particular, ( that rises to the level of an attachment injury) has the power to smash into awareness and leave an indelible imprint, blowing to bits our basic assumptions about relationships, human nature, justice, self-efficacy, and the availability of support or safety in the world. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/internal-family-systems-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/internal-family-systems-eating-disorders/ Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:39:00 GMT I am half way through the year-long Level 1 of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) training. IFS is a psychotherapeutic modality used for helping people and their therapists understand and solve the problems that bring them to therapy. And IFS helps make sense of the seemingly irrational world of eating disorders. I?d had some exposure to and experience using IFS prior to enrolling in the training, but the training is giving me a broader and deeper understanding not only of IFS, but also of how we humans work. I?m finding the process exhilarating! http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/amy-winehouse-drug-addiction/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/amy-winehouse-drug-addiction/ Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:03:50 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/downside-feeling-up-bipolar/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/downside-feeling-up-bipolar/ Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:08:31 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/know-yourself-self-esteem/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/know-yourself-self-esteem/ Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:05:24 GMT Can you fall in love with someone you don?t even know? If you?re like most of us, at some point in your life you had a mad crush on someone you barely knew. It might have been a rock star, an actor, or a super-cute neighbor. Whoever it was, you were totally into them even though you may not have known much about them at all. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/dimensions-sexual-identity/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/dimensions-sexual-identity/ Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:32:00 GMT Everyone has a sexual identity. This might sound like a really simple and obvious thing to say, but I?ve found in my work as a therapist and an educator that people often only think of ?gay? and ?lesbian? when they hear the terms ?sexual identity? or ?sexual orientation.?  So, the first thing to know about sexual identity is that everybody has one. The close second most important thing to know about it is that only you can decide what your sexual identity is. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/shadow-work-emotional-suffering/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/shadow-work-emotional-suffering/ Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:05:34 GMT If you read last month?s blog, Creativity vs Shadow, you will remember a brief mention of Deepak and Gotham Chopra?s book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes. In the book Chopra identified shadow as a ?force of the unconscious that can be destructive, divisive and/or self-sabotaging if it remains unconscious?. Shadow is difficult to recognize because left to it?s own devices it remains unconscious. Shadow is a zapping energy that lurks in the area of emotional suffering caused to oneself or to another. The concept can be broadly applied to families, groups, religions, governments, countries, etc. if we consider them bodies of energy. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/hierarchy-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/hierarchy-eating-disorders/ Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:35:10 GMT Imagine a life where you are continually tormented by an inner dialogue that screams of your worthlessness, your hideous appearance, and your pitiful, meaningless existence. Imagine a life where you mange your day solely around food, either by avoiding it, getting rid of it, or consuming as much of it as you can. Imagine spending your birthday in a psychiatric ward, perhaps too sick and too weak to even stand up on your own. And now imagine that there is a very strong part of you that wants to be worse. This is the horrible trap of an eating disorder. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-trust-collaboration/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-trust-collaboration/ Thu, 7 Jul 2011 16:28:08 GMT "When trust and confidence--at both the personal and institutional levels--are high, democracy works better, the economy develops with fewer problems, interpersonal relations are easier and more straightforward, people behave more altruistically, and standards of living increase."  http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/inner-critic-creative-block/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/inner-critic-creative-block/ Wed, 6 Jul 2011 17:02:29 GMT The article is due. The performance is today. The gallery exhibit opens next week. And you?re not ready. A small voice inside your head is saying, forget it. It?s no use. You?ve lost it. What you have to say is NOT more important than what anyone else has to share with the world. You?ve never written (painted, composed or performed) anything worthwhile. And you?re frozen, immobilized, mute - again. Maybe the voice has merely turned your world from colorful to dull gray, but, if you?ve become severely depressed over your inability to create, the voice may be this time have transformed itself from merely a very critical super-ego entity into a little gremlin of almost demonic quality that sits on your shoulder whispering its withering words and following them up with a cackle that is strongly evocative of the Wicked Witch of the West. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/independence-nation-world-suffering/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/independence-nation-world-suffering/ Mon, 4 Jul 2011 13:00:22 GMT Independence Day is fast approaching. On that day we celebrate our declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776 and our independence as a country today. As independent as we are in relation to many countries in the world, are we really independent? We could seek answers to this question through many lenses. Today we will choose one. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/addiction-relapse-danger-zone/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/addiction-relapse-danger-zone/ Fri, 1 Jul 2011 16:52:11 GMT Many people I work with have often been successful at maintaining some sort of long-term sobriety/abstinence from alcohol or drugs. If you participate in AA/NA, getting your one month chip is often described as exhilarating. There is a boost in self-confidence and hope in one?s ability to regain control of one?s life. But something happens after the one year chip. All of a sudden chips stop coming. You don?t get as much attention and support anymore as you did in the beginning. All of a sudden you are ?cured? and/or you are supposed to know how to do this on your own. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/nature-nurture-determine-mood/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/nature-nurture-determine-mood/ Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:00:38 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sports-psychology-pet-death-grief/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sports-psychology-pet-death-grief/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:56:45 GMT Ultra Emotion-athon http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/battles-within/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/battles-within/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:23:50 GMT In my quest to continue my education surrounding the fascinating concepts that examine the inner workings of the mind and more specifically in my journey to become an increasingly effective practitioner in the face of resistant and entrenched clients, I stumbled upon "Working With Resistance" (J. Aronson, 2002). I found the text concise and practical in its approach and imminently applicable. I was able to see with crystal clarity how concise word usage and mindfully placed statements within the therapeutic environment can elevate what Bertha Pappenheim, aka Anna O. coined in 1893 as ?the talking cure,? from an aphorism to a precision tool skillfully woven to bring clients to catharsis. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/group-therapy-childhood-abuse-trauma/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/group-therapy-childhood-abuse-trauma/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:35:17 GMT Group therapy can be the most nurturing and also the most challenging form of therapy. It is highly effective. While it doesn?t replace individual therapy, it can be a great adjunct and a final step in the healing process. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/write-personal-manifesto/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/write-personal-manifesto/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:38:55 GMT Manifesto: a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-image-hate-thighs/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-image-hate-thighs/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:22:36 GMT She hates her thighs, the sight of them drive her mad. The tissue is soft, the weakness mocks her. Yet she is somehow pulled into the ritual of gazing and when not in front of a reflection, imagining the horror of her flesh. She is repulsed by its frailty, yet it eludes her, defies her, mocks her then, paradoxically, defines her. It continues despite her efforts to be rid of it. At first she is awash with hopelessness at this self-reflected failure. Reactively, almost immediately, she is stirred into motivation by the powerful endorphins of anger, the drive of dopamine. She is going to do something about it. She will refute any signs of hunger, a sneer. She will rise above the pain of exhaustion as she sweats away the frailty she so disapproves of, pounding the pavement, the treadmill, anything she can find that lets her feel in charge. She will conquer the imperfection. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/chronic-pain-twenties-thirties/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/chronic-pain-twenties-thirties/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:02:46 GMT I?ve written a few times here about the experience of having multiple sclerosis. Truth be told, as a woman over the age of 50, when getting together with friends in my age range we?ve all got some condition or other. Fibromyalgia, bad knees, arthritis, diabetes. Decades ago we met for coffee to talk about our love lives, careers, college, and next weekend?s ski trip. Nowadays, the topics have shifted to gluten-free diets, Neurontin versus Elavil for chronic pain, and sharing the name of our great new internist. I?m in good company, and even though we are all active, busy, happy professionals with families and friends, physical and emotional challenges creeping into our conversations have certainly become the norm. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapy-work-success/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapy-work-success/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:42:25 GMT What are your basic needs? Do any of your basic needs fit into the categories of better health and conquering specific fears? Do health issues or your fears hold you back from living fully and contributing in the way you would like to? What can you do to help yourself? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-esteem-action/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-esteem-action/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:57:30 GMT Self-esteem is not a thing that?s either high or low that we carry around with us. Nor is it a thing we wear to protect ourselves from pain. Self-esteem is not a thing at all: it?s an action. It?s something we do. We esteem ourselves. What high self-esteem means is that you treat yourself as someone you hold in high esteem; i.e., you act as if you like yourself. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/summer-solstice-life-cycle/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/summer-solstice-life-cycle/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:37:40 GMT In January, shortly after the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, I wrote an article called ?The Light is Born and then?? and in it we met the fear of darkness that lives within. Today, as we are moving quickly toward the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, may what you read be perhaps surprising, and hopefully enlightening and healing for you. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/connecting-core-parenting-relationships/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/connecting-core-parenting-relationships/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:29:26 GMT Developing Resilience and Groundedness with Mindfulness http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-and-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-and-eating-disorders/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:49:46 GMT When you hear someone has experienced a trauma, your initial thought is they were involved in some catastrophic event. Rarely does the image of an everyday problem or situation enter your mind; in most cases the later doesn?t even make it on your radar. The smaller traumatic events, which have been labeled by some as small ?t? traumas, are just as important to consider when it comes to working with people with a mental health issue (C. Patterson-Sterling, personal communication, November, 2010). http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/creativity-shadow/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/creativity-shadow/ Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:43:47 GMT I recently ordered Deepak and Gotham Chopra?s book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes on my iPad. I haven?t been this excited to read something since I read Carl Jung?s book The Archetypes many years ago. Luckily my iPad can hold both books and more at about 2 lbs. Both books address the archetype of  ?shadow?. Both Chopra and Jung describe shadow as a force of the unconscious that can be destructive, divisive and self-sabotaging when it remains unconscious. Shadow is that part of the human condition, that most mortals attempt to ignore or deny in favor of a self-perception inflated or deflated by ego, neither of which can be sustained without some form of self-destruction. We see this in the lives of adult politicians, entertainers and sports heroes who have been in the media lately for crimes of passion, adultery, and exploitation. The denial and repression of shadow has allowed ego to ?act out? in blatant ways. Because shadow was repressed they thought they would never get caught or that they were somehow above the laws that govern the rest of us. Denial of shadow sets humans up to be destroyed. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/exercise-contemplation/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/exercise-contemplation/ Mon, 6 Jun 2011 20:20:43 GMT In my practice I often meet clients experiencing crisis, whether midlife, spiritual or existential, and sometimes it?s a combination of all of these. Laurinda (not her real name) was such a person. Laurinda came to see me once she was on the verge of complete emotional and physical collapse. The immediate trigger of the breakdown had been the fact that she had missed an important meeting at which she was to have given a presentation to a professional group, but after hearing a bit more of her story, it was obvious that Laurinda was perpetually stressed from attempting to manage not one, but two, professional careers, hosting a book discussion group, guest blogging for several websites related to her professional work, and micro-managing the affairs of an elderly family member - all while ignoring a medical condition with orthopedic and neurological overtones that had emanated from a birth defect. She was also abstinent from prescription drug abuse and ?allegedly? - she told me somewhat wryly - actively working a twelve-step program.  To top it all off, Laurinda was attempting to preserve a long-term but now shaky relationship with a long-term partner who had recently suddenly exploded, said she couldn?t take it any more, and moved out. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/full-recovery-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/full-recovery-eating-disorders/ Wed, 1 Jun 2011 21:04:15 GMT After 6 years in the depths of anorexia, my eating disorder was a way of life. Starving had become my world. It was the way I dealt with anger, fear, hurt, frustration, disappointment, and every other even slightly uncomfortable feeling. I managed my weight to manage my life. Anorexia was my control, my way of communicating, and my way of avoiding, and it was the one thing I felt like I did really well. I was awesome at losing weight. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/comorbid-mental-illness-addiction/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/comorbid-mental-illness-addiction/ Thu, 26 May 2011 20:28:36 GMT I was very young when I knew I wanted to be a therapist. I became particularly interested in depression and how people deal with traumatic events. Never in a million years did I think I would be an addiction expert. After my graduate studies I took an internship at a substance abuse outpatient center. This was purely by chance and because they had a good reputation for offering really good supervision. During my internship it quickly became clear to me that my graduate program in mental health had left me ill prepared to work with substance abuse issues. I kept screening for mental health symptoms because that?s what I knew and we tend to go where we feel comfortable. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/acceptance-commitment-therapy-functional-contextualism/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/acceptance-commitment-therapy-functional-contextualism/ Thu, 26 May 2011 19:45:50 GMT When I was a youngster, about eight years old, I played hide and seek with some of the neighborhood kids. As I fervently and keenly scanned for a good hiding place I happened upon a broken down and rusted refrigerator in an old man?s yard. It was the perfect size so I quickly hopped inside and shut the door (which had lost all of it?s suction) behind me and waited out the hunt smiling with eager anticipation. I emerged from that old icebox the victor that day. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/growing-joy-healing-connection/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/growing-joy-healing-connection/ Wed, 25 May 2011 22:30:14 GMT 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. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/year-round-grief/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/year-round-grief/ Tue, 24 May 2011 21:41:53 GMT Everyone knows that grieving people go through trying times around the holiday season, but the stretch of months from October's end through the New Year are not the only times that special days occur. Spring and summer months bring with them a whole host of potentially difficult days for the grieving and bereaved. With spring comes Easter and Passover, May brings Mother's Day and Memorial Day, June holds Father's Day. Weddings are in abundance, and most graduations, from pre- through grad school, happen during late spring and the early days of summer. Anniversary days, including wedding anniversaries for grieving spouses, as well as anniversaries of the date of a loved one's death, can happen at any time of the year. This is also true of birthdays, for those who have died, as well as for those of us who are living. My own birthday in the first year following my son's death was a terribly sad day for me. It was one of my more difficult days during that "year of firsts." I didn't think about it beforehand and no one told me that it would be so hard. Perhaps I should have expected it, but it blindsided me. My birthdays have gotten a little bit less raw with each passing year, but no matter what, the knowledge that my first-born child will never be here to celebrate the day with our family is painful. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-poetry/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-poetry/ Tue, 24 May 2011 20:39:41 GMT We are the only species on Earth capable of preventing our own flowering http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-shorter-life-expectancy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-shorter-life-expectancy/ Tue, 24 May 2011 19:00:31 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/negative-effects-forcing-happiness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/negative-effects-forcing-happiness/ Thu, 19 May 2011 19:00:47 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/major-mental-illness-family-relationships/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/major-mental-illness-family-relationships/ Mon, 16 May 2011 19:42:58 GMT For all the research that has been done in the last twenty years attempting to understand the brain, the organ at the top of our spine retains its essential mystery. We know more now than ever how the brain works, how it has developed over the centuries to do the miraculous things it does, and what is happening to it when it gets injured. Doctors, parents, coaches and professional athletes are more alert to the dangers of brain concussion. Neurologists study to become adept at repairing the brain with surgery, cellular transplant, or electrical stimulus. Every one of us has a stake in the health of our minds. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-root-healing/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-root-healing/ Fri, 13 May 2011 19:44:12 GMT Oh no! Not another media medical correspondent saying what Catherine Zeta-Jones is dealing with ? bipolar two ? is not curable, but can only be managed and controlled. Not only did one more medical editor say this about Zeta-Jones, but he said it about mental illness in general: ?When it comes to mental illness, you talk about it more as controlled and managed*?? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/scale-traumatic-events/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/scale-traumatic-events/ Thu, 12 May 2011 19:31:50 GMT Simply put, when it comes to traumatic experiences, there is no hierarchy of pain. Many survivors believe ? or want to believe ? that trauma is scalable and therefore more or less than someone else?s. While this belief is understandable and does offer some benefits it ultimately is more flawed than accurate. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/relatives-addiction-alanon/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/relatives-addiction-alanon/ Wed, 11 May 2011 01:18:54 GMT Many of the partners or loved ones (POLOs) of those struggling with addiction often seem reluctant to get help for themselves. I?m not sure why that is, but I?m hoping this article provides some answers. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/excessive-emotional-pain-suicide/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/excessive-emotional-pain-suicide/ Mon, 9 May 2011 18:07:44 GMT This article contains detailed information and accounts of suicidal ideation & behavior. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, get help now. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/redefining-spoiled-identity/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/redefining-spoiled-identity/ Thu, 5 May 2011 23:04:49 GMT Each of us has our own unique identity made up of a combination of personality traits, personal and family history, and other attributes. But what happens inside when an identity is not celebrated by a person?s community? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/internalized-oppression-inner-voice/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/internalized-oppression-inner-voice/ Tue, 3 May 2011 23:08:18 GMT For some people, the answer to the question of, ?What does prejudice and discrimination have to with mental health?? is clear, and for others it is not. After all, prejudice and discrimination happen to people from the outside and mental health focuses primarily on what is happening for people on the inside, right? However, as a psychotherapist, I think that understanding the impact of these outside forces on mental health is necessary and important to achieving internal balance and peace of mind. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/paramita-patience/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/paramita-patience/ Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:44:57 GMT This month our Paramita, or practice on the path towards happiness, is Patience. The practice of patience involves a shift in our perspective. Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein says patience ??remains present as long as the mind remembers that things end?when their conditioning causes end...? Conditioning causes are the elements that are coming together in this particular place and time that are causing us stress. In other words, have patience, this too shall pass. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/children-adhd-substance-abuse/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/children-adhd-substance-abuse/ Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:00:23 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/wife-post-partum-depression/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/wife-post-partum-depression/ Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:00:57 GMT If you are the significant other/partner/support person/spouse of a woman who is experiencing perinatal challenges, you are not alone. Over 20% of all childbearing women develop postpartum depression/anxiety (clinical term). And a significant percentage of those women also have depression/anxiety while pregnant. It can feel very overwhelming as her primary support, and you may be wondering how to help her. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-image-transgender/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-image-transgender/ Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:29:58 GMT I decided to dedicate myself to investigating and writing about the experience of body in transgendered people. Though I am by no means ?expert? in working with this population, I have learned significantly from clients I have worked with who identified themselves as transgendered. I set out to organize my observations and insights by grounding them in current research, to offer something of use to the reader that was legitimized by work in the field. It struck me that in looking at body appearance satisfaction we could learn a lot from people who experience being born with, and living with, a body that they experience as opposite of what they were suppose to have. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/suicide-bad-economy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/suicide-bad-economy/ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:00:18 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/eating-disorders-control-change/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/eating-disorders-control-change/ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:09:57 GMT It?s that time of year- spring! It?s about renewal and rebirth: life-force energy that has lain dormant through winter is now resurging above ground, driving the emergence of flowers and tender young shoots. I look out my window and can no longer see the street for the riot of leaves. Spring is a colorful illustration of the ongoing flow of life, a testament to the fact that everything is always changing. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-boredom/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-boredom/ Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:59:37 GMT Lois has five minutes left to her fifth session and is now having a flash of insight; ?I'm bored to death with therapy,? she thinks. ?This is getting me nowhere.? She feels close to her therapist and decides that he deserves more than a false excuse. ?Look?, she says, ?I think we can both agree that we're nearing the end here.? Unsure about how to respond to his neutral facial reactions, Lois plunges forward. ?Believe me, I'm as bored by myself as you probably are. But there's no reason to pretend that we're making progress here when I'm just going over the same issues, again and again. You've been trying. I know you have. But I've got nothing else to discover about myself. I'm done. That's all there is. I'm just done.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcohol-bottom-out/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcohol-bottom-out/ Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:09:02 GMT It has been said in AA, "An addict needs to bottom out twice to get better. First from alcohol, and later emotionally." http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-psychotherapy-adults/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-psychotherapy-adults/ Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:27:23 GMT Whenever I am asked what I do for a living I start by saying that I am a Psychotherapist, an Art Psychotherapist. The person will often make attempts to qualify my answer by asking??Are you a psychiatrist?? ?No,? I answer. ?I don?t prescribe medication and I am not an MD.? Sometimes they go on in their inquiry ??Are you an Analysist?? ?No.? I reply, ?I am an Art Psychotherapist.? ?Oh,? they invariably say, ?I?ve heard of that. You work with children.? ?No,? I reply. ?All my clients are adults. Mostly young adults, middle aged adults and older adults. I help people with emotional problems like a talk therapist does but I use the creative processes in my work.? ?Oh, your clients are artists? They make paintings and drawings?? The answer I give is that ?Yes, often my clients are artists and they do make paintings and drawings. They may either bring in their artwork into session or they may make a painting/drawing with watercolor, acrylics, inks, and/or pencils in session. They may work quickly in one session or they may work on the same piece over the course of several weeks. Some of my clients consider themselves artists, designers, or writers. Some of them come from the applied arts like: design, fashion, jewelry, theater, and some from the fine arts of painting, drawing, sculpture and/or the electronic arts, such as photography, video and film. Many people who are not in the arts are creative and open to discussing their dreams or creatively expressing themselves. For example, many people in the military have captured images, videos and sounds of their experiences. These can be very powerful to work with in Art Psychotherapy. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sharing-trauma-story/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sharing-trauma-story/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:35:35 GMT We, the human species, are a social bunch; which is of course a wonderful, important and vital component to our existence, however our social nature can also occasion hurt and pain. Such hurt and pain can arise when we do not know how to incorporate the fact and impact of traumatic experiences with our social selves. Often times we swing from the extremes of not acknowledging these events to introducing ourselves as being a survivor of the trauma, with neither of these avenues generating enriching social relations. While there is not a right or wrong way, here are a few points to help you decide how to answers questions or share the traumatic events of your life with new friends/family. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-attack-depression/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-attack-depression/ Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:15:26 GMT I want to continue to talk about the clusters of depression symptoms that cause people to suffer in very different ways. Last time I talked about the low ambition cluster; this time I want to talk about the self-attack cluster. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/low-income-mental-illness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/low-income-mental-illness/ Thu, 7 Apr 2011 06:00:55 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-adult-adhd/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-adult-adhd/ Wed, 6 Apr 2011 19:00:52 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-workaholism-superwoman-stress/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-workaholism-superwoman-stress/ Tue, 5 Apr 2011 21:36:54 GMT ?Mindfulness is a tool to get underneath our defenses. When we can observe ourselves closely, experiencing our feelings but not reacting to them, we don?t have to pretend that we don?t feel.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/social-anxiety-misread-facial-expressions/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/social-anxiety-misread-facial-expressions/ Tue, 5 Apr 2011 06:00:28 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/child-mental-health-future-relationships/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/child-mental-health-future-relationships/ Sat, 2 Apr 2011 06:00:29 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/human-relationship-good-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/human-relationship-good-psychotherapy/ Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:12:06 GMT May (1983) wrote that the most fundamental aspect of therapy is being and that, therefore, the value of the human encounter in therapy far outweighs complex understandings about a person?s psychological makeup or the technical skill of a guru. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/female-sexual-development-lesbian-bisexual/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/female-sexual-development-lesbian-bisexual/ Fri, 1 Apr 2011 19:54:55 GMT I love Lady Gaga for her crusade to educate the masses about the normalcy of homosexuality as well as any personality quirk that might seem to make one person stand apart from the next. Everything in her personal presentation and body of work, including her latest release ?Born this Way?, not only preaches but demonstrates the virtue of individuality, acceptance of self and others, and the beauty of expressing one?s true inner self, in whatever form it may take. I see the way she affects the ?tweens? with whom I work and I praise her for it. And although the premise of her new song is inspirational and certainly in keeping with the idea of homosexuality as a natural state, I want more. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/daughter-recovery-emotional-abuse/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/daughter-recovery-emotional-abuse/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:15:47 GMT My 85 year old father had a stroke recently. He is a survivor of the Holocaust, as was my mother of blessed memory. My father has survived once again. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/grief-loss-child-yoga-chanting/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/grief-loss-child-yoga-chanting/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:57:55 GMT When he was three months old, my firstborn child was diagnosed with a choroid plexus carcinoma, a rare, aggressive brain tumor that grows on the structure inside the brain that makes cerebral spinal fluid. Two weeks after the initial resection of the tumor, and two more subsequent surgeries to drain fluid from his brain, he endured his first chemotherapy treatment. Three days following the administration of the chemo, a CT scan revealed that his brain was completely destroyed. The scan showed no healthy tissue. Doctors called it ?total neurological devastation.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/resources-coping-fertility-challenges/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/resources-coping-fertility-challenges/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:48:54 GMT Spring has arrived. The landscape is greening up, buds are shooting through the grass, birds chirping. Longer daylight hours. Rabbits bring baskets with chocolate. All can be honky-dory at this time of nature's bounty with wildlife awakening from hibernation and bringing young into the world... http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/visiting-friend-cancer-treatment/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/visiting-friend-cancer-treatment/ Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:15:57 GMT ?Dave? is a 72 year old man who recently found out that his friend ?Carl? has colon cancer. Carl had surgery and ended up with a colostomy. His prognosis was not very good.  Dave went to see him in the hospital.  Carl didn?t look so good, but Dave wasn?t about to tell him that.  ?You look great,? Dave said.  Carl smiled wanly.  Fortunately, there was a game on the television.  Dave and Carl watched it as their wives chatted about one thing and another. After about 15 minutes, Dave just had to get out of there. Later, in the car, his wife asked him why he wanted to leave so abruptly. Dave?s answer was a very common one given when people are interacting with cancer patients:  ?I just didn?t know what to say.? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jungian-psychotherapy-dreams-online-resources/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jungian-psychotherapy-dreams-online-resources/ Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:00:30 GMT ... the content of the collective unconscious http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-support-mental-illness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-support-mental-illness/ Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:00:04 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/overcome-sex-pornography-addiction/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/overcome-sex-pornography-addiction/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:41:17 GMT ?I?ve tried so many times and so many different ways, what is the point of trying anymore?? ?I am too ashamed, what will others think if I admit this?? ?Is there really a way to overcome this, it feels like too much?? These are just a few of the statements I repeatedly hear from individuals who struggle with sex addiction and truly believing that there is no hope, or at least it feels that way to them. Have you wondered if sex addiction is really an addiction? Well, consider these statistics: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/naked-therapist/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/naked-therapist/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:56:36 GMT As I say in the prologue to my book, Power, Abused, Power Healed: Every form of power can be used well or misused... Sexuality has been used as a weapon to rape and dominate, as a substitute for unmet childhood bonding and physical touch, and as an exquisite sacred expression of love and union.* http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/low-risk-lifestyle-long-life/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/low-risk-lifestyle-long-life/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:57:32 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/video-art-therapy-jimmy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/video-art-therapy-jimmy/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 23:06:45 GMT Full permission has been given by the client to tell this story on GoodTherapy.org. All identifying information has been changed. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/authority-family-origin-power/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/authority-family-origin-power/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:25:56 GMT What is happening in the Middle East right now is a very complex subject. It?s very difficult to look at more than one perspective at a time, much like the blind folks in the room with an elephant, each thinking he or she knows what an elephant is from feeling it, while only describing one part of the elephant ? the tail, the trunk, the foot, the ear, the belly. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/negative-classroom-environment-children-mental-health/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/negative-classroom-environment-children-mental-health/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:00:23 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/older-women-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/older-women-eating-disorders/ Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:00:58 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/racial-identity-happiness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/racial-identity-happiness/ Wed, 9 Mar 2011 07:00:33 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/yoga-eating-disorders/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/yoga-eating-disorders/ Wed, 9 Mar 2011 04:25:13 GMT 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. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/children-self-assertion-talking-back/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/children-self-assertion-talking-back/ Mon, 7 Mar 2011 18:26:05 GMT At every stage of development, children thrive when their parents listen to their ideas about what they want even if those ideas are very different from parents? wishes for their children. When you consider and take your child?s perspective seriously, you are giving your child a gift of respecting their growing unique individual selves. This doesn?t mean you have to agree or say yes, but you do need to express your understanding of what your child wishes. When you are able to consider that your child is not talking back, but may be asserting his developing self, you will be providing your child with the foundation for developing self-confidence and self-esteem. Differences create much less distance between parent and child when they are acknowledged and respected. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/positivity-longer-lifespan/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/positivity-longer-lifespan/ Mon, 7 Mar 2011 17:04:10 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-awareness-physical-fitness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/body-awareness-physical-fitness/ Mon, 7 Mar 2011 16:59:31 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-grief-creativity/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-illness-grief-creativity/ Fri, 4 Mar 2011 21:19:11 GMT During my career, I had the privilege of working with adults living with severe and persistent mental illness in an outpatient program at a local behavioral health center.  Although frequently grouped together and labeled as ?crazy? or ?nuts? ? as well as ?dangerous? - in popular parlance, this was hardly a homogeneous population. There were people in their late teens, adults and senior citizens from many different cultural backgrounds, living with varying symptoms and in various stages of the ?disease? process: from newly diagnosed to chronic. Among those I counseled were people with ? according to the DSM-IV-TR, the so-called ?Bible of mental illness? - severe depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders, schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder; some had mixed symptoms of a number of different disorders. Few were employable; many had little if any family support; more than half lived in adult congregate living facilities; most survived on Social Security and Medicaid, and many had done so for years. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/baby-toddler-mental-health-problems/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/baby-toddler-mental-health-problems/ Thu, 3 Mar 2011 20:14:18 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-cluster-view-low-ambition/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/depression-cluster-view-low-ambition/ Wed, 2 Mar 2011 21:32:44 GMT Depression varies from person to person and episode to episode. It not only varies in its degree of intensity and disability, but also in which types and how many symptoms the sufferer experiences. Some people do experience most of the symptoms of depression when they get depressed, but many people experience only one or a few. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/adolescent-alcohol-use-alcoholism/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/adolescent-alcohol-use-alcoholism/ Wed, 2 Mar 2011 19:40:20 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/state-finances-affecting-low-income-mental-health-care/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/state-finances-affecting-low-income-mental-health-care/ Tue, 1 Mar 2011 21:23:46 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/chronic-illness-good-fit/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/chronic-illness-good-fit/ Tue, 1 Mar 2011 00:20:23 GMT I was flipping through a parenting magazine the other day while waiting for my daughter to finish speech therapy when the term ?goodness of fit? caught my eye. I remember this term well from my graduate school days.  Goodness of fit is the degree to which a child?s temperament matches the demands of his or her environment- mainly through parenting. In other words, are the child and parent a good fit for each other given their respective personalities and emotional responses? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-sabotage-alcoholism-recovery/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-sabotage-alcoholism-recovery/ Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:59:37 GMT Nothing is more discouraging in the process of ending your alcohol abuse than encountering sabotaging spouses, friends, children, colleagues, and others. But it's a common reality it pays to be prepared for. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/detect-depression/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/detect-depression/ Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:52:24 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-body-image-media/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-body-image-media/ Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:58:24 GMT As a psychotherapist working often with people with eating disorders, I have helped many clients who were suffering from a negative body image. They may or may not have a struggle with food, but they don?t like their bodies, they don?t take pleasure in their bodies, they think their bodies are ugly. These are usually very attractive people. Where does this problem originate? What does it really mean to have a poor body image? What is the negative impact of living with this? How serious is it? What seems to makes it worse? What makes it better? How can we begin to have a deeper understanding of this issue in order to make a difference in the lives of people who struggle with negative body image? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/healing-hate-speech/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/healing-hate-speech/ Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:40:54 GMT On January 8, 2011, there was a tragic massacre in Tucson, Arizona. A young man tried to assassinate Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and killed, maimed, scared and shocked many others in the process. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-cancer-return-work/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/women-cancer-return-work/ Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:24:00 GMT ?Anna? is a 48 year-old woman who finished chemotherapy for ovarian cancer about a month ago. She came to see me because she was feeling ?kind of depressed? and had very little energy. Prior to her diagnosis, Anna was working full time as a middle school teacher. She was married and a mother of two teenagers. She described herself as hardworking and someone who ?got things done.? Anna initially thought she would go back to teaching part time after her treatment was finished and was very disappointed because it seemed impossible now. She wondered why she wasn?t able to do the things she thought she should be able to do, i.e., why wasn?t she back to ?normal?? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-writing-personal-myth/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-writing-personal-myth/ Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:19:39 GMT Without playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination if incalculable. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapy-workplace/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/play-therapy-workplace/ Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:48:08 GMT I love this quote; I have to work so hard to play. For many of us play does not come easily. Try wrapping your arms around the idea that you are not your work. What makes you successful? What do you consider achievements? If your list of successes and achievements are all on the highly difficult side of things then I would like to suggest a slight adjustment. Are you successful when things come easily or when you feel good about what you achieved? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/eating-disorder-sensitivity-compassion/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/eating-disorder-sensitivity-compassion/ Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:00:31 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/voice-dialogue-transpersonal-perspective/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/voice-dialogue-transpersonal-perspective/ Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:22:32 GMT This is the fourth in a series of articles on the Scapegoat and how Voice Dialogue can help heal this ancient phenomenon that continues to occur within all human communities and within certain sensitive and susceptible individuals. The first two articles explored the Shadow, the phenomenon called projection, and the history of the Scapegoat in human communities. The third article begins the sorting and healing process through Voice Dialogue sessions with a composite client named Helen. See the first three articles here. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/appropriate-conversations-counseling-spirituality/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/appropriate-conversations-counseling-spirituality/ Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:50:32 GMT A client of mine who is currently ?taking a break? for financial and other reasons wrote me an email letting me know that part of the reason for his decision was that he did not feel that our discussions about spirituality were a productive use of his time. Coincidently, we were at the point where he would have had to pay his deductible (meaning he would have out-of-pocket costs for his sessions rather than a small copay). He said he did not think he wanted to spend his time on ??that type of conversation? and that it was not really what he came for (even though he did say he wanted to develop his spiritual self once we got past some very major issues). It was also ironic that he really had no one else in his life to talk about spirituality but me and that as an Ordained Yoruba Priest I was also uniquely qualified. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcoholic-relapse-one-drink/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcoholic-relapse-one-drink/ Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:26:47 GMT I had a client we'll call Steven who recently "went out," as twelve step so poetically describes relapsing. He walked away from fifteen years of sobriety, his career, his wife and his teenage son to go on a six months binge that left him in the hospital recovering from a hypertensive episode his doctor told him was "not conducive to survival." He described being called to task that fateful day by his boss. He phoned his wife on the way home and received more criticism instead of sympathy. The Bluetooth connection dropped just as Steven passed a bar. He thought to himself, "Screw it, I'll have one drink." The rest, as they say, is history. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/singles-guide-happy-valentines-day/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/singles-guide-happy-valentines-day/ Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:07:53 GMT Being single around Valentine's Day can kind of feel like getting picked last in gym class. The kid who gets picked last in gym class really lacks only athletic ability. Yet, as name after name is called on the playground, the kid whose name has yet to be called feels worse and worse about herself. By the time the team with the last pick finally has to take her, she feels like a totally worthless loser. Certainly, this kid is not a worthless loser. She?s just not a jock.  Likewise, around Valentine's Day, single people who see bouquet after bouquet of flowers being delivered may feel worse and worse about themselves, until they feel just like the kid who got picked last? a worthless loser. And just like the ?last pick? kid really lacks only athletic gifts, the single person really lacks only a partner. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-images-art-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-images-art-therapy/ Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:50:26 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/panic-attack-perceived-danger/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/panic-attack-perceived-danger/ Wed, 9 Feb 2011 18:50:26 GMT Since many survivors of a traumatic life event(s) experience the grip of panic attacks, I want to focus on demystifying these sometimes painful and often frightening experiences. While it may seem that there is no benefit from a panic attack, in its essence, a panic attack is an attempt by your body and mind to protect you from a perceived danger. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/kings-speech-therapy-healing/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/kings-speech-therapy-healing/ Wed, 9 Feb 2011 18:01:42 GMT Recently, I saw the movie The King?s Speech. A touching, powerful example of how politics and psychology are woven together! It?s also a beautiful portrayal of the hard work and the full commitment it takes in a healing venture ? on both sides, that of the therapist and that of the client. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/meditation-juvenile-delinquent-counseling/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/meditation-juvenile-delinquent-counseling/ Fri, 4 Feb 2011 00:32:09 GMT Stress Management group came around once every 3 months in the adolescent court diversion program at which I spent a number of years as a counselor. Although life skills training was strongly emphasized throughout the program, much repetition was required, and on this day I and my co-facilitator had less than 2 hours to impart some useful information connecting concepts of healthy stress management practices, personal wellbeing and sobriety for a group of boisterous, uproarious and occasionally obnoxiously behaving teens. Dutifully copying much-used handouts and anticipating leading questions to get the group going once check-ins were completed and latecomers seated, I wondered what could be done to arouse interest in a discussion of this topic beyond the level of interest we?d seen from clients in past groups: interest in enumerating all of the things that others ? parents, teachers, counselors, peers, law enforcement and the judge ? were doing to stress them out! Reluctant to take responsibility for whatever behavior might have precipitated their being arrested, charged and referred to the program, many of the kids laid the blame for their woes at others? feet. As might be expected, many were quite reactive to having their views challenged, regardless of how respectfully and therapeutically this was done. And, when it came to talking about antidotes to stress, group members often tried to steer the discussion back to one of their favorite stress relief methods - using alcohol and other illicit substances - turning the group into a forum for debate rather than self-reflection and learning. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/teen-child-suicide-signs/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/teen-child-suicide-signs/ Tue, 1 Feb 2011 04:28:30 GMT Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Teenagers pose a greater risk of completed suicides because often they act impulsively without considering all of the consequences.  Suicide affects the entire community in which it occurs family, friends, teachers, neighbors, acquaintances; everyone is touched by the loss of any one to suicide.  Suicide can be preventable and with knowledge of signs, and symptoms and what to do, people?s lives can be saved.  Currently more men die when attempting suicide but more women overall attempt suicide. In the United States, approximately 18 per 100,000 males complete suicide each year, and four per 100,000 females complete suicide each year.  Several risk factors correlate towards a person committing suicide, including severe illness, depression, hopelessness, substance abuse, and problem gambling. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/vfw-bartender-training-program/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/vfw-bartender-training-program/ Sat, 29 Jan 2011 07:00:55 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/change-self-defeating-beliefs-behaviors/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/change-self-defeating-beliefs-behaviors/ Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:42:13 GMT Now that you understand what co-dependency is and how it develops, where do you start your healing process. It involves changing some lifelong beliefs and behaviors. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/surgeons-high-suicide-rates/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/surgeons-high-suicide-rates/ Sat, 22 Jan 2011 07:00:41 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/animals-psyche-jung/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/animals-psyche-jung/ Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:32:54 GMT Anima(ls) meaning breath?.soul http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/life-goals-new-year-resolutions/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/life-goals-new-year-resolutions/ Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:11:03 GMT It's that time of year again ? the gyms are packed, nicotine patches are flying off the shelves, and book shelves are loaded with titles that promise dramatic weight loss and a svelte new figure. The obligatory New Year's Resolutions are made, and all too often, are forgotten as quickly as they were made. By now, mid-January, many have already abandoned their resolutions. But, why? A new year seems like the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, right? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/spiritual-bankruptcy-depression/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/spiritual-bankruptcy-depression/ Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:55:55 GMT The term ?spiritual bankruptcy? is a word used in the rooms of 12 step programs to characterize addicts who have lost their connection to ?higher power.? One dictionary definition describes spiritual bankruptcy as ?a state of complete lack of some abstract property.? As we begin the year, I?ve been pondering what I believe ?spiritual bankruptcy? means and how it appears in the people I know personally and treat in my practice. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-years-resolutions-depression-play-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-years-resolutions-depression-play-therapy/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:32:52 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-eating-obesity/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-eating-obesity/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:52:40 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/dying-regrets-self-kindness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/dying-regrets-self-kindness/ Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:30:49 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/resolution-change-winter-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/resolution-change-winter-psychotherapy/ Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:58:33 GMT As we enter a new year, we cannot help but gather a new resolve to make changes in our lives. It is a phenomenon of our culture. It is also an expression of natural rhythms of life.  Perhaps, even further, it is an indication of hope?if not faith?in something more. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/victim-survivor-thriver-trauma-stages/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/victim-survivor-thriver-trauma-stages/ Fri, 7 Jan 2011 17:03:53 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-years-resolution-perfectionism-resilience/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/new-years-resolution-perfectionism-resilience/ Wed, 5 Jan 2011 15:00:10 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/california-prison-therapy-modules/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/california-prison-therapy-modules/ Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:00:42 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/possessions-companionship-loneliness-buy-happiness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/possessions-companionship-loneliness-buy-happiness/ Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:00:18 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/facebook-depression-self-esteem-support/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/facebook-depression-self-esteem-support/ Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:55:54 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/preteen-problems-violence-aggression-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/preteen-problems-violence-aggression-therapy/ Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:43:06 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/ptsd-diagnostic-criteria-where%e2%80%99s-the-human-factor/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/ptsd-diagnostic-criteria-where%e2%80%99s-the-human-factor/ Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:00:54 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-esteem-holidays-family-communication/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/self-esteem-holidays-family-communication/ Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:44:47 GMT Last month we met Melinda and Sharon (not actual people), two women for whom the holidays mean obligation rather than joy. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/relational-psychotherapy-intersubjective-psychotherapy-relationship/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/relational-psychotherapy-intersubjective-psychotherapy-relationship/ Thu, 2 Dec 2010 22:20:39 GMT A good place to begin a discussion of Relational Psychology might well be with the all too familiar experience of the ?awkward silence?. At some point in the therapeutic process a moment occurs that seems out of context. A Kleenex box is dropped. An offhand comment gets drowned out by the wail of an ambulance siren. The squeaky chair makes another embarrassing sound. It is during such everyday gaffes as these that the two people in a room are reminded of their shared humanity. Nothing too dramatic has occurred yet, in this moment of meeting, the roles between that of helper and client may appear temporarily confused. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-health-professionals-depression/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mental-health-professionals-depression/ Wed, 1 Dec 2010 07:00:59 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/socioeconomic-status-unmarried-men-depression-emotional-intelligence-stress/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/socioeconomic-status-unmarried-men-depression-emotional-intelligence-stress/ Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:00:50 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/somatic-experiencing-psychotherapy-personal-history/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/somatic-experiencing-psychotherapy-personal-history/ Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:59:14 GMT ?I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.? -  Louisa May Alcott http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/childhood-sexual-abuse-trauma-art-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/childhood-sexual-abuse-trauma-art-therapy/ Fri, 5 Nov 2010 14:34:41 GMT When November arrives, depression is not far behind. Something about the turn of the season, less daylight, less outdoor activities, the holiday bustle nudging its way back into consciousness can make some people turn inward and find deep dissatisfaction in their lives. Deep dissatisfaction can show up as a persistent weight pulling you down. Sometimes it is hard to get out of bed, to do anything. Most people are able to cope with these feelings by ?pushing through? or ?acting as if? they are feeling alright.  Enrolling in new classes, filling calendars with arts, sports, theater, shopping and exercise routines can help lift depression. ?Crafting? marketed by Martha Stewart has hit the culture in a big way. She was featured on Oprah in October, 2010. Her crafting ideas are well thought out and planned to provide hours of pleasure that some people find in making things. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/voice-dialogue-psychotherapy-inner-scapegoat/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/voice-dialogue-psychotherapy-inner-scapegoat/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:17:56 GMT This is the third in a series of articles on the Scapegoat and how Voice Dialogue can help heal this ancient phenomenon that continues to occur within all human communities and within certain sensitive and susceptible individuals. The first two articles explored the Shadow, the phenomenon called projection, and the history of the Scapegoat in human communities. See the first two articles at: http://www.goodtherapy.org/voice-dialogue-article.html. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/prevention-military-suicide-life-transition-psychology/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/prevention-military-suicide-life-transition-psychology/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:00:43 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sex-addict-spouse-relationship-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sex-addict-spouse-relationship-therapy/ Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:52:45 GMT So often when the topic of Sexual Addiction comes up, the primary focus is on the sex addict, the symptoms and causes of sex addiction, and the journey to freedom from sexual addiction.  While this is certainly a much needed focal point, something very important often gets overlooked and that is the effect sexual betrayal has on the spouse of the sex addict! Can you imagine waking up one day to find the world and spouse you thought was one thing but then realize that it is not only completely different, but that you have been betrayed! Certainly there are times when a spouse suspects or feels there is something going on, but many times, spouses are caught totally off-guard and their life feels like it is falling apart and they are all alone. In the moment, it is hard to even think about how to take the next step, let alone put a plan in place to move forward. Where this may be difficult at this point, it is important for the spouses to take care of themselves and try to avoid the downward spiral that can threaten them. Here are a few things to put in place to help on this path: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gay-teen-suicide-parenting-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gay-teen-suicide-parenting-therapy/ Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:06:40 GMT Seth Walsh, 13, Asher Brown, 13, Billy Lucas, 15, Tyler Clementi, 18, Raymond Chase, 19, all died within the last three weeks as a result of suicide. All of them were bullied or harassed for being perceived as gay.  And these are just the names that we know.  There are many others out there suffering and struggling through the discovery of their sexuality. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcohol-abuse-choice-recovery-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/alcohol-abuse-choice-recovery-therapy/ Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:29:03 GMT John, our favorite Australian correspondent, wrote to note that a lot of people don't really want to hear that their alcohol abuse is a choice - and so is fixing it. That came as no surprise to us. After all, what better excuse for continuing drinking than having a "disease" over which you are "powerless"?  And for parents wanting to avoid dealing with their adult children's behavior, well, why not decide that it's a "disease" rather than a choice? All in all it's no surprise that many people prefer this option but it doesn't come without costs. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/peers-mental-health-depression-stigma-relationships/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/peers-mental-health-depression-stigma-relationships/ Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:00:52 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/tai-chi-spirituality-yoruba/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/tai-chi-spirituality-yoruba/ Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:27:58 GMT I recently started studying Tai Chi with a Sensei (Master) who?s almost 69 years old. He moves gracefully and powerfully and also looks great. I was sent to him by the Orishas, the divinities in my religion (Yoruba), whom I trust to guide me in directions that will benefit me. They did not tell me specifically to study Tai Chi with this particular Sensei or even to study Tai Chi at all but this is what I believe they were saying to me when they said that something from the Far East would come into my life that would benefit me. I put the pieces together on my own which is how it?s supposed to work with information we receive on a spiritual level. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/long-term-psychology-heavy-combat-military/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/long-term-psychology-heavy-combat-military/ Sat, 9 Oct 2010 19:00:42 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/grief-decisions-depression-trauma/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/grief-decisions-depression-trauma/ Thu, 7 Oct 2010 13:33:21 GMT Sometimes, when people experience a terrible loss, especially if it?s a traumatic loss, they make a life-changing decision in the middle of the intense emotional pain, often without even realizing it or remembering it. This decision can potentially affect them for the rest of their lives, and can cause chronic depression. People do this as a way of coping with the loss. In the shock of loss, people focus very narrowly on getting through each excruciating moment. Thoughts like ?I?ll never love again? or I?ll never trust again? seem at the time like ways to avoid ever feeling this unbearable pain again. When people aren?t feeling acute pain, and are able to let other life experiences inform their decisions, they don?t usually make these kinds of grief-driven decisions. Let me give you some examples of what I mean. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-therapy-stress-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-therapy-stress-psychotherapy/ Wed, 6 Oct 2010 19:50:47 GMT The news media is filled with negative stories depicting despicable people who were put into powerful positions either by election (politicians) or by talent (sports/entertainment). Newspapers often read like cheap tabloids. We?re bombarded by images online of politicians who are bilking taxpayers of billions of dollars and sports/entertainment heroes whose lives are out-of-control. We are lured to click onto seductive headlines by wiggling bodies vying for our attention. Crime on the streets and in neighborhoods is rising at alarming rates. Promises of health care reform have not trickled down into ordinary people?s lives. In fact, insurance companies more than medical professionals are dictating the treatment people choose and with whom they trust their care. Insurance concerns are in a sense representative of the ?lucky ones? who have health care, access to computers to research their treatment plans and a place to call home. Many, many more people these days are living without access. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/is-depression-over-diagnosed-are-people-simply-unhappy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/is-depression-over-diagnosed-are-people-simply-unhappy/ Mon, 4 Oct 2010 13:32:24 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/teens-psychological-health-psychotherapy-adhd-depression-bipolar/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/teens-psychological-health-psychotherapy-adhd-depression-bipolar/ Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:00:59 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/client-growth-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/client-growth-therapy/ Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:46:11 GMT So, you made it through the hardest part? you made the decision to seek therapy. You asked for recommendations, sorted through therapist profiles and websites, maybe even spoke to a few. Finally, you selected a therapist who you believe can help you, and you are ready to get started. You think you're on your way to feeling better, but then a strange thing starts to happen; you find yourself feeling worse. How can this be? You're seeing a therapist and working hard to get through things. How can you be feeling worse, rather than better? http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/physical-touch-therapy-reduce-pain/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/physical-touch-therapy-reduce-pain/ Sat, 25 Sep 2010 19:00:56 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/codependency-adult-relationships-dysfunction-family-addict/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/codependency-adult-relationships-dysfunction-family-addict/ Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:43:54 GMT How does growing up in a dysfunctional family affect us as adults? The same behaviors and beliefs that we thought enabled us to survive as children cause us a myriad of problems in adulthood. These are so ingrained and automatic that we do them without even realizing it. Changing any of these behaviors provokes anxiety and fear in us, because we think they were a lifeline. In adulthood, they become an albatross around our necks. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anxiety-mind-visualization-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anxiety-mind-visualization-psychotherapy/ Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:18:31 GMT Have you ever gotten an anxious thought stuck in your mind and really wished you just had a mute button for your head? Wouldn?t that be great?! You?re in luck! While I don?t have a new mind-altering remote control device for you to order today, I do have a thought altering trick you can play on your mind; a trick which can significantly reduce the impact of anxious thoughts on your brain and body. A large part of anxiety is driven by your thoughts. The way you feel in your body is directly related to the thoughts you are having. Although you may feel really stuck with the thoughts, you can gain power over them. Here?s how: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-therapy-psychotherapy-children-teens-divorce-parenting/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/family-therapy-psychotherapy-children-teens-divorce-parenting/ Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:48:10 GMT It?s not uncommon for a parent to bring a child to therapy and say, ?Fix it!? Of course, they don?t typically say ?it?; rather, they say, ?Fix Larry!? I can imagine my mother taking me to a therapist when I was in my teens because I needed (as we say down South) ?fixin.? At these moments I intentionally look at the adolescent or child to see their reaction. Sadly, most of them display no reactions at all ? they hear this statement on a regular basis. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anger-stress-communication-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/anger-stress-communication-psychotherapy/ Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:48:23 GMT So let's say you come home from work and it was an ok day. Perhaps you have been feeling stress (a lot of work needing to be done, even though you are managing it, or family stress, the start of another school year, etc.). Ever noticed being at home and then finding yourself irritable with those around you? Maybe you find yourself reacting to what a calmer you would think, "This is not such a big deal. Why am I so upset?" This happens to me too. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/suicide-prevention-psychotherapy-nami/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/suicide-prevention-psychotherapy-nami/ Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:00:58 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-grief-body-psychotherapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-grief-body-psychotherapy/ Thu, 9 Sep 2010 17:08:52 GMT ?It feels heavy right here,? Rebecca* said, crying and touching her chest, ?like a huge rock is sitting on me. It?s like that old cartoon, where a boulder would fall off a cliff and pin the roadrunner to the ground ? it feels like I can?t move.? Rebecca had come to see me last year, a 32 year-old successful marketing professional, whose older sister had recently been diagnosed with a psychotic condition. She seemed lost in grief. Fluctuating bewilderment, sadness, fear, anger, tenderness, and love were tying knots in every part of her. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/individuation-communication-need-family-origin-psychology/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/individuation-communication-need-family-origin-psychology/ Wed, 8 Sep 2010 17:21:32 GMT Individuation is the process by which we become our unique selves in the world. Part of being an individual, of being uniquely who we are, is knowing what we want and need. If we are not comfortable with wanting and needing from others, we could be limiting our lives and our relationships. What we want and need are not just material things. As humans, we have needs for emotional connection, recognition, warmth, empathy, appreciation, love, friendship. Sometimes we are lucky that our needs and wants are met without our having to ask another person for what we want. But, if we have to ask and don?t because we are not comfortable asking, we may deprive ourselves of emotionally gratifying relationships. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-impact-relationships-psychology-love-communication/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-impact-relationships-psychology-love-communication/ Tue, 7 Sep 2010 19:54:24 GMT Most of us are aware that communication and trust are key ingredients in any relationship, yet these pivotal ingredients are often negatively impacted by the vestiges of a traumatic experience. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-psychotherapy-dream-analysis-play/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/jung-psychotherapy-dream-analysis-play/ Tue, 7 Sep 2010 19:15:46 GMT The dream shows the inner truth and reality of the patient as it really is: not as I conjecture it to be, and not as he would like it to be, but as it is. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-depression-psychology-childhood/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-depression-psychology-childhood/ Fri, 3 Sep 2010 19:53:48 GMT In my practice, people trace depression back to trauma most of the time. Emotional trauma is an overwhelming shock to a person?s equilibrium. This may mean getting attacked emotionally, physically or sexually, or witnessing such attacks. It can happen in war, rape, murder, accidents, and even well-intentioned medical procedures. It can also happen in single or repeated incidents of shaming or emotional/verbal attack. It can even happen when heart-breaking losses of any kind occur. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-post-traumatic-psychological-health/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/military-post-traumatic-psychological-health/ Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:00:40 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-sexuality-intimacy-marriage-communication/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-sexuality-intimacy-marriage-communication/ Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:05:33 GMT As noted last month, cancer treatments can have a significant effect on a person?s sexuality and desire to be intimate. Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, which may be worsened by sexual activity, and fatigue, which may persist for months after treatment is finished. Hair loss is another common side effect of chemotherapy, and it can be particularly distressing to women. One woman described feeling like ?an old man? because of her mastectomy and baldness. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/faith-therapy-spirituality/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/faith-therapy-spirituality/ Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:08:06 GMT At times during the past decade in my Spiritual Psychotherapy practice, I?ve advised a skeptical patient to have faith in the process. This is usually in response to a question about how and when he/she will know whether or not the therapy is working. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychology-family-members/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychology-family-members/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:00:16 GMT A GoodTherapy.org News Summary http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/heart-of-forgiveness/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/heart-of-forgiveness/ Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:36:20 GMT Give up contention: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-personality/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-personality/ Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:56:50 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychology-child-soldiers/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychology-child-soldiers/ Mon, 31 May 2010 15:20:25 GMT http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/empathy-for-sociopathy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/empathy-for-sociopathy/ Fri, 28 May 2010 19:33:26 GMT There is no debate about the fact that sociopathy is a real condition which interferes with or precludes the capacity for empathy and remorse. However, there is debate about how sociopathy should be viewed, and I take a unique and unpopular position. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-oncologist/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-oncologist/ Mon, 17 May 2010 17:34:28 GMT From our first appointment with my husband?s oncologist, hours after a CT scan showed large tumors throughout his abdomen, Nolan told me he was sure she was the doctor who was meant to treat him. I didn?t think much of it at the time. I thought he was just trying to reassure himself that things would be ok. But looking back on the year-and-a-half he spent in Dr. Sara Garrido?s care, I can?t imagine him being treated by anyone else. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-caretaker/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cancer-caretaker/ Fri, 14 May 2010 18:45:52 GMT I have taken on many roles in my life: daughter, sister, friend, cousin, niece, girlfriend, fiancé, college graduate, wife, and new mother. But in April of 2008, I took on a very unexpected role, one that challenged me more than I ever could have imagined: caretaker for my then 27-year-old husband. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/contemplative-psychotherapy-meditation-mental-health/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/contemplative-psychotherapy-meditation-mental-health/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:59:12 GMT "Hold fast to the Great Form within http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-relationship-therapist/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapeutic-relationship-therapist/ Mon, 4 Jan 2010 23:27:50 GMT Before we go further into the theory underlying Core Energetics, Core Evolution and other body-psychotherapies, I want to discuss the therapeutic relationship. This is a subject I feel very passionate about! http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapists-are-human-too/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapists-are-human-too/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:01:34 GMT At times I can be didactic and preachy with clients. I fall into believing that I have some special knowledge about life. I believe that I?m expected to pass along little gems of wisdom in sessions as if I know what life is really about. My client and I collude in forgetting that this is my first life too, what do I know? Outside the consulting room I am not always so wise. I can lose my soft-spoken reflective stance and be as reactive and unreasonable as the next person. I would say it?s worse for therapists when this happens - we have the extra layer of shame that comes from feeling we should know better. What if a client saw me arguing with the bank teller, pushing my way onto a crowded train... http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-human-being-of-therapy/ http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/the-human-being-of-therapy/ Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:02:44 GMT GoodTherapy.org is pleased to introduce "The Human Being of Therapy," a new column written by GT Member Greg Madison, Ph.D. Greg's first contribution to "The Human Being of Therapy" is "Existential Migration," which can be found by clicking here. Please enjoy Greg's column and feel free to add your comments at the bottom of his article by clicking on the "comments" link.