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If you suspect or know your child has Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), counseling and/or coaching can be extremely helpful for you and your child. Please notice I said you and your child. YOU MUST be involved in this process. How you treat your child, how you react to them, the tone of voice you use, the words you say, how you nurture and support them is the most important thing you do for your child. Your child cannot change in your family system if you keep doing everything the way you have always done it.

Have you ever had dreams that startle you awake? You sit up alert wondering “Did this really happen? Is it going to”? Did you note a marked difference from the other dreams you have; the ones in which you seem to be dealing with things that have recently been on your mind? People ask how you know and what you do, when you have an out of ordinary dream experience. In upcoming blogs I will share some more extraordinary examples of psychic dreams and ordinary ones so you can compare. Hopefully these will act as reference guides.

Have you ever wondered how ‘that couple’ stayed together all those years? What is it they are doing right? What are the things that contribute to the success of healthy long term relationships? There are a few fundamental things that will improve the chances of a relationships success.

Let’s look at the opiates first. An opiate is a narcotic pain killer like Roxycodone, Oxycodone, Loratabs, Loracet, Methadone, Vicodin, Actiq, and Stadol. The action of these drugs may last varying amounts of time and has varying doses. For example, some people can be on 100mg a day of Oxycontin while others may take 1000mg a day of Oxycontin.

Some unfortunate people suffer from depression all their lives. There may be a sneaking suspicion it’s their fault in some way, which is not true. Lifelong (chronic) depression is an illness that can be as debilitating as heart disease, and if untreated can even be fatal. Chronic depression is caused by one or a combination of the following: Physical

Relationship is one of the most important key areas in our life. Almost everything we do involves a relationship – in our family life, in business dealings, at work, in the social circle, with friends and so forth. It is very essential for us to find out who all are the important people in ...

It’s the Holy Grail in the world of addiction to find drugs that will block the craving for alcohol. There are three medications on the market that have been studied and show some benefits. Pros and Cons of Drug Used for Alcohol Dependency or to Block Craving Campral, also known as Acamprosate, is used to block craving. Studies have found a reduced incidence of relapse with veterans in Philadelphia who took this drug. The daily dosage is two 333mg tablets, three times a day, and in my practice dealing with addiction and alcoholism, that has a limited benefit.

Have you ever met someone you recognize even though it is your first time meeting? There’s a cosmic chemistry, a sixth sense magnetism that seems to pull you towards one another. Is this person a soul mate or a karmic connection? Time usually tells. Are you still with this person? Does he or she still feel like your best friend and love mixed into one? Then simplistic as it sounds, I suspect you’ve found your soul mate.

Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D., LMFT San Jose Counseling and Psychotherapyrn(408) 264-3082 Among complimentary and alte ative therapies for mental health, nutrition is by far the most popular and the most frequently studied. Food, dietary supplements and herbs interact biochemically with our physiology to create powerful effects on our mental health.

Research shows that the parenting style used on a child during the first 3 to 4 years of his life is the strongest factor that determines his level of self-esteem. Parenting style refers to how parents treat, guide, and nurture their young. It encompasses the messages that parents communicate to a child, verbally and non-verbally, about how lovable, worthy, capable, acceptable and important he is. From the time of infanthood to childhood, a child’s sense of self is defined

Let us consider the functional family as one that works. It works for everyone in the family, not just some of the people. It is not perfect, but it is good enough. It is good enough so that the people in the family feel loved, valued, recognized, and appreciated. In the functional, good enough family, safety is a priority. Parents ensure that they create and maintain an environment in which the family members are physically and emotionally safe. Physically, parents are attentive enough to their children that they are able to protect them from harm.

I have talked about getting people to listen, time outs and the rules of engagement. Today I am going to give you ten signs that the person you are talking to is flooded or overwhelmed and if they don’t calm down there may be trouble. They are at least not listening to you. Some of these you know but some may be new and give you an invaluable key to keeping your conversations productive. Remember you can not have a productive conversation with someone who is overwhelmed.

Identifying our automatic thinking usually changes the way we feel and puts us in a much more empowered position to make wise and meaningful decisions. Learning to observe your thoughts gives you the opportunity to recognize the emotional responses you are creating with your interpretation of what is going on.

When a child is born, he or she is instantly met with the challenge of discovering their own identity and role in the world. Immediately, a period of inquiry and experimentation begins – an attempt to discover how the planet works and how to survive upon its surface. As a child begins to explore this planet, and the life that is just beginning, many questions arise and “experiments” are conducted at a rapid pace. “What happens if I put my toe in my mouth?” “What happens if I cry?” “What happens if I close my eyes?

Do you have or know a highly intuitive child? When you look into their eyes it’s as if there’s an unspoken understanding between you, a psychic connection. I casually refer to these children as “old souls”. They just seem wiser than their years, and more tuned in to the sixth sense. I have written about my children who are now teenagers. Perhaps it’s not surprising to learn that they were very intuitive youngsters.

Wild Animals Know the Secret. Scientists have made a fascinating discovery about the way animals in the wild discharge anxiety and trauma. They are able to release the experience and move on. If they didn't do this and had to live in the wild in a shut down state, uptight or confused as their human counterparts, they would not survive long. Wild animals release their anxiety and trauma. Humans think about their trauma and hold on, becoming even more anxious, never realizing their body has a secret weapon to let it go.

By this time, most of us have probably attended at least one wedding this summer. I went to one last weekend, and my dear friends Lauri and Jeff, the co-owners of TherapyLinx.com, will be tying the knot in just a few weeks. That got me to thinking how these happy, glowing effervescent brides’ ...

The first step towards healing paranoia is to overcome (eliminate) the denial. If this is not accomplished you may be condemned to a lifetime of conflict, alienation and addiction to struggle. Everyone has paranoia to some degree. Acknowledging it puts you in a better position to conquer ...

Most people would agree that laughter is good for you in every possible way. Scientific research on laughter suggests that there are many exceptional benefits to a good sense of humor and a good laugh. The old expression, “laughter is the best medicine”, is not just a cliché, but has real ...

Probably the most important lesso I have learned in developing my intuition is to trust and act on “knowing without knowing why”. Most often this empathic connection; an acute feeling sense, happens between family members and close friends. But it can also happen with our pets. A few nights ago this happened when my daughter’s friend was hanging out. The four of us sat down to have dinner. One minute we were immersed in conversation and the next we were silenced. “Hold on a minute” my daughter’s friend said. “I think I hear my dog barking”.

I am always amazed at how two people can look at the same thing and see completely different things. Maybe it goes back to the glass half empty, glass half full concept. Or maybe it's has to do with how we choose to see things. Wayne Dyer frequently discusses the statement 'If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change'. He states that in order to change things we need to change the way we look at things.

The issue of dual relationships recently came up in an Advanced EMDR Workshop where I was talking about working with couples:r

In Memoriam: Alice Miller One of the great advocates of children and their struggles against unrecognized mistreatment has died. “Alice Miller, a psychoanalyst who repositioned the family as a locus of dysfunction with her theory that parental power and punishment lay at the root of nearly all human problems, died at her home in Provence on April 14. She was 87” (New York Times, April 26, 2010). “The author of a dozen books, Miller was best known for her first endeavor, 'The Drama of the Gifted Child and the Search for the True Self.' Published in the U.S.

All the world's a stage And all the men and women merely players, They have their exits and entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms, Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchel And shining ...

Many couples face a point in their relationship when the feelings of boredom and monotony begin to set in. The couple begins to feel like they’ve lost the spice and spontaneity that once came so easily. Now they have to work for that same excitement which tends to make things seem tedious and stale. This dilemma particularly takes place in the bedroom. Sex has turned into the same thing day in and day out.

We all have Spirit Guides and/or Guardian Angels that are available to assist us in our daily lives. Spirit Guides and Guardian Angels are considered synonymous by some and different by others. Those who see them as different believe that Spirit Guides have been in body before and have had experiences similar to what we are expected to go through. On the other hand, Guardian Angels have never had a physical body. Deceased loved ones can also act as our guides for a period of time.

Although Jainism is one of the smallest organized religions, it has the most pervasive practice of fasting. In Jainism, the women, in particular, partake in frequent fasts, often for long periods. In a similar fashion as Hinduism, fasting is performed in Jainism in conjunction with lunar cycles. Prior to undertaking a fast, the participant makes a vow, considered a formal statement of intent.

An emotionally sensitive child needs to be seen and heard. It is the feeling of being alone and abandoned that creates in a child a heightened sensitivity to often painful emotions such as sadness and fear. The world feels like a very scary and lonely place for a child who is not secure in feeling attached to people who love and care for them. These children need empathic listening and communication that assures them that they are loved and that their feelings are valid. It can be very difficult for a parent to see a child in an emotionally sensitive state.

I have been asked how I am able to intuit accurate, specific information, consistently. Please know that I have worked for years to hone my intuition. It takes determination, time,and practice, to acquire any new set of skills, including intuitive ones, to make them second nature. Decide what ...

What happens when we decide to be partners and build family with someone, and after a few months or years the rosy glow of our idealism wears off and it seems to become so much more difficult than we imagined? Why do we find ourselves arguing, feeling jealous, greedy, and uncooperative? It seems if the other person would just do it our way, and stop being so unreasonable, things would work out great!r

What is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar is a disease state where the client moves back and forth from depression to mania. Depression is characterized by loss of interest in things that they used to find pleasure in, loss or gain of appetite, typically not wanting to get out of bed for prolonged periods of time, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or actions. Mania is characterized by racing thoughts, pressured speech, decreased need for sleep, spending sprees, road rage, driving fast, promiscuous sex, risk taking behaviors, drug abuse, alcohol abuse.

The first phase of CBT Counselling is determining what it is that you want to achieve. This not only increases your chances of a successful outcome but will motivate you to continue working toward this and help you to measure your progress along the way. 1. The Miracle questionr

Eddie was first diagnosed with major depression at the age of 15. The roots of his depression were multiple. He grew up with two parents who neglected him emotionally. His mother only spoke Spanish, while Eddie only spoke English. This created a huge communication gap between the two of them. Eddie’s father was also away most of the time for work. Additionally, Eddie’s parents were legally married, but barely spoke to each other. Eddie was left to raise himself in a home that was very isolative.

In the second article of a four-part series, you'll see the progression of bipolar II through the story of Wendy, a teenager who grappled with the disorder. We'll also discuss the major symptoms of bipolar II -- depression and hypomania.

In Memoriam: Alice Miller (continued - see Part I for introduction) Alice Miller. For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. 1983.

Why Do We Need Time-Outs? When your heart rate gets above about 100 beats per minute we as humans loose the capacity to think rationally with some exceptions: Athletes, soldiers, doctors, police, firefighters and the like are trained to handle situations where they have to function in high stress situations, but they train and train and train some more so that they are programmed to perform their functions even under extreme stress – everyone will switch to fight or flight depending on the level of stress and even trained professionals trained for crisis on the job can have it happen in s

Are you so stressed out at work that you do not even have time to think about relaxing? Are the demands at work building up fast and causing you to feel overwhelmed? Are you so busy you do not have time to learn a new stress management strategy? Here are three quick, easy and very effective relaxation exercises that can lower your blood pressure, help you “cool off,” remember what it’s like to feel calm again, and get your focus and attention back.

It is not easy to have bipolar disorder, nor is it easy to be a caregiver, family member, or friend of someone who is. “Bipolar relationships” are difficult because the symptoms are so changeable. Your friend or loved one can be flying high today with mania only to dive into the pit of despair tomorrow. Since you can’t fix their diagnosis, what can you do that will help?

THE DOs AND DON’Ts OF HANDLING TANTRUMS • DO keep your cool. Kids are very good at sensing your feelings. The more frustrated you feel, the more frustrated your child will become. Take control of the situation, and your child will feel more safe and secure. • DO be empathic. Try and have some understanding of the difficulty of not being able to do or have something. Everyone has had such moments. • Do NOT punish.

I often describe Andropause or Male Menopause as adolescence the second time around or as puberty in reverse.

There are mental health, relationship issues and emotional problems that are beyond or at least at the edge of behavioral control. People are not trying to be depressed or crazy – they act that way because of complex brain, hormone, environment, and background issues. There are times when medications are not required where therapy alone or coaching or exercise and diet at all that are required to return a person to normal – whatever that is. I firmly believe that if you think someone is normal you just don’t know them well enough. There are also situations that require medication.

Couples counselling can be an eye opening experience for both parties involved. Rather than the usual finger pointing that goes on during fights at home or in the car, sitting down with a therapist helps you gain the insight of your spouse or significant other. Once you’ve seen yourself through the eyes of your loved one (and vice versa) you’ll both be on a path to better understanding each other and therefore, working through the problems that plague your marriage. However, what happens when you can’t convince your partner to attend therapy with you?

Who doesn’t love Fall? As soon as we feel the chill in the air and smell the unmistakable scent of burning leaves, we know that pumpkin carving, football games, and holidays are right around the corner. Still, in the middle of all of the fun times with family and friends, fall does have its down side for some of us. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D., begins its onset around this time of year for millions of Americans. Rianna Wilson, who schedules counseling appointment

Part I : How Do Past and Parallel Lives Influence Current Life Workshop Excerpted from Soul Talk: Rescripting Karmic Contracts, 2008, Adele Tartaglia

Panic disorder affects between 3 and 6 millio Americans, and is twice as common in women. We all experience panic at some time in our lives, but those suffering from panic disorder experience panic attacks on a daily basis, and this form of anxiety can severely reduce the quality of life, making even simple activities like grocery shopping unmanageable. In its most severe form this crippling form of anxiety can lead to agoraphobia, a very intense fear of going beyond the safety zone of one’s own home. In such severe cases, it is wise to seek medical help.

I define an abuser as one who uses the power of words or physical prowess as a means of manipulating and controlling others. Generally, the perpetrator chooses to forego any interventions such as counseling or psychiatric assistance. However, he/she may grudgingly consent to couples counseling when a partner provides an ultimatum. The abuser may be mandated by the court to seek anger management treatment and will attend reluctantly. The abuser generally has minimal insight into the significance of his problem.

I have been working with energy healing for almost ten years. I use a variety of therapies, including Reiki, energy formulas, essential oils, and bio-energetic frequencies. I've had a lot of success in using any of these processes, both in person, and remotely. When you provide energy and remove toxins, generally the body will respond favorably, and begin healing itself. By lessening the impact of environmental toxins on the immune system, we allow the body to focus on self-h

“We have been put on this earth to discover our own path, and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life.”rn~James Van Praagh

It is always exciting to see how current brain research and brain imaging techniques prove why psychological and spiritual techniques work in our lives. It turns out that our brains don’t really know the difference between whether something is actually happening in our lives or whether we are only imagining it in our minds. When athletes are hooked up to brain monitoring equipment and asked to imagine they are performing their sport, their brainwaves fire the same as if they were actually doing their sport.

The Place of Compassion If you think of disapproval and approval of people as two opposite ends of a continuum, where would you put compassion? It's a trick question. Compassion doesn't even belong on that continuum. Compassion is something wholly different. You will automatically tend to sit in judgment on whatever you disapprove of. "That's wrong." "That's inappropriate." "That's ridiculous." Even saying these words out loud probably makes you feel a little bit negative, and you can feel in that negativity the seeds of judgment.

Definition: voice of your spirit and to our spiritual guidance. It is your navigational system to guide you through your life. Following your intuition, you find it easier to align with your true path. Things get rocky when you are not following your intuition. Your self-worth, self-trust, how you feel about yourself will really sky-rocket because you are listening to yourself. It allows you to live in faith rather than fear.

Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, wrote about his response to personal tragedy. His son Aaron had premature aging, and eventually died from this disease. The pain from the Rabbi’s loss provoked a crisis of faith. Kushner wrote his book for those "who have been hurt by life," to assist them in finding a faith that provides reasonable answers to aid them in coping with their suffering.

One of the features of the “modern relationship” is financial separation, although the couple is married, each of them is earning and spending his own money separately, without consulting the other, without sharing the money or managing it together.

Many of us hear the word stress all the time but often ignore the signs and symptoms in ourselves which can have a debilitating effect on our health, with our relationships, in our occupation, and in general. There are many things in life that can either “cause” or influence the level of stress in a person such as our job, our relationship, finances, and our own traits/attitudes.

As we have been exploring how to help clients stay resourced over the holidays, it is also important, as therapists, to stay resourced also. It is easy in this profession to forget about one’s own needs but still expect our client’s to maintain theirs. Listening and working with client’s issues and traumas all day long, can take a toll on one’s own psyche... emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically.

The holidays are coming up and there will be even more opportunities to volunteer. We all know that volunteering is a way to help others and pay it forward; however it’s a way to help yourself too. Think about it…. Volunteering is a low fear-inducing way to reduce social anxiety and depression.

Many people have asked about the various animals that appear on my website, wondering if they have special meaning. Yes, I chose each animal specifically to represent the sentiment of each web page. If you haven't seen my website here is the link; www.of2minds,.com I often refer to these as my ...

Your Psychologist will offer you weekly (50 minute). Your treatment will begin with a period of assessment which will last between 1-3 sessions. Here you will be able to discuss in detail the problems that have led you to seek therapy. Your Psychologist will also ask you more general questions about your family, work and home life in order to build a complete picture of you and how and why your problems have developed and persisted.

It's never about the other person....there's no one doing it to us....every things an inside job. No matter what we are experiencing, no matter how it appears to be someone else’s fault, someone else’s personality defect, someone else’s manipulation or lie, it isn’t. Everything in our lives sources from the content in our own multi-leveled mind and can only be changed by changing the consciousness that created it.

As a life coach, a questio I'm often being asked is "How do you distinguish your intuition from your mind? Is it possible your intuition can mislead you or be harmful to you with what it tells you?" My answer to this question is this: Your intuition, or gut feelings are there to protect you, ...

Most of us probably do not realize that when we meditate or fast for a spiritual reason we are partaking in asceticism, one of the oldest known spiritual disciplines. Asceticism is the practice of rigorous self-denial and active self-restraint performed as a spiritual discipline. The origins of asceticism are traced to prehistory, to primitive and archaic society.

Have you ever tried to tell someone something that you knew they would be hurt by or take the wrong way? Of course you have, and so have I. Being misunderstood is a common pariah. We all hate it and yet we often can’t finish a sentence without the other person: falling apart, or jumping in, or getting defensive, or even running away. How do you get someone to actually hear what you have to say? In a previous article, “How to Say Anything to Anyone”, I disclosed the secret of showing conce for the person you are speaking to and had having compassion for them.

The term depression is often used to describe when someone is feeling 'low', 'miserable', 'in a mood', or having 'got out of bed the wrong side'. In addition to feeling low most or all of the time, many other symptoms can occur in depressive illness (though not everybody has every one). These include: • losing interest in normal activities, hobbies and everyday life • feeling tired all of the time and having no energy • difficulty sleeping or waking early in the morning

In the third article of a four-part series, we'll continue to follow Wendy's story and discuss the difficulty of diagnosing bipolar II disorder.

Initially the attraction is euphoria taking a mini vacation. Someone once told me getting high is like God putting a warm blanket around you and rubbing your temples telling you everything will be alright. This is a powerful draw. The mini vacation to escape life’s hardships becomes more frequent and all encompassing. Physically the body comes addicted. Psychologically the individual needs the drug to maintain emotional stability and to cope with life’s stress. Individuals with addicted family members are at an unfair disadvantage.

April Fools' Day is a day marked by the carrying out of practical jokes of varying degree on friends, enemies, colleagues, and neighbors. While most April Fools' Day pranks are taken in stride, there will always be some that elicit very strong emotional reactions. Feelings of shame and embarrassment can in some cases lead to explosive outbursts of anger. So what can you do to avoid coming unglued as the result of an embarrassing April Fools' Day prank?

I want to share two stories to help those with drug problems -- or those with loved ones who have drug problems -- see how addiction works and how it can be overcome. My clients, Belle and Bob, were both addicts. Belle managed to dig herself out. Bob did not. At the most basic level, these two people had bad relationships with themselves. It really all comes down to that. Improve your relationship with yourself and you can get better. Continue to hate yourself, and the ending can be very bad. Belle’s Story

The opportunity to enjoy sex is one of the great things about being gay. Some people say that being gay means they feel less restricted and more free sexually in terms of what they can do with their bodies, with who and when. But many people struggle with feelings of guilt, shame and fear associated with being told gay sex is not 'normal' or 'natural' or 'right' in some way. Enjoying Sex. These ideas that certain types of sex are 'not normal', 'unnatural' or 'wrong' are a result of fear and prejudice.

As you proceed to go right on judging the loved one in your life, and labeling them, you forget you did attract them in and many of them by agreement, for a higher purpose. Maybe them being exactly as they are, and you being who you are in this moment of time, is your gift to yourself and their tacit gift to you. Maybe the arrangement stops allowing you to be the “less then” real self you are. They could be there to offer you the reward of change by triggering you to stop and think about who you’re being and what you’re doing. And you are doing the same for them of course.

Agoraphobics and those with social anxiety and shyness issues are often searching for more self-help tools and strategies to help them better manage their anxiety. Often, they are highly motivated to overcome their anxiety, but are afraid of venturing out of their safe zone. Online counselling and therapy provides a convenient and effective solution.

The question comes up often: what is trauma? Most therapists recognize trauma from the DSM-V definition:

Many of us have been conditioned to control, ignore or dismiss our emotions rather than use them as a source of valuable information. This leads to what is known as “bucket dumping”. We accumulate our feeling responses inside of us and when full, we dump it on whatever situation or person that happens to add the final drop into the bucket.

Part II What Can Past Life Regression Do for Us? The emotional reactions associated with past life events which are most often seen in therapy, involve emotional residues of the fear based emotions such as anger, resentment, revenge, fear, guilt, remorse; and distortions of love manifesting as jealousy, possessiveness, even violence.

Are you feeling run down? Is it difficult to leave your clients’ problems at the office? Are you often anxious and stressed due to your work? As empathic therapists, we cannot help but be affected by our clients’ tumultuous lives and mental illness; therapists can be bombarded by negative, even painful, energy on a daily basis. We work as hard as we can to care for our patients, but how many of us put in the same energy when it comes to caring for ourselves? Self-care is esse

In the final part of this series, we continue with Wendy's story and discuss the positive coping skills that can help people with bipolar II lead successful lives. We have come a long way in terms of treatment for bipolar conditions, and many people benefit from a combination of therapy and medication. Nevertheless, more research is needed in determining how people can manage this challenging illness. Here are several important skills that can help teenagers, and adults, with bipolar disorder:

Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D., LMFT San Jose Counseling and Psychotherapyrn(408) 264-3082

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) first came to the attention of doctors during the First World War when relatively large numbers of soldiers returned from combat exhibiting intense emotional distress in which they seemed to re-live the terrifying events of war long after the event. However, war is only one context in which PTSD arises. Later, it became clear that this phenomenon of delayed emotional reactivity could result from many other contexts such as accidents and illness, physical assault, rape or witnessing acts of violence and devastation, natural or man-made.

Often we think about creating our lives in terms of what we wish for ourselves. We can also create the world we want by thinking globally. I'd like to illustrate. Over a decade ago my good friend Jennifer went through a divorce. Before moving to a new home, Jen called a piano retailer and registered her piano to be sold on consignment. Within a couple months, Jen received a hefty check from the piano retailer for the sale of her ivories. She used the "piano money" to furnish her new place. A few years went by. Jennifer received a check in the mail for the sale of her piano. Huh?

1. Is he reliable? Does he call when he says he will? Do his actions match his words? Remember that “talk is cheap” and that actions speak louder than words. A decent, reliable man will show congruence between what he says and what he does. If you are important he will want to make a good impression! 2. How consistent is he? Does he contradict himself? If you find him saying one thing and then changing his mind often or expressing opposing ideas/opinions regularly – be aware. This can be a sign of a fickle personality or of someone who does not know himself well.

In the first article of a four-part series, we will discuss the different types of bipolar disorder. What Is Bipolar Disorder? In general, bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy and activity levels. Bipolar disorder is multidimensional in nature and is highly influenced by environmental stressors, and because of this, experts are now considering bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia as the "bipolar spectrum." Here are definitions of the different types:

Depression usually starts out simple. For my patient, Cindy, for example, it began with down days during her first semester in college, when she wouldn’t get out of bed. She did not leave her apartment, wore sweat pants all the time, stopped doing her hair and makeup, gave up her spin class, and neglected her bathing and hygiene. As time went on, she became more and more isolated from her friends. Her eating habits deteriorated -- Skittles and Chinese food became her staple, and in order to sleep, she took Benadryl with a giant glass of wine. Symptoms and Treatment of Depression

What's the big deal about taking responsibility for what you think, feel and do? One big deal is the enormous fear people have about adopting self-answer-ability. However, the benefits of adoption are a gigantic positive deal. Once you taste "the deal" you won't make a sandwich without it. What do people fear about self responsibility?

The single major cause of emotional suffering and stress in our lives comes from the accumulated habitual emotional reactions to life events that we acquire through unconscious learning. We become victims of recurrent negative thoughts and patterns of emotional reactivity that operate automatically in the mind, and that operate outside the sphere of conscious choice. We become prisoners of our habitual thinking and suffer accordingly.

Marking Life’s Transitions Ceremonies acknowledging life’s transitions are a blessing—a celebration or gathering telling us that we are leaving something old and starting something new. When we are meaningfully engaged in ceremony, everything around us diminishes, and our life energy is ...

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. "Tender points" refers to tenderness that occurs in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.nnAlthough the cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, researchers have several theories abou

If you are having problems in your marriage, depression may be part of the reason. Recent studies have indicated that depression is associated with the quality of a relationship. Additionally, the quality of a relationship can affect a person’s level of depression. Not surprisingly, someone who is depressed will tend to pay less attention to their partner’s needs, be less connected, and be more irritable. In the reverse, relationship problems such as poor communication, verb

‘…I was by the cosmetics, standing before the mirror and trying to pull off a tiny piece of dead skin from my face. Instead of coming off, it pulled more skin with it. I wanted to get rid of them too, which pulled even more… and a bigger piece, one after another and it just wouldn’t stop. Slowly my naked face stared back at me with the pure muscles exposed without any layer of skin remaining. A cosmetician appeared behind me and nonchalantly stated: You will recover soon...’

“I Don’t Need Counseling!” But, your teen says, "I don't need counseling!" or "There's nothing wrong with me!" or "People will think I'm crazy if they find out I am going to counseling!" Now what? "I don't need counseling" Answers: - Give it three chances, then we can talk more about this. - It is a chance for you to have a safe, private place to talk about anything you want. "There is nothing wrong with me!" Answer:rn- You are right! "People will think I am crazy if they find out I am going to counseling!" - You know that you are not crazy, right?

As Mother’s Day approaches I thought it timely to share out of the ordinary extraordinary stories about becoming mothers. Both my experiences are unconventional and with each child woman’s intuition played a vital role guiding my jou eys to motherhood. Sometimes planned sometimes not, many women say they know the moment their children were conceived. It wasn’t that simple for me.

Although one might not label it is as such, I suspect most people have had a telepathic experience in their life. You think of someone and they call or email minutes later, or start humming a song, turn on the radio, select a station and hear the same song playing. There are many examples of mind to mind communication, and the power of sending and receiving thought, in Amazing Stories about Instincts and Intuitions, my blog site. What is interesting to note, is that the majority of these events occurred during wakened hours.

For someone who has never walked inside a hoarder's home, but has a some idea of what it might look like once they walk through the front door, it is more times than not more troubling than expected when they finally get inside. How can this person acquire so many items to a point of endangering themselves and cause such a rift with their loved ones? And so the big question everyone wants to know is: "What is really going on inside a hoarder's house?" No two hoarders are exac

BEING IN LOVE WITH ROMANCE Romantic love is exciting and feels wonderful but it is not the love that keeps couples together over time. There comes a day in every committed relationship when you look at your partner and mumble, “What was I thinking?” At that point romance seems gone for good. Romance is a feeling, a deep longing we have for someone who will cherish us. When that longing is being fulfilled by watching a romantic movie, or by getting to know someone special, we ride an emotional high. You would think fulfillment of longing would be a good thing but there is one catch.

About 39 years ago a movie called “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” was released in the theaters. It stared Barbra Streisand as Daisy Gamble and Yves Montand as the psychiatrist Dr. Marc Chabot. Daisy had come to Dr. Chabot to be hypnotized to stop smoking. During the course of the treatment, Daisy spontaneously regresses back to Lady Melinda Winifred Waine Tentrees, a seductive 19th century coquette. Dr. Chabot becomes fascinated by this 19th century character and continued to explore the past life. The dean of the university with which Dr.

Giving Voice to The Inner Parts Emotionally, we are made up of many different feelings, patterns and habits, which can be looked at as separate aspects of our personality. They can be called sub-personalities or personas, or just patterns. Each of these inner voices has an important message for the whole being, and a role to play.

The approach and actual anniversary day of the death of someone loved and lost, brings to the surface an unsettling sea of emotions. As a therapist and life coach who provides bereavement and grief counseling, and someone who has experienced death at an early age, understanding grieving and loss is a subject near and dear to my heart. I had a recurring dream as a child that thieves broke into our apartment, snatched my mother, and threw her out of my bedroom window while I watched stunned, and paralyzed with fear.

As a last argument in a debate, my best friend asked her husband: - “Are we living for working or are we working for living?” You can guess; the argument was about how much time they spend with working and how much they have left for the family. How many of us are in the same situation? The economy is quite challenging lately, we want to maintain, even flourish our businesses, no matter if they are currently small or large. We try everything what we can to make it happen; but for what price?

How To Have a Happy, Healthy Relationship These pointers refer to men and women but for ease of reference I will use the word “he” when referring to “he” and “she”. 1. APPEARANCE. An obvious one but needs mentioning. Look your best. Make sure you smell nice, look good and dress in an outfit that flatters you and is comfortable. The idea is to ooze confidence in yourself and knowing that you look your best will set you up on positive psychological footing to create the right impression. 2. BE FUN! He will fall in the love with the way he FEELS when he is with you.

Most of us spend our lives stuck in a box, victimized by our emotions. But we always have a choice! In my first article (posted on March 19th) I described a transformational approach to changing your life, which becomes immediately possible with a very simple and even fun process that I call “getting out of the box. To better understand what I mean by being in the box, here is a simple process:

Can mindfulness help ADHD? Lidia Zylowska, MD of UCLA says ‘yes’. She and her colleagues conducted a feasibility study on mindfulness for teens and adults with ADHD. A majority of the participants reported decreased ADHD symptoms as well as less stress, anxiety, and depression. Cognitive testing showed improvements in attention, memory, and reasoning. What person with or without ADHD couldn’t benefit from at least some of these things?

Over 25% of American women have been sexually abused as children and if untreated, suffer from the effects of the trauma into adulthood. The effects of sexual abuse may include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, nightmares, substance abuse, fear of intimacy, guilt, shame, promiscuity, ...

Expressive Writing: What is it? Expressive writing is fancy term for something very simple: expressing yourself through writing. It is the process of putting your thoughts, feelings and experiences down in to words. Expressive Writing is what you are doing when you write in a journal or a diary, although don’t let that limit you. It can be done with a pen, a keyboard or even a typewriter. Who is it for?

Here are some ideas to help you continue to make a difference for stressed, maladjusted, troubled, frightened, and vulnerable students during school vacations. *** Extend Your Reach: For some kids, their teacher may be the only sane, sober, caring adult they know, and then summer vacation comes. To extend the reach of teachers and other school-based youth workers who provide invaluable stability, safety, direction and nurturing, use this intervention: Address pre-paid post cards to the teacher (or other key school worker) at school, and give themr

Diets don't work. Hating your body doesn't work. Most people don't realize that prolonged "dieting" can contribute to a higher ratio of fat to muscle in your body. But what is the alte ative to dieting? Simply letting the old pattern rule? No! There is a peaceful way to work in harmony with your body and its neurobiology. Intuitive eating develops with simple skills anyone can learn. Why Dieting Doesn't Work

Emotional distress is a part of life and serves a necessary function in terms of alerting us to problems that need to be resolved. Everybody therefore needs to be able to experience and tolerate a certain amount of distress. Trying to avoid unpleasant thoughts and feelings can actually lead to an increase in the experience of them, the more you try to avoid an experience the more it seems to pursue you. This more than likely has an evolutionary purpose because as long as the distress is avoided the source of the pain remains unresolved.

For those who have grown up in less than ideal families subjected to one or more forms of abuse, some describe a defining moment that lifts them up and out of what feels like living hell. An intuitive insight or an amazing event creates a breakthrough clearing an emotional escape route towards the light of a healthier life. Have you had such a moment?

Did you ever experience losing almost everything that mattered to you? How did you cope with it? Depression often happens to people when situations like this happen. So-called friends disappear or avoid you and you are left pretty much alone and on your own. Sometimes even some family members may hesitate to get involved as well. You lose your popularity and you suddenly discover who stands by you at your darkest moments.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be defined as recurrent episodes of anxiety and panic in reaction to a past experience that was overwhelming at both sensory and emotional levels. The individual was unable to process and assimilate the experience, and the emotional trauma becomes repressed, only to reoccur in the future. The basic direction of psychotherapy for PTSD is to help the client re-process these emotions into a form that can be re-assimilate; essentially completing the process that was left undone. However, the methods for doing this are problematic for two main reasons.

Am I blue or depressed? By Dr Ed Feraco Have you ever wondered if you have depression or if it isrnsimply the "blues"/sadness? Most people have experienced the "blues"/sadness sometime in their lives and perhaps many times; however, when is the blues really clinical depression? Clinical depression can actually become a serious medical condition that requires intervention either from a psychotherapist and/or a psychiatrist. The blues / sadness is a transient feeling, perhaps with ther

I was brought to depth psychology through my love of typology. As a corporate consultant, each time I taught a workshop on the Myers-Briggs assessment I found that people were finding new ways of seeing themselves and others. Bridges of understanding were being formed and those I trained were accessing new insights about the paradigms they operated within.

The Secret Science of Change: Stop Being So Hard on Yourself By Suzie Wolfer LCSW www.suziewolfer.com Most people have an Inner Critic that tries to brow beat or guilt them into change. You may hear that little voice saying “You should . . . “or “You shouldn’t . . . .” I call this shoulding on yourself. It’s not very much fun. If you feel bad enough, you may make temporary changes, but then fall back in to the old pattern once the self-hate-motivation has worn off. And guess who’s waiting to tell you what a loser you are . . . the Inner Critic again.

Many of us identify with the larger-than-life image of James Bond played by Sean Connery. He’s a man’s man, attracts women with ease, and can defend himself when needed (or wipe out armies of adversaries whenever he wishes).

What is ‘negative self talk’? Negative self talk is a pattern of talking to yourself either out loud or inside your head that consists of statements that are not only negative but usually inaccurate and self defeating. Negative self talk stems from negative thinking and is experienced by most people at some times but is more commonly experienced by people who suffer from depression and ADHD. It is usually done subconsciously and automatically.

Today, we’re glad to be able to avail from so many different means of treating our problems or mental illnesses. There are all sorts of different therapies ,and depending on your personal choice, or your capabilities at the moment, you can choose between the different ways of helping yourself.rnThere are individual therapies, in which you and the therapist are the only people participating. There are a lot of different types of group therapy as well, for particular problems

In 1999 I added Neurofeedback Training to my psychotherapy practice and have been using it ever since to help clients improve how their brain regulates itself so they feel better, think better, and perform at their peak. I have helped my clients improve: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, sleep, ability to concentrate and sit still, grades, behavior, memory, ability to plan and organize, pain, migraines and much more. These are all symptoms of a brain that is not well regulated. I healed myself of Fibromyalgia and got my daughter off stimulant medications taken for ADHD. I know it works!

As anyone with a fear of flying knows being afraid of flying can put real limitations on your life. Whether it’s affecting you at a personal or business level. The first important thing you need to know The first important thing you need to know is that fear of flying is a learnt behaviour and I am going to explain how and why you can overcome fear of flying. Humans are born with only 2 natural in built fears and they are the fear of falling and the fear of sudden loud noise

I first started thinking about oxygen back when I started a running program (it was a milestone birthday and I realized, “damn, I’ve got to get in shape!”). I’d been walking about an hour a day for years after hearing that exercise was the most effective treatment for depression. Walking had helped, but when I began running, my mood spiked up in a way that made me realize it hadn’t been enough. I ran my one and only 5K at the completion of the program and then promptly went back to walking.

BENEFITS OF ONLINE THERAPY AND COUNSELING By counseling and psychotherapy we mean counseling and therapy services offered by a certified mental health care professional, such as a psychologist or a psychotherapist. Working online means that we use Internet services, such as e-mail, chat, calls and videoconferencing to ...

In cognitive therapy, cognitive distortions represent the lenses out of which we view the world and filter our version of reality. In light of recent developments among some therapists, dichotomous (either/or) thinking has emerged as a professional hazard. I recently attended a national mental health conference. I was intrigued as presenters and colleagues alike made comments that presented a distorted perspective regarding some significant behavioral health issues. As M.

Not too long ago, four local elementary school children ended up on respirators in the ICU after they each took 20 Coricidin tablets to get high. It was a good 36 hours before they were out of the woods. What started out to be an afte oon of fun, turned out to be a life-and-death struggle for the children and their parents. So, if you think that people (including kids) do not abuse over-the-counter drugs, think again. In my practice, I’m seeing this kind of abuse more and more. Hey, it’s cheap and it’s accessible (and, therefore a real problem).

Most people don’t change; they just become more the way they already are.

Did you ever notice that we often do or don't do things because we are worried about what others will think? It's kind of silly if you think about it, but I know so many of us are guilty of it! It takes a lot of work and self-awareness to really start to change that. So I am giving you the gift of sight and awareness right now. Check in with yourself throughout the day and notice how often you are saying "yes" when you mea "no" and also take a look at your life and ask yourself what you would do if you weren't worried about what others thought.

The challenges, importance and impact of stress management in the corporate environment and an analysis of different approaches used in today’s market, and their effectiveness. According to research from Friends Provident in 2009, "almost two thirds of people (61 per cent) say they feel more stressed, run down and prone to illness than they did three years ago - and more than one in 10 of these busy and pressured Brits say the majority of stress they experience comes from work".

Depression and suicidal moods Have you ever been so depressed, you felt like life was bleak and nobody cared? Sometimes you do not even notice that your behaviour is actually induced due to chemical imbalances in the brain. Counselling could actually help resolve your deep set emotional issues but there are also cases which warrant a need for the sufferer to be put on psychiatric medication. A lot of people are against psychiatric medication regiments but it might just be the thing to save your life.

Do you or your child toss and turn at night and experience daytime sleepiness? Have you or your child been diagnosed with ADHD, depression, or anxiety. Fifty percent of children in a recent study that had been diagnosed with ADHD had difficulty sleeping. They felt tired on awakening, had nightmares, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, trouble getting up in the morning, and significant daytime sleepiness. And stimulant medications further impaired their ability to sleep.

Each of us has a mixture of feelings toward those people we’re intimate with, and learning how to tolerate ambivalence is a part of growing up. Small children sometimes scream “I hate you!” when frustrated by their parents though they may be loving and affectionate an hour later. Such hostility can be so powerful that for the moment, it obliterates awareness of every other feeling. Very small children believe that what they are feeling right now is the only reality and they can’t remember they had other, loving feelings not long before.

Life is full of stressors. I once heard Norman Vincent Peale say that the only people without problems and stress were 'all those people buried over there in that cemetery'. He was right. If we are alive, we have plenty of triggers for stress. But it's how we choose to respond to something that determines how stressful it is to us. It's important to pay attention to your stress level. Being chronically stressed is deadly! Here are eleven great ways to lead a more stress free life.

Psychologists know that work can be rewarding but can also cause a lot of stress in a person’s life. In Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, where approximately 2.9 million people work for more than 100, 000 companies stress in the workplace is a major issue. You probably spend a third of your life at work, thinking about work or worrying about work . Being a member of a positive workplace has many benefits. A positive work environment can:rn• Enrich your lifern• Provi

Obtaining and measuring happiness is something that the UK government has been actively researching for a while now. It's rather curious that at this stage of our advancement, the notion of understanding and incorporating something so fundamental as happiness sounds as challenging as sending probes to Jupiter to try and fathom its nature. It just shows us how clueless we are emotionally and spiritually regardless of our technological advancement. For many people the 'big' questions are not 'what constitutes a happy life?

Writer's block is an annoying and often persistent condition that impacts all writers: and that means everyone, because everyone is a writer! A writer's block episode is a temporary situation, but we prolong the agony when we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by it rather than meeting, managing, and mastering this challenge. You may know all too well that feeling of being shut down, not knowing what to write about or how to write it. But it's actually an opportunity to get

We all have thoughts that seem to take on a life of their own in our heads. For some of us they are negative, destructive thoughts that have been with us since childhood. Dad may have called you bird legs or a teacher in frustration said you were stupid. What they said not only stuck but was played over and over in our minds thousands of times. I want to show you how to take every thought captive and make it obedient to the truth. First I need to let you in on a secret. Your own mind lies to you! I know it comes as quite a shock but it is true.

What is Insomnia? Insomnia is difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep, or the perception of poor sleep. Insomnia could include: difficulty falling asleep, waking up too early in the morning, or waking up often during the night time. If you or someone that you know suffers from insomnia, make sure to see a physician to see if there is a physiological cause that needs to be ruled out. Causes of Insomnia Acute insomnia includes: New stress ( such as a death of a loved one or changes in work) • Jet lag • Drug or alcohol use • Emotional or physical discomfort.r

Self-improvement advice on virtually any topic that interests us, written from endless points of views, is right at our fingertips. Most of the articles I write are of this genre, often with a New Age slant. Websites like SelfGrowth.com and Curezone.com are entirely devoted to this topic. A simple Google search will lead us to prayers, meditations, affirmations, and mantras that are aimed at helping us through troubling times. With all that knowledge readily available to us i

Dealing with Grief & Loss Shock, Denial, Numbness, Disbelief -The pain exists, but you may not experience it fully yet. Your body, mind, and spirit take over to help you survive. Physiological symptoms can include: stomach aches, nausea, & insomnia -Grief does not always get easier as time passes; you will have some days that are better than others. Disorganization, Searching, and Yearning

CBT is currently recognised by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (a government body responsible for deciding which treatment should be available on the NHS) as the most effective treatment for the a range of emotional problems including: * Depression * Low Self Esteem * Anxiety * Panic Attacks * Eating Disorder * Obsessive Compulsive Disorders * Post Traumatic Stress Disorder * Somatic Problems (including chronic pain and chronic fatigue/ME)

Mindfulness as taught in Mindfulness Psychotherapy and Mindfulness Meditation Therapy, is a particular awareness skill that teaches us to be aware of what is happening while it is happening. Through diligent practice, we begin to recognize reactions as they arise form moment to moment throughout the day. We learn to respond to each reaction with the simple formula: STOP, LOOK and LISTEN. When a reaction arises we simply greet it with: “No. Not now.

Recognizing Anger Non Physical Signs * Controlling decisions * Isolating from friends, school, family * Having extreme standards * Blaming, insulting, name calling, threatening, questioning or checking up Violent- No Contact * Reckless driving * Throwing things, punching things, destroying objects * Cruelty to animals or children Violent Contact: * Holding down, pushing, shoving, twisting arms, grabbing, etc. * Slapping, spanking, punching, burning * Choking, banging head, hair pullingr

Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D., LMFT San Jose Counseling and Psychotherapyrn(408) 264-3082

2017 promises to be the year of the detox cleanse. Many people swear by them and more and more health practitioners recommend them, whether it's to eliminate toxins, lose weight, or just get a fresh start. There are a multitude of detox cleanses plans and what follows are a few examples of some of the most popular cleanses: Colon Cleanse.r

Psychological health experts are presently tests out numerous cure strategies and remedy techniques that would successfully relieve the signs or reverse the problems of schizophrenia. One of individuals that have emerged from these research attempts is occupational remedy. Obtain out much more under what are the assorted elements that made specialists take into account this for a feasible treatment method selection for schizophrenia. What is Occupational Therapy? Occupational

A lot of people call me who can’t afford to pay for therapy. It’s true that many of the most powerful ways to work on yourself cost a lot of money. Psychotherapy, high priced seminars, bodywork, yoga classes, nutritional supplements, and seeking advanced training in your field will all improve your life but take significant financial commitment. I personally don’t regret a dollar of the many thousands I’ve spent on the above, but in this economy some people are reticent to make such an investment in themselves. Then again, some of the most effective technologies for change cost no money:

Excerpted from Transform Your Life Instantly: Mental Erasers Make Your Mind Work for You Instead of Against You, 2005, Adele Tartaglia Science has told us that expectations based on memories are strong contributing elements in creating the future events of our lives. If we choose to be right instead of choosing to learn something from an event by distrusting that there is always a purpose our minds created something, that there is only balance and order in the universe, we are attracting more of the same by perpetuating the endless cycle of repetitive life patterns.

Marco* first came to therapy to help manage his anger. Marco stated that he has been angry for a long time now. He stated that he has a very bad temper, snaps at everything, and gets into physical fights at least three times a month. When asked where he learned to be angry, Marco had no problem talking frankly about his father. Marco was a victim of child physical abuse from the ages of 7-14. Depending on his father’s mood when he walked into the home, Marco knew if he was going to get to sleep peacefully or if he was going to have another bruise on his body.

Online Internet Psychotherapy and Counseling through Skype is becoming more popular than ever for busy people. As a professional online psychotherapist, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of clients who prefer to have therapy sessions in the comfort of their own homes rather than driving to a therapist’s office. All say that they find online sessions using Skype or other videocam formats to be less intimidating than face-to-face sessions and that they feel generally more relaxed and in charge of the process.

Imagine a world where you could place electrodes on your head, send your brainwaves to a computer, and control a video game without using your hands, just by changing your brainwaves. Picture a world where you could teach your brain to perform better. Perhaps you could improve your IQ, concentrate better, or sleep better. Maybe you could organize better at work, close more sales, get better grades, or be more productive. Maybe you could spiff up your memory that you have noticed is slipping lately.

Most of us in New England and certainly here in Connecticut have heard of Lyme Disease. It got its name from Lyme, CT as it was first officially identified there. There are certain geographic regions where Lyme Disease is more abundant but according to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), the disease is prevalent across the United States and throughout the world. ILADS states that Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the nation.

We are entering a mind field here where the only way to find the right help for you is by trial and error, in my own experience I spent so many years doing just that. At times I felt as if here was no one out there that could ever fill those shoes. The key here is to consider other aspects of our lives. Example – we have all been in a position that requires us to shop around; maybe we even go home empty handed. I myself have returned many items that I thought suited me whilst

In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet. Albert Schweitzer In relationships, both personal and professional it’s important to be conscious of our goals and expectations. It’s also a good idea to honestly assess the present and the past. How else can we establish reference points, of where we were and where are now? Too often we focus on the future; what we want, have yet to attain, on our unrealized dreams.

Daisy, a 16 year old high school student, was referred to me by her school. According to her school counselor, Daisy was hospitalized recently for suicidal ideation and needed to be seen for her depression. When Daisy walked into my office, the first thing I noticed was all of her piercing. She had a few piercing in her arms, a few on her cheek, and two on her chest. I also noticed the cuts on her wrists and shoulders. I put my observations to the side and decided to come back to them later. I had to build rapport with Daisy first.

If you are like many people these days you are feeling chronically overwhelmed. And if you have ADHD you probably struggle more than most. Feeling overwhelmed occurs when we feel we have too much to do and not enough time to do it. We fall behind and we are constantly trying to catch up and keep up with the demands on us. Phew! I felt that familiar feeling of overwhelm just writing that sentence! Here are some great suggestions for how to avoid overwhelm.

How many times have we thought I wish they would just listen? Listening in itself is an art form, many people will hear you, though do not listen. This is why many a breakdown in marriage or relationship, is attributed to this one area. Life throws us challenges daily and will continue to do so ...

The “One and Only” does exist? In my opinion, this concept is the product of western civilization which assumes that you simply have to find your “true love”, progress your way through to the wedding ceremony; then you are primed to live “Happily Ever After”. The main emphasis is on the choice: you choose “The Right One”, later in the courtship you might be confronted with complications, but undoubtedly everything will quickly turn into roses at the “I do.”

Excerpted from Transform Your Life Instantly: Mental Erasers Make Your Mind Work for You Instead of Against You © 2005, 2010, Adele Tartaglia and New Year’s Traditions to Change Your Life © 1998, Adele Tartaglia This is the second part of an article on Making the Law of Attraction Work for You by Setting Aligned Goals that Manifest Instantly. We are going to look more into setting goals that are aligned with your conscious mind intentions so that creating is effortless.

When people begi CBT counseling they understandably hope that things will gradually improve in a smooth and upwardly linear way. However, the changes that you will be attempting to make through CBT counseling are challenging particularly if you are working to change behaviours that helps you to cope in the short term (e.g. eating disordered behaviours, alcohol/drug abuse). Added to this is the fact that in order to resolve a problem you must focus on it, an increased awareness of your problem will make it feel more significant.

"Bully" is an important documentary that everyone should see. In this documentary, a couple of children and their families are followed as they share the pain that is caused from bullying.

"Hearing with the heart improves our focus, memory, and connection with what needs to be heard and understood. Hearing with the heart is an action of discipline, which transforms hearing into empathic listening." --Suzanne Kyra Hearing—the first sense developed in utero—connects the fetus to ...

Selecting the right time to make a change through CBT Counseling will help you to follow through with the decision once it has been made. There are three things to consider here; your general life circumstances, the balance between the pros and cons of making the change, and where you place the responsibility for change. Even if you are sure this is the right time, it is worthwhile considering these factors as doing so will maximize your chances of success. 1. Life circumstancesr

In my heart of hearts’ means that you know or have known that something is true even if you have not been willing to admit it to yourself or others.” On the deepest level I believe we instinctively know when our health is in jeopardy and death is threatening; when our life force or the lives of our loved ones are in serious danger. There are also times when in spite of a diagnosis and prognoses, in our heart of hearts there is a knowing which for lack of a better explanation is, that it just isn’t time.

You're probably familiar with the cognitive-behavior technique known as "thought stopping," used to cope with stressful and anxiety-intensifying thoughts and ideas during panic attacks, as well as with negative self-statements in depression. I've never found this technique particularly useful, for me or my clients; even worse, its emphasis on replacing such thoughts with verbal affirmations means you're trying to address a maladaptive mental habit by prescribing that very habit. In other words, the problem isn't negative verbal thoughts but verbal thought in general.

We know there is only one of us here manifesting in a myriad of aspects. What I do to you, I do to me for there is no other. “Thy Art That.” Mankind’s shift in consciousness is facilitating our ability to live gently, peacefully, lovingly, and cooperatively in full Unity Consciousness. The collective and individual mind of man is entrained with the waiting aware Universe. When we heal ourselves, we heal mass consciousness and the planet.

What is trust? How have we learned to define it? Is it really a concept that works? Trust this, don't trust that, this person is trustworthy, that person is not. You could liken it to using the crosswalk to safely cross the street, trust being the supposedly safe crossing through a potentially unsafe world. Yet how many of you readers have been hit by a car in this crosswalk of trust? I think I heard a resounding yes from everyone. Multiple yeses from most people.

Counteracting Depression People who suffer from depression tend to be introspective. They attribute all failures to their own shortcomings/inadequacies and all successes are attributed exte ally. By this, I mean that they often do not give themselves credit for any success in their life, explaining it away as “luck”, or “because someone else made it possible”. This ends up in self-defeating thinking, a “no-win” situation with neither thought process serving one’s self esteem in a positively reinforcing way.

Tinnitus a totally new approachnnTinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing) in the ears is a very common problem. We all have tinnitus it’s just for the most part not noticeable. 10% of the population suffer from ‘noticeable’ tinnitus. Other people may occasionally get temporary tinnitus after loud music, say from a disco or concert. nnIf you go into a quiet room it is impossible to hear silence; the auditory nerve cells are always busy trying to fill in the silence with so

Protecting your brain is an extremely important component of optimum brain fitness. Damage can occur in a variety of ways including obvious ones like accidents and illness. But be wary of those cleaning products and even cosmetics that we expose ourselves and our children to on a routine basis. Just think how your bathroom smells after a shower or a cleaning. Many of those fragrances and chemicals act as neurotoxins to our brain. One author calls this ‘chemical brain injury’. Do WHATEVER YOU CAN TO AVOID the following threats to your brain.

It seems like almost every day another celebrity – actor, professional athlete, or politician – holds a press conference or has a publicist send an announcement to the press stating that he or she is a sex addict. But what exactly is a “sex addict”? Is it just a blanket term for someone who enjoys having sex with strangers, or is it more clinical than that?

How well can you read your pet’s behavior? Most owners know when their animals are stressed, and usually, when they are sick. But, how many people trust their intuition when it comes to their animal’s well being and health care? In this post I will share some amazing animal stories which involve acting on my psychic sense. Recently I was also asked to medically intuit, for a client’s beloved cat. It is not something I am called on to do very often. I set my intention clearly and asked for specific information, the same way I do when I channel on health related issues for people.

When dating or searching for a relationship, many times we unknowingly sabotage ourselves and undermine our chances for success. Here are 14 common ways we block the very same healthy relationship that we are endeavoring to find: 1. Carrying a big list: While it is important to make sure that a potential partner shares important values, when a woman becomes overly protective of her heart, she may also become overly judgmental of a man. If she has not taken the time to heal her past, her checklist will disqualify her suitors.

If you have experienced a traumatic event or series of events that you have not really recovered from, you may be suffering from PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. You don’t feel like you did before the incident, you are easily triggered, too guarded to connect with your family, fearful, having flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, and self medicating. These are just a few of the symptoms that can disrupt your life and the biggest fear is that you will never return to normal again.

Stuff is everywhere. There are papers piled up on the desk, books next to the bed, and scraps of paper with "to do's" and reminder notes everywhere. But where are my keys?!!! If this situation is something you can relate to, fear not, there is help. Many people with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) are easily overwhelmed. They not only lose track of time, but lose things. A man, very successful in his industry, reported that he lost two cell phones in less than a month. His keys also seem to have legs since they never seem to be where he thinks he may have put them.

The sardana (plural sardanas) is a circle dance associated with the Catalan region of Spain. The people of Catalonia occupy the northeaste corner of Spain spilling over the Pyrenees into French Roussillon. There are two main versions of this dance. The original version was the sardana curta ...

Dick B. Address to Assn of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Palm Springsr By aioarticles on September 29, 2011 | From aioarticles.com The Dick B. Address on October 2, 2011 © 2011 Anonymous, All rights reserved - The Growing Christian Recovery Movement and the Role ACADC Institute can play The opportunity for our pervasive, informative, Christian Recovery Movement is now! International Christian Recovery Coalition is adding daily the participants who, at no cost to t

Have you ever decided to make a major change in your life, a change that you feel totally committed to making, only to find after a few weeks, days or perhaps only hours, all your good intentions have been scuttled and you are back to where you were? Perhaps you have made a New Years Resolution and decided to stop smoking, limit drinking or take up a new fitness routine?

Think for a moment of a time when you felt truly connected to yourself – you were on purpose, knew what you needed, had a plan to get it, and felt passionate about doing so. Although many of us have experienced times when we felt we were acting from our true selves, aligned with our interests and passions, they seem few and far between. So why is this and what can we do about it?

Although suicide is a fairly heavy topic and conjures up all kinds of negative images, nevertheless it should be talked about, however briefly within this scope. When deciding what aspects to cover with this topic, and there are many, I decided to talk about risk assessment. One of the most important aspects of my job while working with high risk clients was knowing how to act fast in the face of suicidal ideations. If you or someone you know is expressing suicidal thoughts

You've heard mention of that "inner child," the needy, vulnerable part of you that you neglect or criticize. We therapists often talk about "the baby part of you" or "the child side of you" as a way to address dependency issues. You know you've got a kid inside of you, right?

Motherhood can be a magical time. Like other life transitions, it can also be fraught with challenges. A 2006 Danish study discovered that new mothers are at an increased risk for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder in the first 3 months following the birth of their first child. Because of this—and the fact that PPD is so prevalent—new mothers may want to seek psychotherapy in the months following childbirth to help with the transition into motherhood.r

What is stress? It is certainly a word that we toss around a lot and loosely. When was the last time you were “stressed out”? Was it work related? Family? Financial? Relationship? What happens to your body when you are stressed out? How do we find stress relief? Most of us have heard the expression that “all disease is stress related”, but what does that really mean? The changes that take place in our bodies are certainly real. Our diagnosis is real. So, how does ‘stress’ contribute to DIS-EASE in the body…DIS-COMFORT?

A client told me about a sexual trauma that she had last year. "But I don't feel anything about it", she said to me insistently, and was almost unwilling to do tapping on it. When I asked her to check with her inner eye, she could imagine a rusty U-shaped metal shield placed around her heart. I asked if it was alright for us to accept this "dont feel anything" feeling and yet still proceed with the therapy. When we explored further and did more tapping, WOAH... everything

...and what you can do about it! Bill and Betty had been dating for over a year and had made plans to meet for dinner. Bill arrived on time and waited. Betty called 30 minutes later letting him know she’d be late. There seemed so much potential for a relationship with Betty; Bill was smitten ...

What if you already had the key to unlock aspects of yourself that you never knew existed? What if you’ve already done so in your life? What can you learn about who you already are from those precious moments you’ve experienced in the past? What if you knew that that voice in your head telling you that something was wrong with you—which we all have, so it’s not personal about you!!—was a lie? Most of us have had some moment in our lives when we experienced a sense of liberation, of being in the “zone,” of feeling a connection to another person or to life.

Showing respect is a way of demonstrating love. The feeling of love or affection doesn't have to be present in order to give it. When you show another (or yourself) respect, you are acting out of love. If someone said he or she loved me but consistently treated me with disrespect, I am actually being their handy scapegoat.

Why is it that we avoid doing the very things that we know will be good for us? It is simply a lack of discipline or is there some kind of pay-off for not sticking to our goals? My guess is that it is a combination of both. In order to make progress and stop all the excuses, we need to truly recognize that we are responsible for ourselves. No one else can lose the weight for us, learn that course work, make new friends - if we don't do it for ourselves it just won't happen.r

Cinema therapy is a modern therapy technique where therapists use the films as a tool in therapy. Some therapists think that cinema therapy can have a positive influence on clients suffering from a wide variety of psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorders like PTSD and OCD, depression, addiction, eating disorders and even relationship issues.

Handling Anger When Your Difficult Child Cannot

As a social worker I spent 6 years assessing the mental health treatment needs of adults who get caught in the revolving door to a state criminal justice system in New England. In piecing together the histories of these clients I spoke with their parents when these opportunities arise. What was often the case during these interviews is that these parents pled ignorance when it comes to how events in the lives of their families impacted their children. Clearly, these parents were either unwilling and/or unable to empathize and build bridges to their children’s rich inner worlds.

Imagination, fantasy, and play. Three concepts that naturally belong together. As children, they were a part of our lives in a very real way. As we get older, we tend to leave play behind to a large extent. Our society dictates that responsible adults focus more on the business of acquisition and achievement – very much ego activities. The engaging in play has a place but usually is socially sanctioned, such as playing sports or creating art that has some decorative value.

When we think about the Socializer Striving Style, with their predominant need to be connected, the Barbra Streisand song "People” (People Who Need People) comes to mind. Socializers are the “Weavers of the Social Fabric” in families, the workplace and in communities. They easily build and maintain positive relationships with a wide variety of people. They aim to be helpful and are enthusiastic, amiable, outgoing “people-people.” Their relationships are at the center of their lives and everything they do ensures their connection to others.

Until the last 10-15 years, scientist believed that our brains were essentially hardwired and we were not able to change them much over our lifetime. More recent research has proven without a doubt that we do have the ability to change our minds; that in fact we can actually change the neurons and neuronal networks in our brains.

Online counseling courses - Firstly let us look at why you wish to. Is it to understand yourself better? Or your partner? Or potential lovers and partners? Or are you actually thinking of this as a tool that you can use career wise and sell to clients to earn a living from it? If so are your motives pure? I sometimes come across people who get it into their head that even though they cannot sort out their own lives and desperately need counselling or advice themselves they ca

Although world-wide research over the last 20 years has indicated that women experience depression at twice the rate of men, recent research conducted by Jed Diamond, Ph.D, and others, indicates that male depression has been under-reported and is actually rising dramatically.

Past life memories are not always totally accurate. Sometimes it is quite clear that a recalled description is inappropriate for the particular time and place being described. Other times, there may be obvious inconsistencies. This in no way negates the validity of these memories. Nor does it make all that is recalled untrue. There are several reasons why some of the past life memories may be inaccurate. First, the accuracy of the recalled memories is dependent on the level of trance achieved and the degree to which the client is immersed in the past life.

Few issues a couple may face have a more devastating impact as an affair, infidelity or cheating. Infidelity erodes the basic foundational reason the couple exists; their emotional bond. This emotional bond is substantiated by the couple's believe that they are the most important person in their partner's life, that they are the most special and the most trusted. No one is more intimate than their spouse or partner.

Start Doing This Immediately to Train Your Brain for Success! What I’m about to share with you in this article cannot be ignored. It has literally made the difference in my clients’ ability to gain control over their lives in remarkable ways.

Most of us have experienced the loss of a loved one or a special animal family member or will undoubtedly experience this once or many times throughout life. Perhaps you have heard of the late Elizabeth Kubler Ross, the pioneer of the five stages of grief? Dr. Ross employed this model exclusively in oncology, with persons dying from terminal cancer.

Frustration can sometimes look like anger, but this emotion is just a little bit different. The underlying foundation of frustration is loss. As a child develops, they begin to realize that life is made up of choices, and when a choice is made, the option that was once available to him or her is gone. This situation breeds frustration.

The Power of Choices

I love looking at the things "wrong" with me since realizing those things are not wrong at all. Who knew! I accept my natural self (the way it feels good, to me, to operate in life) and use those qualities in creative ways. For example, I am not consistent. Because I rarely do things consistently, goal setting has been a frustration and something to avoid. I've worked at being more disciplined, with exercise for example. The discipline lasted 18 hours and I was asleep most of that time.

Sound has been used since centuries for healing purposes. It is being used in different cultures and its practices, such as chanting, mantras, singing and other instruments. Modern science has brought together the traditional healing methods and scientific reasons to bring tuning fork as a powerful tool for treatment. Tuning fork treatments are being practiced across the globe for the purpose of healing through sound energy. If you live in Sydney, then you can find many thera

Treatment for spinal cord injury is given in two phases such as acute and rehabilitation. The acute stage starts at the time of injury and it lasts until the individual gets stabilized. Rehab phase starts as early as the individual gets stabilized and ready for working to become independent. During the acute stage, it is crucial that the individual get right medical care. The injured individual in many of the cases can be sent to the closest hospital for the treatment of spin

“Man is not the enemy here, but the fellow victim.” Betty Friedan A man’s middle age is often talked about in general or humorous ways, but rarely is it ever taken seriously. Just as all males and females go through puberty, so too do both sexes go through the change of life. “Dear Abby:r

Often caregivers need a little extra support when taking care of loved ones, and just having a bit of time off during the week can make all the difference. One of the best choices for temporary care is to use an adult day care facility, which caters for seniors and adults with disabilities or handicaps. These centers may be one of the most cost efficient ways to care for the elderly on a day to day basis, as the amount of attention they receive while at this type of facility

This week I wanted to post about fear and how it can greatly limit our potential but when used correctly can also be a very powerful motivator. Here’s to a week of channeling your fears!

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is currently receiving a significant degree of attention as the treatment of choice for individuals needing assistance with a variety of psychological disorders. It is a structured, pragmatic approach to dealing with problems and is appealing to those seeking ...

Your partner has said or done something that really makes you furious. You are outraged. You are hurt to the core. You cannot believe it! If your partner cared for you, they would never have behaved in such a way. The person you have just started to date does not return your call in a timely fashion. You find yourself mentally ending the relationship before it begins. Overwhelming anxiety and feelings of loss or abandonment take over.

Mindfulness is that quality of conscious awareness of whatever arises in our present experience in which there is an attitude of engaged-presence.

How to become a counselor - How to become a therapist. Firstly let us look at why you wish to. Is it to understand yourself better? Or your partner? Or potential lovers and partners? Or are you actually thinking of this as a tool that you can use career wise and sell to clients to earn a living from it? If so are your motives pure? I sometimes come across people who get it into their head that even though they cannot sort out their own lives and desperately need counselling o

Is your child or anyone associated suffering from speech problem from a very tender age? With the lifestyle going highly fast paced, people are increasingly suffering from various disorders and diseases that are even seen in children. Out of the many disorders that are rapidly becoming reasons of concern among medical practitioners, speech problem is an important one that calls for immediate attention and care from an initial stage. According to doctors, if proper treatment c

I often coach parents to ask themselves, ‘what does my child need from me right now’? When your child talks back, what do they need from you? When they have trouble falling asleep, what do they need from you? When they are feeling hurt and rejected by peers, what do they need from you? Use the following guidelines to answer these questions for yourself. 1) Unconditional Lover

Upon reading this article, it is helpful to know that there are well over a million teenagers who are currently suffering from drug addiction and that figure rises as each day passes by. We can’t deny the fact that prohibited substances has been the single most destructive entity to ever hit mankind. As evident by the numerous drug-related crimes and incidents that has taken the lives of so many innocent individuals, substance addiction is now seen as a global pandemic that

Over my 18 years as a psychotherapist, one of the most frequent issues my clients bring to me is a conce about their drinking, or perhaps their drug use. There is a wide range; some people don’t have large problems with drinking or using, but they have some conce s about it after a particularly “eventful” weekend. Others have been self-identified alcoholics and addicts who are in recovery with more severe problems. Many times, the client will express a doubt, or even a curiosity, on if they “have a problem”, and if so, to what degree, and then of course, what to do about it.

Does your child argue with you until you are “blue in the face?” If you often have a reasonable request and somehow it turns into a power struggle; and if you cannot get your adolescent to accept responsibility for any misbehavior--they may be defiant and oppositional. If their negative hostile attitude makes you want to avoid conflicts and their anger, and are filled with resentment and spitefulness almost daily--they may have oppositional and defiant disorder. When they see

"Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things" Dennis Diderot I have gotten the question lately "Can I really make money at my life purpose--my passion?" And my answer is YES! I remember hearing about a study that compared people who followed a career path to strictly make money vs. people who followed their passion.

An overly rambunctious and active child can be a challenge to any parent. Every child has the tendency to display hyperactive behavior, and it’s therefore important that every parent understands how to best handle this behavior when it appears.* Hyperactivity and restlessness is the result of a child that is easily bored and who has difficulty with concentration. This does not mean that there is anything “wrong” with the child, it simply means that they have an active and stimulated mind—a mind that can sometimes feel cluttered and unorganized.

General Anxiety Disorder is a very common condition that affects many of us at some time in our lives. At any one time it is estimated that least 10 million people in the US have been diagnosed with GAD and are actively seeking treatment through medication or some form of cognitive therapy. In essence recurrent anxiety is a form of intense worrying about health, work, fear of the future or a wide range of situations that may occur in the future that creates an immense amount of emotional suffering. So what can we do to control our anxiety levels?

Competition is a fact of life; the desire to win at games, get the highest grade in the class or bring home a blue ribbon from the county fair is a feeling most of us can understand. Playing sports provides an outlet for competitive urges; watching your favorite professional teams allows us to compete vicariously.

Life is challenging. We all know that. What we don’t often know is how to manage our reactions to everyday stressors. And, in general, it is those reactions that tend to make things feel bigger and harder, or smaller and more manageable. Here are a few suggestions that might be helpful in soothing your anxiety, and putting your next challenge into a less stressful perspective. * Consider the bigger picture. Often in ‘the grand scheme of things’, the thing we’re upset

How to Get Your Husband into Couples Counseling by Dr. Mark A. Kaupp, MFT Although there is a slight change in the trend, women are the primary initiators of counseling. Perhaps it's because, in our culture, women are raised to be responsible for relationships. Or maybe it's because men see counseling as a sign of weakness and they don't want to “talk about their feelings.” Whatever the case may be, women do call to set up more therapy sessions than men. But, what do you do if your husband or boyfriend doesn't want to go to couples counseling?

THINKIATRY & “LIFE WITHOUT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS” Posted on Thursday, January 6th, 2011 at 9:43 amr THINKIATRY & LIFE WITHOUT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS - CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW VIDEO.

Although parenting can be one of the most rewarding and joyful roles in the world, at the same time it can also be one of the most demanding, frustrating, exhausting and even overwhelming jobs in the world. If you are like most parents, you know that parenting a child can sometimes be really hard. Parents are on demand 24/7.

As some of you know I was injured this winter. The Cliff notes version of what happened is that someone collided with me on the ski slopes which caused a concussion (and yes I was wearing my helmet) and a hole in the lining of my carotid artery wall which closed off the artery and then led to a small stroke. The doctor told me that of three people he knows of that had this same carotid artery tear, one is ok, one is a vegetable, and one is dead. Are you beginning to understand why I am so happy and grateful to be here?

Todd came to see me at the encouragement of his mother. He "talked the right talk" about leaving his drugs and alcohol behind, although he had a long track record of failed attempts. Todd had been in and out of residential treatment programs without success. This young man looked to me and rational recovery as his last chance to live a lifestyle free of the ravages of addiction. I pushed Todd to explain to me, in every conceivable manner, how "this time" things would be different from all of his other failed attempts at sobriety.

Samantha moved to a large sprawling city to join her boyfriend. They carried on a long-distance relationship prior to her decision to move in with him. Unfortunately, the relationship did not last long, and she felt stuck in a city without a plan to move forward in a positive direction – she sank into a deep depression. This young lady had parents who were extremely passive and detached. Having lived in a rural town, her options for activity were limited. Her parents never encouraged involvement in outside interests. She lacked confidence and was timid around age-mates.

I don't know about you, but I hate losing things. Losing things wouldn't be so bad if finding them wasn't such a chore. There's always the chance you'll never find what you were looking for. I was in this exact predicament today. I was at a store purchasing screwdrivers. I know, not the most exciting thing in the world, but it had to be done. I knew what store I was going to because I have their store credit card and also earned rewards to use for the purchase. I just couldn't find the credit card.

"He used to be the nicest guy you could imagine, now he's become moody and mean." I hear this bewildered conce from women all over the world. “She used to be gentle and caring, now she treats me like her worst enemy.” Men are equally frustrated and confused. Millions of women and men are finding that something strange is happening to them when their relationship moves into mid-life.

Hi! I am Santa Rosa Califo ia psychologist, therapist, and counselor Dr. Eric Ryan—I often use mindfulness techniques and principles in my psychotherapy practice to help you experience greater focus, attunement, and become fully present. Learning to be present, to truly live in the moment, rather than getting caught up in the past or future is a powerful antidote for negative moods like depression and anxiety. The result is a greater sense of aliveness and openness to all the

Becoming a therapist - Firstly let us look at why you wish to. Is it to understand yourself better? Or your partner? Or potential lovers and partners? Or are you actually thinking of this as a tool that you can use career wise and sell to clients to earn a living from it? If so are your motives pure? I sometimes come across people who get it into their head that even though they cannot sort out their own lives and desperately need counselling or advice themselves they can sud

When it comes to what we eat, we tend to worry more about our waistlines than we do our brains. But a diet that contains a wide assortment of healthy fruits and vegetables doesn’t just benefit your body, research indicates it can protect your brain from cognitive decline as you age. In order to defend against a variety of age-related conditions that can impair your memory and the general functioning of your brain, a good first step is to concentrate on incorporating nutrients into your diet from a variety of fruits and vegetables.

To be honest, there are no clear cut signs when it comes to having self-sabotaging behavior. Although a lot has been said about the most common indicators of this particular behavior, it will still vary from one person to another. However, if we talk about the disadvantages of having this trait, the affected individuals will normally encounter certain disadvantages. These are presented below.

“I See It Differently!” Has someone told you that physical or emotional distress is something you’re just going to have to live with? Cindy Dillon says… “I see it differently! You can break free of old patterns and embrace a full, healthy, peace-filled life.” Why is Cindy successful where others fail?

A Psychological Assessment is conducted in order to properly diagnose someone with a psychological disorder or determine risk, capacity and or current functioning. There are several parts to an assessment, all of which are equally important. The process starts off with an interview, and then can continue on with an observation before tests are administered.

The body is a magnificent creation. It lets us know when we’re feeling well, and when things are off kilter. If we take good care of it, most likely it will take good care of us. If we abuse or ignore what it is telling us, we fail to recognize the message(s) it is trying to convey. Imagine, for a moment, our bellies telling us that it’s time to eat or perhaps that we ate a bit too much. Imagine working out at the gym to the point where our legs become wobbly, our hands tremble, and our heart feels likes it’s beating out of our chest.

Welcome to article number 2 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them. If you missed the first article, you can read ...

Therapy is not an easy endeavor, but it is well worth the effort. Sometimes it is helpful to have an action plan for exactly how to work with your therapist and what to expect. Therapists and coaches are not magic workers, but rather people who provide guidance and the tools to help you get where you want to go (and also help you figure out what you want). Here are some tips for working with your therapist or personal coach: 1. Trust your therapist or coach. Going into ther

The dictionary defines gratitude as: a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received; thankfulness. Appreciation is defined as grateful recognition. Wayne Dyer who coined the term ‘an attitude of gratitude’, says that gratitude is a sacred space where you allow and know that a force greater than your ego is always at work and always available.

Taking care of both mental and physical health is imperative during times of stress. Spa treatments can help aid in the relaxation process. This can benefit concentration, focus, heart rate and skin. While massages and facials tend to be staples at many spa facilities, hair removal and even medical treatment can be offered. In this post, we will uncover the different types of spa treatments that can benefit you! What Is A Spa? Firstly, let's start with defining what a “spa”

Jessica, age 11, was brought to therapy by both her parents. Jessica was very sporadic. She had questions about all of the games and toys in the therapy room. She jumped from one corner of the room to the other in order to see each toy up close. Jessica’s parents informed me that Jessica’s older sister was hit by a car and was hospitalized for nearly dying. Jessica witnessed her sister flying through the air and tumbling down the hill in front of her house.

Have you ever had a 'gut' feel about something and found out later it was completely accurate? I have become fascinated by our ability to 'know' things without any real knowledge about them. Does this ability come from our brain or some way of 'knowing' that we don't yet fully understand? Researchers are working to unravel this mystery.

n n Types Of Counseling nn This is a partial list of the types of counseling available today: nn * Abortion counselingn * Brief therapyn * Career Counselingn * Christian counselingn * Co-counsellingn * Counseling psychologyn * Counselor (disambiguation)n * Consultant (disambiguation)n * Credit counselingn * Crisis hotlinen * Cross-cultural counselingn * Disaster counselingn * Disciplinary counselingn * E-mail counselingn * Ecological counselingn * Exit counselingn * Family &

With couples divorcing and splitting up at the highest rate modern time, quality couple therapy is a must. And, finding a qualified couple therapist is essential. Only 14% of therapists in the United States that state they do couple therapy have actually had training in how to do couple therapy. Most therapists claiming to be competent in working with couples are applying training they received in working with individuals to the couple dynamic and think that this will work; it doesn't.

As this is an initial article for this venue I struggle deciding the subject to address and what is important to the readers. My struggle is similar to those my new clients share with me when they initiated their search for mental health care. Their dilemma, like mine, is “Where do I begin?” and “What is important to share?” and is similar to anyone search for help in the maze of mental health care. “Am I normal or am I really crazy?” and “who and where do I turn to for help?

Your emotional health plays a large role in your ability to deal with life problems and stress. You can establish good emotional health by first identifying what it is you are feeling. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people have difficulty honing in on exactly what they are feeling at a particular moment. Other people find themselves able to identify what it is they are feeling, yet are unable to manage their feeling to the extent they don’t feel overcome, or flooded, by their emotions.

Male Menopausee (or Andropause) is a multi-dimensional change of life with hormonal, physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, sexual, and spiritual aspects. All men go through Male Menopause, usually between the ages of 40 and 55, though it can occur as early as 35 or as late as 65. It signals the end of the first part of a man’s life, and gets him ready for the second half. Like adolescence it is the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, Male Menopause is the passage between first adulthood and second adulthood.r

Weight-loss is about majoring in the majors; it’s not about how you “butter your bread.” Often, people can be obsessive with weight-loss behavior. Weight-loss and weight maintenance can become a ritualistic, compulsive cycle. Charlie Whitfield, author and addictions expert calls the pattern ...

How many times has this happened to you? ï·You feel as if your world could collapse any minute. rnï·There’s mounting stress from home, work, and family. rnï·Maybe your behind on bills and can’t switch jobs due to the economy.rnï·Maybe you’re upside down on your mortgage and have mounting bills from a trip to the emergency department. rnï·Maybe you’ve just experienced a terrible loss recently. It’s possible all these things have happened throughout the course of your life and it feels like you never get a break.

A friend sent an amazing story to share, in which she describes trusting her gut feelings in regard to breast cancer and her health care. It is another testimony to the importance of being proactive, honoring your instincts rather than acting on impulse out of fear. The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Her story lends support to many women including me at high risk and those who have been diagnosed and are undergoing treatment for various stages of breast cancer.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old: we grow old because we stop playing" George Be ard Shaw Have you played lately? Really played? One of the things that I encourage all of my clients to do is to "play more". One of the symptoms of the disconnection from our Authentic Self is that we don't play. Many people stop playing when they are a young child--because they had to "grow up fast" to deal with the challenging issues going on in their home.

Do you have rough housing kids and someone seems to always get hurt? Have you ever had a defiant (or any) child who really needed to listen in an emergency. Have you ever needed your child to stop arguing and listen and do what you ask them to do? If it has happened to you in the past or you expect to spend time around kids in your life then this article is for you!

If you relate to the following, you may indeed be a perfectionist: You are very critical of yourself You are afraid of making mistakes You think in terms of ‘black and white’ You continually need approval from others You set unattainable goals for yourself You find it hard to let yourself off the hook when you make a mistake You are afraid of failure You are afraid of letting others dow You like to feel in control of your life You prefer the final outcome - the finished result of something rather than the process of doing it

Your EAP, or Employee Assistance Program, is designed to help you out when you need it the most. If you or any of your family members have any personal problems like addiction or psychological issues that must be dealt with, then the EAP is available in order to help you work through them. You can also use your EAP for help in dealing with stress, traumatic events or anything that impacts your emotional, physical or mental health.

Sometimes it seems as if communicating effectively with one’s partner is an impossible task – overshadowed only by their ability (or lack thereof) to communicate with us. What gets in the way? Why is it so hard to talk to the one you love and be really, deeply understood? That’s what we all want. In fact, I think almost every – if not every – issue that plagues a couple can be boiled down to one simple concept, one fundamental question: Do you love me? Followed at a close second by: Really?r

In the absence of being able to express their emotions and connect with the organizational identity, employees are expected to adapt to role driven behaviour. This can result in a decrease in an employee’s ability to contribute anything more than what is defined by the role, leaving both leaders and employees frustrated. In addition the burnout suffered by employees who have been forced into excessive adaptation increases. The only emotions that they are able to express are those required by their roles and acceptable to their leaders.

The chances are that you have done quite a bit of research to learn the way to handle depression if you or someone else you know is going through it. The good news is that there are many ways to combat depression. One course of treatment may not necessarily work for every single depressed person. NueroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is one such treatment that may help relieve depression. NeuroStar TMS is a non-medicated way of battling depression by going right t

Browse the self-help aisle at the bookstore, or comb through the online material about self-esteem, and you'll mostly find advice on how to take "conscious control of your self-talk," to stop negative self-statements and replace them with affirmations, to love yourself, to conquer this or that experience, etc. In an earlier post, I discussed why such verbal techniques don't work, but even for those people who do find them valuable, I'd like to suggest a different way of approaching this issue.

Millions of people are reported to be involved in a car accident every year in the United States, which result in death and leaving many people injured. In 2009, there were a high rate of car accidents in the United States which left 31,000 people dead and nearly two million injured. For people injured in a car accident, it is vital to know the appropriate measures to take afterward to protect themselves from any additional injury. Here are some tips to follow after a car acc

In modern societies, stress is becoming one of the major wellness problems. Stress from human relationships, financial troubles, work, family pressures, the world is becoming more active. Taking so much to do but getting little time to do it all. Here’s five quick ways to ease the pressure and relieve stress: 1. If you’re dealing with a irritating situation and you have a lot on your plate then it can be very hard to find resolutions. You’re caught up in the midst of a

MANAGE YOUR FOOD CRAVINGS & LOSE WEIGHT! By Patrice Wolters licensed psychologist Cravings! We all get them—that desire for some fudge ice cream, holiday fruitcake, cookies, pizza, potato chips—you name it, you claim it, along with extra pounds that add up over time. Being at your “feel good weight” is associated with confidence, success in work and relationships, and new adventure. Yet many people have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off because it’s simply not easy to feel hungry.

How To Change Anything In my work, I talk with people every day about the things that hold them back from creating the life they want to have. These things range from thoughts of dis-empowerment, feelings of depression or fear, to behaviors like procrastination and avoidance. When I tell them the answer to creating the change they want, it always sounds too good to be true. Usually, if it sounds too good to be true, it is not true, right? This is the one exception: our mind. We complicate our lives to the point that we box ourselves into a corner, with no way out.

When you really look closely at anxiety, depression, fear, anger or stress, you will almost always find recurring patterns of negative thoughts, traumatic memories and habitual emotional reactions. They are our tormentors, the pesky biting insects that annoy us throughout the day. They ambush our consciousness, pull us down and cause stress and emotional suffering. They come uninvited, cause havoc, and we wish that they would go away. If only we could control them, we would certainly have a better chance of controlling our mental state. So how do we do this?

Change can be very difficult for children. Facing new situations means a new set of unknowns and therefore a new set of fears. Your job as a caregiver is talk with your children and allow them to find the courage to face their fears. Be respectful and empathic of your child’s experience while also allowing them to maintain self-control and independence. Here are some tips on helping your children handle new experiences. • Provide a calm and consistent home environment for your child—a place where they can “check in” and feel safe.

Top 15 Questions to Plan For Success To be a success in your career, you have to spend time not only IN your career (painting, teaching, coaching, designing, nursing, etc), but also ON your career (planning, marketing, networking, visioning, etc). This holds true for all parts of life. If you want to be successful in business, corporate life, relationships, parenting, teaching, learning, or whatever else is important to you, the necessity is the same. Step out of the system to mold it. A vase is not created by stepping into the clay.

The Journey to Full Self-Expression “And the Day Came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” Anis Nin This quote really resonates with me. In my experience, many people struggle to be authentic in all of their relationships and dealings with people. Sometimes they let others lead and give in to their desires, not really thinking of their own. This costs people their personal freedom.

(This is an excerpt from Jerry's first book; he feels so excited about sharing parts of it with all readers on "selfgrowth.com"!): “Everyday mindfulness for everyday situations" (Amazon Kindle ; also available as paperback as "Life is tough...yet it doesn't have to be that way"

Dana kept getting hooked in a relationship that was going nowhere. He came for counseling because he understood the self-defeating nature of his association with Kim. What he didn’t comprehend was how to break a convoluted connection that had a tight grip on his life. Dana confided that Kim would steal his prescription medication, exploit him for money, “guilt” him for not caretaking for her kids, and abusively berate and belittle him.

Since most people envision Therapy and Counseling as a one-on-one event, it can be difficult for families to come to terms with the idea of Family Counseling. The difference between Individual Counseling and Family Counseling is simple: Family Therapy involves more people, and is therefore more complex than one-on-one therapy sessions. Each family member brings something new and different to the table. The family, as a unit, is dealt with as a whole in Family Counseling. Whil

Just how does one measure the value of therapy? It’s tempting to think the results are “intangible,” like “I’m less depressed or anxious about things tha I used to be,” or “I’m getting along with my co-workers better now.” Here’s another one: “I feel better about myself than before.” But ...

How much do your youngsters know about the risks of Meth dependency? Don't you suspect that your teenagers or their close friends might be addicted to Meth? Meth is one of the most addictive banned substances currently available. Sad to say Meth addiction has been becoming increasingly popular amongst teenagers across the country for several years now. There are various theories about the reason for this, all coming from conditions that young people often feel, including: * Anxiety * Melancholy * Low Self-Esteem * Lonesomeness or Fear of Rejection

Are you and your spouse worried about what’s happening with your savings, your pension, your children’s college funds, or just staying employed? Do you find yourself fearful of your futures together? Do you find yourselves disagreeing with your partner about how to weather this financial meltdown? Do you find yourselves arguing because one of you makes more money and feels like they have more control over how money is spent?

Times have changed to such an extent that there is a cure for every illness in your body through technology and medication. But sometimes, it’s the serene and old techniques such as holistic mental therapy that can help you keep your body in mind and treat it if it is unwell or if it encounters any sort of trouble. It is immensely important for you to keep your body in mind at all times and understand how it works in order to keep it healthy. Of course modern medicine can d

One of the perks of living in a digital age is that everything is accessible from the palms of our hands, even therapy it seems. Long gone are the days when people would slink on the therapist's sofa, tearfully narrating all their life’s problems. Currently, there a number of apps which claim to offer therapeutic services, substituting or in some cases supplementing the traditional face-to-face therapist - client contact, and are marketed for people with depression, anxiety

In expressive arts therapy, we are always working in the present. The here and now is the only real medium we have to work with, the only place where thoughts, feelings, and behaviors occur. This may seem strange, especially if you are dealing with past traumatic or childhood issues. But even if you're talking about "the past," you are doing it in the present. Our memories and emotions associated with the past should not be confused with the actual events that took place. A

What is Life Coaching? by M. Joy Young, Social worker and certified professional coach with Portland Lifestyle Counseling LLC

In this world, there are scores of health conscious individuals who often wonder about the benefits that hormone therapy provides. It may be noted, hormones are basically some kind of chemicals that are produced by glands. Most of these glands are connected to testicles and ovaries. Again, there are certain hormones that help some kinds of cancer cell’s growth. rnThere are many instances where the hormones were found to kills the life-threatening cancer cells. This is where

Whether you’re a fledgling entrepreneur, an SEO pro or a specialized content marketing strategist, there is probably one thing that you can easily agree MUST happen for you to become successful. That’s right, you have to be organized! However, if you sometimes feel as if you’re too busy to even jot down a quick to-do list or to prepare for that important meeting on Monday morning, then you probably don’t have the right programs or applications on hand, and you certainly don’t have what you need to plan ahead.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is the medical terminology used to represent a complex clinical disorder of symptoms characterized by soft tissue pain, stiffness, and altered deep pain threshold with psychological fallout. It can mimic or accompany symptoms of joint injury, but it is not an ...

Have you begun to notice that your partner is more selfish than you ever thought? Does it seem like she will never understand you. Does it feel like he’s being inconsiderate and even treating you poorly? It’s not uncommon for us to see our beloved partner in a less favorable light after we get married or move in together. When we are courting, we not only try to show our partner our best side but we also don’t really notice the “down side” of our partner.

High performers will tell you that the key to continually delivering lies in a carefully planned set of habits that, over time, grows to become a mindset. No matter the occupation, everyone can boost their performance by combining a couple of approaches and sticking to effective routines. That doesn’t mean, however, that your average workday should comprise routines. Rather, it means that approaches that help you achieve better results should be adapted to suit each and every task at hand.

Leaders are one of the most responsible of all the Striving Styles. When they are fully engaged with the holiday season, they act as though it is their responsibility to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone has a good time. They work very hard during the season to ensure it does as they get pleasure from and feel most in control when they are working. They are often popular people because they make things happen and will be found where the action is – at family, community, neighbourhood and workplace events.

How do You Feel Unsafe? It appears that the human experience has largely evolved into one where many people are experiencing the lack of feeling safe. The number of ways in which that appears in our lives is something that we need to bring into our awareness so that we can change our experiences. Yet much of it is hidden unde eath the many assumptions that we make in how we perceive the world around us. It is hard wired into our brains that we keep ourselves safe. Fight or flight is a standard evolutionary response designed to alert us to potential physical dangers.

Here in our western culture we are advanced in many ways- yet in regards to our awareness about our body we are more than lacking! We pop pills for every ailment we have without even trying to figure out what the cause is. One of the many problems with this is that there are so many side affects to these medications- and the greatest problem of all with this course of treatment is that we are not healing the cause.

People who suffer from panic attacks experience symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, loss of control, feelings of impending doom, disorientation, and feeling trapped. Although those who suffer from this disorder feel debilitated, it is one of the most manageable syndromes to treat ...

Many people have done the tough work of recovery from sexual abuse, whether with help in therapy or on one’s own. It challenges us to the core, but it also frees us, and gives life and possibility where we once felt that we might never get through it. For some, getting into a relationship, or ...

Can I get stuck in hypnosis? Impossible! When under hypnosis you are always fully in control and able to open you eyes at any time, stand up and continue your day as normal after the session. Will my secrets be revealed? Hypnosis is not a truth serum. You are always aware of the process and in control of what is said or not said at any time.

If worrying is your second job, then the unfortunate part is that this all-consuming your energy doesn’t pay you anything rather it pays stress, sadness, depression and inner chaos. Instead of replaying the same old worries day after day, why don’t we look at how to stop worrying and start living peacefully? 1. Sit silently and think We need to first understand why we worry—Worrying accomplishes nothing.Worrying is bad for you. Worrying is the opposite of trust and peac

The other day, as I waited for the elevator in my office building, I noticed a young mother sitting on the bench in the lobby. Her tiny baby was snuggled in a baby carrier on the floor and her two year old girl was busy trying to get on the elevator with me. The mom was hunched over, phone in hand, text messaging or emailing, or whatever else she might have been doing from her phone. Meanwhile, she essentially ignored her two kids. They may as well have been invisible to her as she was completely focused on her phone.

People need to feel a sense of belonging in order to find meaning in their work and to engage the power of their emotions. The more employees discover links between personal ideals, a meaningful organizational mission or intention, and larger social values, the greater their commitment to their goals. They need to be able to connect their own identify to the organizations intrinsic identity in order to feel a part of the collective. This provides them with a mechanism for the expression of caring about the organization they belong to.r

Anger seems to be one of the primary emotions with which most people consistently struggle. Anger can be an extremely SCARY emotion for an individual to feel…it is powerful and therefore difficult for people to HOLD. “Holding” in the psychological sense means the ability to tolerate an emotion and allow for the actual feeling of it. Children have temper tantrums. They get angry…sometimes really angry! This can be a problem if a parent doesn’t set limits on this expression.

It seems that a lot of behaviors that used to be considered pathological, due to social tolerance or simply public statements and manifestations, are starting to be considered "normal" in time, which can be quite a relief for the patients too ashamed or afraid of social stigma to seek help. One just couldn't talk about role playing or dildos 40 or 50 years ago because one would have been immediately labeled as a sex freak.

We believe that through focusing on their personal development, people can learn to handle emotions intelligently, and in doing so increase their ability to succeed in personal and professional relationships. Emotional self-awareness is the core of emotional intelligence. Knowing one's emotional state allows the possibility of expressing feelings appropriately, or making the choice to withhold the expression of the emotion - in other words, managing one’s emotional responses.

There are more people on capacity benefits due to mental health problems than the total number of unemployed people on job seekers allowance. By 2030 depression will be the world’s most common illness according to the World Health Organisation.r

In last weeks NY Times magazine, an article written by Daniel Carlat, M.D., entitled Mind over Meds http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/magazine/25Memoir-t.html?pagewanted=1, raises the hotly debated issue of the value of psychotherapy versus the value of psychotropic medications for treating mental illness. It also raises the issue of the unfortunate state of mental health care that is provided in this country. Dr. Carlat, a psychiatrist and associate clinical professor of psy

Learning to process and accept our past is a necessary step in one’s search for adulthood. Instead, people often choose neurotic suffering as a way of coping with painful memories. Neurotic suffering consists of coping mechanisms that put a salve over our wounds. Rather than confront one's painful past, adults will convert their grief into physical symptoms, and mask their losses through over-activity, intellectualization, avoidance, self-blame and projected anger. Neurotic sufferers ignore the stop signs, transcending their grief as if it weren't there.

Are you experiencing these troubles in your family? rn• Communicating problems rn• Infidelity to dutyrn• Balancing home and outdoorsrn• Misbehavior of your child rn• The loss of a family member rn• Childhood traumas or nightmaresrn• Conflicts in blended or remarriage families rn• Step-parenting or foster-parenting problems rn• Family violence rn• Substance abusernKnow how to get the most out of your marriage counselorrnSuccessful marriages can be difficult

In our society we often lead very busy and stressful lives. This can lead to a stress response not unlike being chased by a saber toothed tiger. Our body releases stress hormones that make us fast and strong – in order to survive. This is called the fight or flight response. But being in a chronic state of stress can be, and often is, deadly. And seventy to eighty percent of visits to primary care physicians are due to stress related illness.

Therapy or else treatment relates to the attempted remediation with the health problem followed on diagnosis. Therapist has been individuals proficient in a unique kind of therapy. Online therapy has been the ultra-modern mode of seeing a therapist. The online therapy services offer you that boost up that's required in an awfully less difficult plus useful mode inside a lessen fees designed for that you choose to. Online therapy may be practise of communicating to a therapist

Are you in need of a good counselor but don't know where to begin? Or maybe a friend or loved one is in need of a counselor. Don't settle for anything mediocre when searching for a god counselor. There are many different mental health counselors available for everyone's unique needs and personal issues. Start seeking for the perfect one for you, your family, or friends. No one deserves to suffer the awful effects of mental illness or other personal issues you are trying to co

Do you feel stuck and unable to get beyond anxiety, depression and traumatic memories? Do you feel a victim of your emotions?

When you put your hands around your eyes you narrow your view. When in a room first you could see the whole room and now only part of it. Although the room didn’t change your perception of the room did. It is the same with your view on life. When your outlook on life is narrow this has nothing to do with life and only indicates there are some ‘hands narrowing your view’. Shuem makes use of widened states of consciousness to widen this view again. Making use of the shamanic tradition emotional and psychological problems can be solved and harmony and happiness can shine through.

A sound mental health system is very vital for success in life. If your mind is troubled or suffering from ill health, there’s no way you can make any headway in life. However, you can always seek the help of a mental health therapist in order to deal with issues disturbing your mind anytime they occur. Mental therapy is basically the process of healing the mind from issues and problems bordering it. The process is also known as counseling or psychotherapy. It’s a vital p

Best Email Marketing Benchmarks for 2021 It’s a fact that 2021 benchmarks do not differ that greatly as compared to 2020, partly due to the fact that a pandemic is raging on. No matter the times, people eat, sleep, learn and live, so put into that context, this doesn’t come as a surprise. That being said, government, nonprofit, and education top the charts once again. Government open rates have risen from 19.79% last year to 30.5% this year, nonprofit open rates - from 20.39% in 2019 to 25.2% this year and education open rates - from 18.9% in 2019 to 23.4% this year.

Defensiveness in Daily Life

MMT can be defined as: the direct application of mindfulness to the present felt-sense of an emotional complex to facilitate transformation, resolution and healing. DIRECT APPLICATION means that the individual trains to establish and sustain a quality of relationship with the inner experience of an emotion, called the Mindfulness Based Relationship. The quality of the MBR is the key factor that will determine the successful outcome of MMT.