It’s natural to feel down or anxious from time to time. What’s not natural, however, is prolonged feelings of hopelessness and despair. When these emotions grab hold, and won’t let go, it is likely you may have depression. Depression makes every day a constant challenge. You no longer enjoy life as you once did. Just getting out of bed can...[ read more ]
For many of us, spending time with family can be a grab bag of emotions. While you may feel love and familiarity, there's also decades-long dynamics between you and your family members that may not be the most healthy. Your family might treat you like the teenager they remember, and you might revert to that role when you're around your...[ read more ]
Millions of people deal with stress and anxiety on a daily basis. Whether it’s a result of phobias, depressions, or post-traumatic stress, anxiety can take a toll on our mind and health.If you deal with anxiety you most likely have looked into ways you can help calm your emotional rollercoaster. Perhaps you’ve even tried some self-help techniques in the past....[ read more ]
There’s an important aspect of psychotherapy that can best be explained by referring to the physical phenomenon of quantum entanglement (I can imagine some readers here thinking, “Wait….what?”). Let me explain. Quantum entanglement refers to a well demonstrated process in which two particles in close proximity become mysteriously linked, so that a change in one simultaneously brings about the same...[ read more ]
Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that typically occurs after individuals have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a serious accident, natural disaster, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.In the past, PTSD went by different names. During and right after the years of World War 1, the term “shell shock” was often used....[ read more ]
In this post, I'd like to describe an important element of psychotherapy that is not often talked about explicitly. I'm referring to the therapist's ability to maintain what Eckhart Tolle calls the state of presence. This is a state of alert stillness with no tension, which is healing in and of itself; Eckhart has referred to it as "the collapse...[ read more ]
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 15 million U.S. Americans, or 6.8% of the population, suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). SAD, also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is an intense fear of social situations. The sufferer believes they could become humiliated and embarrass themselves somehow in front of other people. They tend to focus on...[ read more ]
With patients who are interested in doing so, I often recommend meditation as an adjunct to the work we are doing in therapy. Yesterday I tried to explain to a patient, the difference between using meditation to strengthen the ego, and the much deeper form of meditation that actually removes all attachment to the ego. As I watched her start...[ read more ]
If you are suffering from a chronic illness, you are not alone. Almost half of the population in the United States is currently battling some form of chronic physical illness. In fact, chronic illness is the number one driver of healthcare costs in America.Some of the most prevalent examples of chronic illnesses are:EpilepsyHIV/AIDSEndometriosisLupusArthritisDiabetesHeart diseaseFibromyalgiaMany people suffering from a chronic illness...[ read more ]
Are you one of those people who has never quite felt like an introvert but are definitely not an extrovert? Have you read descriptions of either personality and thought, “Mmmm, close, but not quite?” If so, you might be what is called an extroverted introvert (EI).Extroverted introverts, also called “outgoing introverts” or “social introverts” have qualities of both personalities. They...[ read more ]