In the realm of mental health therapy, the journey to wellness is often guided by a powerful tool: goal-setting. While the concept of goal-setting is commonly associated with professional or personal aspirations, it also plays a pivotal role in mental health improvement. Here are some factors that justify the significance of setting clear and achievable… Continue reading Setting Effective Mental Health Therapy Goals: A Roadmap to Wellness
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Can Artistic Expression Serve as a Tool to Navigate Perfectionism after Childhood Trauma?
In the intricate tapestry of healing, one thread stands out in vivid colors – artistic expression. When words falter and emotions run deep, art becomes the brush stroke that paints the canvas of recovery. This profound form of self-expression offers solace to those battling the intertwined demons of perfectionism and childhood trauma. In this exploration,… Continue reading Can Artistic Expression Serve as a Tool to Navigate Perfectionism after Childhood Trauma?
How to overcome Perfectionism and Procrastination?
Are you trapped in a cycle of relentless self-critique and perpetual delay? Do you find yourself striving for flawlessness, only to be stymied by the procrastination bug? Welcome to the world of perfectionism and procrastination, two adversaries that often go hand in hand. The good news? You can break free from their clutches and unleash your… Continue reading How to overcome Perfectionism and Procrastination?
Radical Honesty in Marriages and Partnerships
Having served clients with ongoing difficulty and dissatisfaction in their marriage or long-term partnership I have noticed a common denominator in how they communicate and it’s based on fear. There are certain specific fears that block spouses/partners from directly and honestly speaking up about their feelings, desires, unmet needs, hurts, and resentments. These fears include… Continue reading Radical Honesty in Marriages and Partnerships
The Benefits of Shadow Work
When working with therapy clients I often find that a major source of their distress is feeling disconnected from, misunderstood by, and not sufficiently acknowledged and thanked by others for their contributions. The irony is that these same clients express a plethora of negative judgments about the people they want more recognition, care, and love… Continue reading The Benefits of Shadow Work
Tips for Daily Mindfulness That Soften the Negativity Bias
Neuroscience teaches that each person’s brain generates an “I” and a “me.” The I is the sense of myself as a physical being existing continuously in time and space. It includes sensory, muscular, kinesthetic, and proprioceptive perceptions. The “me” is the narrative we construct about ourselves that references past events, past interactions with others, and… Continue reading Tips for Daily Mindfulness That Soften the Negativity Bias
Framing Your Interpersonal Microcosm and Macrocosm
Vast numbers of individuals seek their happiness from receiving recognition and approval within their family and/or their workplace. Each of these represents a kind of microcosmic cocoon in relation to larger units of population including the neighborhood, the community, and society. Adler pointed out long ago the strategy of seeking happiness from recognition and approval… Continue reading Framing Your Interpersonal Microcosm and Macrocosm
How Cultural Ideals Can Stimulate Self-Contempt
Let’s travel back to the 5th century BCE to ancient Greece. The cultural ideal for a man was to be fit, athletic, handsome, well educated, and scholarly. How would that make you feel if you were a short pudgy man with a huge nose and homely face who looked silly in a toga and who… Continue reading How Cultural Ideals Can Stimulate Self-Contempt
Alfred Adler’s Way Out of Chronic Misery
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. Although he was originally a member of Freud’s inner circle he broke with Freud over unbridgeable differences in theory. One of Adler’s most important ideas was that we create and perpetuate our own misery without knowing how or why. The… Continue reading Alfred Adler’s Way Out of Chronic Misery
The Pre-Set Life vs. The Uncertain Path
Some children have their career chosen by their parents who groom them for it, fully expect them to go into it, and would express shock, grave disappointment, and anger should their child reject it. Well known examples are military officers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, human resource managers, librarians, small business owners, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics,… Continue reading The Pre-Set Life vs. The Uncertain Path