Most of us have difficulty being present with all of our emotions and we use various strategies to avoid feeling them – oftentimes without our conscious awareness. There are many reasons for this, having to do with our personal histories and the environments we grew up in, as well as our culture. At a more basic level, the difficulty we have tolerating emotional pain reflects our natural tendency to move away from discomfort, which is a useful thing for biological survival. Continue reading “Being Present With Emotions”
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Politics In Therapy
Our society is highly polarized by disagreements about political and cultural issues. Understandably, someone undergoing therapy might have concerns about what positions are held by their therapist or what response they will get if they chose to discuss their views. How a therapist handles political discussion can be useful or not for the therapy process, and may also affect a client’s sense of safety or their trust in their therapist’s judgement or character. I’d like to share how I approach this in my practice. Continue reading “Politics In Therapy”
Freedom From The Inner Critic
Does your inner dialogue sound mean and judgmental? Do you frequently focus on your supposed mistakes and flaws? We all have a part of our psyche, sometimes referred to as the “inner critic,” which interferes with our ability to feel content and realize our potential. This critical part of ourselves gives us messages that we aren’t OK and undermines our confidence. Continue reading “Freedom From The Inner Critic”