Category: Mental Illness
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How to Deal With Morning Anxiety
Andrea Wachter LMFT If you commonly wake up in the morning filled with anxiety, you are not alone. Many people wake up with fight-or-flight sensations and feel baffled as to how they can already feel anxious when their feet haven’t even touched the floor yet. A variety of factors can play a part in morning anxiety: excess stress,…
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The Urgency for Love as a Healing Force
Jan Bonhoeffer M.D. Love. We all talk about it, but how much do we really understand this mysterious force field? We refer to love frequently in poetry, religion, and mysticism. “The universe would disappear without the existence of the force [of love],” said Gandhi. When the Beatles released “All You Need Is Love,” more than…
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Teaching Vulnerability in Clinical Supervision
Amir Levine Ph.D. A newer clinician I supervise recently asked me, “What do you believe is the most important quality a therapist should have?” Reflexively, I answered, “Access to our vulnerability.” Source: wowowG/Shutterstock In all my years of supervising clinicians and observing my own process, I have found that our ability to tap into and…
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How to Avoid Experiential Avoidance
Bruce Wilson Ph.D. “The resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till the evil is far advanced, as to make avoidance impossible.” –Thomas Hardy How do most people deal with unwanted experiences? They avoid them. They try to displace them with alcohol, drugs, half-truths, or lies, to themselves or others. Does it work? Possibly, at…
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How Trauma Interrupts Each Stage of Lifespan Development
Kathleen Marriott B. Psyc (Hons) MSoH A traumatic event can occur at any stage of development and hinder growth and success; it can even stop development altogether. Interventions designed to help trauma interrupting development aim to create experiences of the unfinished or underdeveloped stage. With the proper support and resources, you can move forward, rebuild…
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Feeling Empty? 7 Signs You’re Unconnected With Your Emotions
Jonice Webb Ph.D. Emptiness is one of the most painful feelings one can experience. Many people describe empty feelings as numbness, detachment, chronic or deep boredom, or a sense of being hollow in their bellies or chest. Like something is missing inside of you. If you have ever felt this way, it’s important to know that…
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How to Transcend Self-Doubt and Negative Self-Talk
Leigh W. Jerome Ph.D. What is that voice in your head saying right now? Do you feel lifted up with kind words of support or are your thoughts racing with distorted, fear-based criticism? All of us have internal dialogues that narrate our day. There is a good reason for this ongoing recitation. Self-talk supports a variety…
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Treating Sensory and Environmental Challenges
Jessica Broitman Ph.D. Co-authored with Miranda Melcher As discussed in a previous blog, sensory issues are essentially someone finding touch, sound, light, taste, or other sense-based stimuli either too much or too little in their effect, compared to the range of “normal.” These issues can often be unnoticed, including by the affected person, since what is considered normal…
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Eradicating Labeling People With Mental Health Issues
Jennifer Guttman Psy.D. About 20 percent of adults have at least one mental health condition. People can embrace discussions about coping with mental adversity at home or out with family or friends. Be mindful and sensitive that the mental health issues people struggle with don’t define their state of being or who they are. One…
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Losing Home: Rediscovering a Sense of Self
Elizabeth Heaney MA, LPC KEY POINTS It is essential to have a stable, clear sense of self. Sometimes, our identities go through profound changes, and we need to be able to rebuild a sense of who we are. Losing self may be a normal pattern, and rediscovering a sense of self is a crucial skill…