“Therapy dogs! What about therapeutic cats, lizards, etc? Here’s an important author’s note- I’m partial towards dogs, so I’m writing about dogs. 🙂 I was so nervous about getting my dog, Biscuit. I work a lot and have a nasty habit of worrying about the future, so I wasn’t sure how I’d find the time […]
Dog Therapists: 5 Ways Dogs Are Therapeutic AF Read More »
“Boys will be boys” is a dangerous concept that I see effects many of my male clients, from boyhood through manhood. Masculinity is a social construct, and boys can be raised, by caretakers, communities, and society at large, to do better. Below are some of the ways convictions regarding predisposed masculinity creates harm. 1.
Boys will be Boys? Read More »
Narcissism, as a concept, comes from the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus. It’s a beautiful story, actually. Narcissus was a hunter wanted by many admirers. Everyone wanted to be with him, but he refused to show an interest. He’d spend his days running through the woods alone, shining radiantly as he pranced amongst trees. One
Narcissism and How We Overuse the Term Read More »
“I’m so negative,” my clients often say. “You’re so human,” is often my first response. The truth is, aside from illnesses like depression or someone’s naturally more easy going persona, all people’s minds are wired towards negative thinking patterns. Humans give more importance to negative experiences than positive ones, often referred to as a negativity
5 Strategies to Overcome Negativity Bias Read More »
Anxiety is used as a catch-all term today. Anxiety effects so many people in a variety of circumstances and across demographics, so a cogent argument could be made for the need to understand what the word actually means. The word anxiety comes from the Latin root word, angere, to choke or cause pain. What a
When Anxiety Runs the Show… Get to Know It. Read More »
Dr. Daniel Amen uses the pneumonic BRIGHT MINDS for 11 risk factors that can result in symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. Often, the DSM-V guides clinicians to assess solely from a psychiatric lens, but there is an abundance of evidence of physical illness, trauma, over medication, mimicking mental health
BRIGHT MINDS: Neuroscience to decrease symptoms of mental illness? Read More »
Questions regarding boundaries have come up frequently lately with my therapy clients, so let’s see if I can help make sense of this. One client stated, “I feel weird that I don’t know much about you.” Another, “I’d like to be your friend.” Earlier in the month, “My girlfriends therapist talks about herself a lot.
Therapists with Poor Boundaries + Why this Matters Read More »
I savor sessions in which we talk about attachment styles. Understanding the degree to which bonds with our caregiver effect our intimate relationships is fascinating. Still, language like “dismissive attachment” or “anxious attachment” feels, at best, stale, and at worst, deficit based. Recently (and if I’m being honest, in my own therapy), I learned about
An Original Look at Attachment Styles: Waves, Islands or Anchors? Read More »
Has your partner ever told you, “you’re acting like a child?” Has a friend ever called you super judgmental and harsh? Does your boss make you feel insecure, even when they are giving you constructive feedback? Do you act one way as a parent, authoritative and confident, and another as an employee, passive and compliant?
What is Ego State Therapy and Why Might it Help Me? Read More »
Compassion fatigue is caused by exhaustion and secondary trauma, with both emotional and physical symptoms evident. While most common in healthcare professionals (i.e: nurses, therapists), empaths who are not in typical helping roles can certainly suffer from compassion fatigue, too. In fact, due to endless images of the after effects of COVID 19, I’m sure many
Compassion Fatigue: Coping with Caring Read More »
