Psychology Articles

Notes of first therapy session with T. Dal, female, 26, diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Dal is an attractive young woman but seems to be unable to maintain a stable sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Her confidence in her ability to "hold on to men" is at a low ebb, ...

The paranoid's world is hostile, arbitrary, malicious, and unpredictable. Consequently, he or she distrusts others and suspects them. No good deed goes unpunished. Every gesture of goodwill is surely fuelled by ulterior, self-interested and uncharitable motives. Paranoids are firmly convinced ...

When a marriage first starts out, it is full of vitality and excitement. Of course, there are adjustments to be made, but most couples are on their best behavior making lots of efforts. And then the “honeymoon” is over and the work begins. The hardest work in any relationship is the bridging ...

The energy flowing between you, your body, and your connections with the body of the world can be consciously appreciated - if you pay close enough attention. Let this practice of mindful listening to a larger body tune you in to the joy of the world. 1. The next time you are part of an ...

DECIDING ON THE TREATMENT PLAN During your next visit, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, or surgery. Your doctor will explain treatment options and why a certain one is recommended. Your doctor may be able ...

“Being honest may not get you a lot of friends and it will get you the right ones.” We all have been there! Maybe you had a friend or you know someone now who is in a big DRAMA! The situation keeps getting worse and you can’t believe the stories… affairs, lying, addictions, bills not paid, bullying and on and on. I am not referring to illness, accidents, natural disasters; I am referring to things that can happen to us when we don’t have a Backbone.

Should I leave my relationship? This question is probably one of the top ten reasons people have come into my practice asking for help. I am a therapist who prefers to work preventatively. I would like someone who is in the market for a relationship to already be in therapy. A good therapist can evaluate your history with intimacy, help you heal your wounds and help you get clear on who might be a good partner for you. A Quick Guide of Gauging Toxicityr

Keep making those Requestsr Making requests may seem like such a simple thing. Of course I do that you say to yourself. Check again it can be the root of many negative emotions especially resentment.

There is enormous power in what we say, do, think and feel. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you smile and reflect on how much you are enjoying something and suddenly you remember ‘I asked for this?' You may have had a desire, wish or intention at an earlier time in your life and you said something like ‘I wish I could get up on a Monday morning, eager to get to my job!’ Maybe you said something like ‘I wish I could live like this every day’ (words spoken during a relaxed or exhilarating holiday).

What Do My Dreams Mean?

The Mental Sun of Eternityrn Nothing can be more familiar to human beings than the mental world of eternity. The moment we are born and take our first breath, our conscious life begins. We become “aware” as a human being, that we are a human being. Our mental apparatus is all set to function and to provide us with our developing consciousness as a living immortal individual. Our physical and mental apparatus function together through the laws of correspondence. Every oper

CATHARTIC INTEGRATION THERAPY Healing one's past to live well one's present CIT is a primal process that can bring rapid results. It has been developed by Luciamo Tascia De Deyn a Belgian psychologist. Origin of illnesses and regressio Renown therapists (Sigmund Freud and Alice Miller among others) discovered that many physical and psychic disorders begin when the traumatisms of childhood as well as the associated thoughts and emotions are repressed. The goal of the therap

A Tree for Life Will Parfitt describes, in this extract from his new book ‘The Complete Guide to the Kabbalah’, describes how our relationship with trees goes back to the origins of humankind, and how trees are a potent symbol for the creative growth process both on a personal and collective ...

Who has not found themselves irritated or dismayed about things happening in their lives? Frustration is more common and socially acceptable than anger and rage but it fulfils a similar function and if chronic is also very damaging. The ‘Benefits’ of Being Frustrated.

The conscious and the subconscious mind must harmonize in order for our life to exist. In the 1950's, there was a line in a popular song which very effectively illustrated this concept— 'you can't have one without the other'. For example, when we see any object such as a 'table', the conscious mind operating in the state of awareness sees the object. Without even thinking about it, the memory bank located in the subconscious mind, which holds the key for that symbol, quickl

Personality disorders are not only all-pervasive, but also diffuse and shape-shifting. It is taxing and emotionally harrowing to watch how a loved one is consumed by these pernicious and largely incurable conditions. Victims adopt varying stances and react in different ways to the inevitable ...

How can being a success possibly be a problem? Don't we all want to be winners? In fact, there are potentially negative consequences in achieving our goals and in being known as a successful person. Let's take a look at this paradoxical phenomenon and formulate some strategies to deal with the inevitable challenges that surround anyone who strives for success. What are some of the paradoxes of playing the success game? 1. In order to succeed big, you could become a workaholic, a very common downside. 2.

Patients with personality disorders have a body language specific to their disorder. It comprises an unequivocal series of subtle presenting signs. The patient's body language usually reflects the underlying mental health problem. For instance: people with Avoidant Personality Disorder and ...

Many people strive for some form of perfection. Whether in their work, in their appearance, in their relationships, in their expectations of others…There are a number of problems with perfectionism not the least of which it is simply not possible. Perfection is an ideal, which, almost by definition, is unattainable. Like trying to stand in the middle of a rainbow; as it’s approached, it recedes. The other problem is that the criteria used to gauge perfection are suspect. How did we arrive at these criteria? Is it valid criteria?

Scientists tell us that icebergs – masses of floating ice, like the one that sank the Titanic – have one eighth of their mass above water and seven eights under water. So, when we think we see the whole thing, in reality we see only the tip of it, as the biggest part is hidden.

Life is war. What does this metaphor remind you of? Do certain pictures come to your mind? Does it let you feel certain emotions? Is it an encouraging or discouraging metaphor? It seems that metaphors are not just about words but also concern the way we experience the world, and the way we live our whole lives. Someone who lives his life according to the metaphor "love is a journey" will have a very different romantic relationship from someone who believes that "love is just

Alas, the recent break-up of a nine year relationship was painful enough. But when my ex-partner’s daughter indefinitely suspended (if not permanently ended) weekly 3-5 minute Skypeing and my periodic visiting with her 3 ½ year old daughter (i.e., my ex’s grandchild), because the mother felt “confused” by the split (initiated by her mother) along with being “tired of saying ‘Yes’ when she wanted to say ‘No’”…well, the loss, pain, and grief go very, very deep.

Apply the Secrets that Sport Psychologists Use With Elite Athletes to Skyrocket Your Sales Performance By Jack Singer, Ph.D. Matt is a sales manager with a computer software company. His sales people have the responsibilities of generating new business by making “cold calls” and following up on leads from potential customers who respond to inquiries that his company receives.

Fifteen or so years ago, I sat through a dinner party where the discussion at the table went something like this... "Well, as a three, I felt like I really needed to finish the 10k in less than an hour," said the perky blond. The whole table cracked up, but I missed the joke. "I'm a two, so my time was longer this race, since I of course had to stop and help the guy next to me -- who was lost," said the guy to my left. This also brought chortles from the group, but left me co

Trusted guidance on meeting Ms. or Mr. Right If you think dating is a simple process--meet someone, ask him or her for a date or get asked out yourself, try not to come off as a drooling moron, then arrange to get together for a second date or cut your losses and work to meet someone else--well, lucky you. For many people, it's far more complicated than that, and Dr. Joy Browne addresses those complexities in Dating for Dummies.

There are two types of mindfulness practice: formal and informal. In formal practice, you actually set aside an amount of time and dedicate it to being mindful. Informal practice doesn’t require any extra time; the idea is to bring moment-to-moment awareness to everything you already do, to zero in on what you are doing as you are actually doing it. People often do things without being fully present, as if they were on automatic pilot. Living this way, they cheat themselves out of many moments in their lives.

Procrastination has a bad rap. It is a very creative and often useful behavior. Generally defined as putting things off until the last minute, procrastination is also putting things off until the best time. For some, it’s that last minute rush which energizes and motivates. For others, it’s that last minute when important information is made available allowing then for more accurate decisions and actions. Some people may be perceived as procrastinating but they are actually prioritizing, working on more important tasks first.

Victims of abuse in all its forms – verbal, emotional, financial, physical, and sexual – are often disorientated. They require not only therapy to heal their emotional wounds, but also practical guidance and topical education. At first, the victim is, naturally, distrustful and even hostile. The ...

Binaural beats are not only important in meditation, but they are also very highly effective in providing the ways of provision of motivation so as to transform life. There is sometimes in which we almost lose the control of your own lives. In that state, most of the people just give up. However, with the help of binaural beats, you can be accorded the chance of making up and restarting everything again. The major function of the binaural beats is relief from pressure and str

Boundaries are important. From a psychological perspective, boundaries are the mental, emotional, spiritual or relational limits on who and what kind of influences you accept into your life. How you expect to be treated depends on your personal history and self-evaluation. This is different for each person and circumstance. What is acceptable in one case and with one person, may not be tolerated in other instances. The cost of weak boundaries.

We are born with abilities of the first order (abilities to do) and of the second order (potentials, abilities to develop abilities to do). Our environment, though, is critical to the manifestation of these abilities. It is through socialisation and comparison with others that we bring our ...

Familiar yet terrifying, disorienting and disruptive feelings associated with trauma can come on without warning. A word, sound, smell or image can trigger disturbing thoughts as well as emotions. This happens because the right side of the brain, which is faster and “comes on line” ...

I have often heard from some, as you may have too, that you chose to be here, on this planet, at this time, in the circumstances you find yourself. And why did you choose to be here? To learn lessons. Do you believe that? If so, I am going to suggest that you are misinformed. You did not choose to be here, you are here by the inescapable results of consequences.

Delivering bad news is never easy. Whether it’s “I’m breaking up with you”, “You’re fired” or “You’ve got cancer”, there’s no pleasant way to deliver these messages. There are, on the other hand, quite a number of ways to make ...

I remember a couple, old friends of mine, who had been married for over 25 years. They had raised a family; had made major financial decisions together; had achieved common goals throughout their marriage and, I thought, were solidly attached to one another for the foreseeable future…

There is nothing special about the body language or behavior patterns of the abuser. If your abuser is a narcissist, his pathology is evident on first sight (read "How to Recognize a Narcissist"). But not all abusers are narcissists. Regrettably, most victims find themselves trapped long before ...

(We all need Strong Minds!) "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered you will never grow." Ralph Waldo Emerson The most important asset one can have is a strong mind. Forget all the material things many think are so important and would be lost without; a strong mind is really what we all need in life.

You asked for a transformational dream and so I give you this one which came at a time in my life when something had happened with an individual with whom I worked, that was very difficult. This was the first time in my life I felt hatred for another person to the point that my waking life was totally consumed by my feelings for this man. I dreamt of him every night for months and I felt possessed by this hatred and my life poisoned. I didn't know what to do, so I went into t

Learn how to do more using less energy: The e-course ETT - Eliminate the Time Thieves Inefficiency leads to stress We often try to handle stress in our work by learning "stress coping", and there are many courses available in this field. Many of these are useful and necessary. But, they often miss one important factor: lowering the stress level by working more efficiently, to increase one´s personal efficiency. Work smarter

"The Joy of Anger?" You might think: The man has gone utterly nuts... Who wants to be angry? Who's ever enjoyed being angry? No one, I guess. Being angry is like riding a fiery dragon on steroids, through the flames of hell. Being in the midst of a rage is, how shall I put it...

Even a complete battery of tests, administered by experienced professionals sometimes fails to identify abusers and their personality disorders. Offenders are uncanny in their ability to deceive their evaluators. They often succeed in transforming therapists and diagnosticians into four types of ...

This is an excerpt from the book A Book About You by Charles F. Haanel, edited by Anthony R. Michalski, and is part of The Complete Master Key Course -- http://www.thecompletemasterkeycourse.com nnEnergy reveals itself in manifold phases according to the media through which it manifests. The energy is one and identical, but it becomes diversified as it penetrates different substances or organisms. Infinite energy is ether in motion, or rhythmic vibration. Consciousness, then,

In this article, I would like to introduce you to some special characteristics of the word "try". This is a favorite word of people, who believe it encourages others to take action and supports their efforts. One of the characteristics distinguishing conscious mind from unconscious, is the fact that unconscious mind does very carefully and precisely - just like a computer - the instructions it receives.nnLet 's do a little experiment. nIn your mind picture yourself opening th

Have you lost your direction in life? Doubts about the meaning of what you are doing? You have an inner "CEO" All successful companies formulate their Vision and their Mission, sometimes termed as Business Plan, Our Vision, Our Core Idea or similar expressions. The successful CEO makes sure that each and every employee knows this by heart, that each one sympathizes with it, talks about it, so that the Vision and Mission Statements are communicated, in each contact the company has with the world and with its customers.

The narcissist regards therapy as a competitive sport. In therapy the narcissist usually immediately insists that he (or she) is equal to the psychotherapist in knowledge, in experience, or in social status. To substantiate this claim and "level the playing field", the narcissist in the ...

It is part of popular knowledge that in romantic relationships women want commitment from men, and at some point push, openly or subtly, for a marriage certificate. Men, on the other hand, are assumed to want to explore and experiment, but “cave in” to women’s pressures at some point or another in the course of a romantic relationship. So, how come women, who allegedly want the commitment and security of a stable relationship, are also the ones who are more likely to initiate divorce procedures and give this commitment up?

"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything." Gordon A Eadie Why do I need a backbone? I just have my simple little life. I don't aspire to be famous. Hmmm! Everyone's simple little life is going to be given an opportunity to take a stand for something, someone, some passion, some principle, some cause and you want to be ready.

Dan Jones has written a beautiful poem called "Shameless" which has a few lines which I think are priceless. He is talking about the nature of being shameless as well as what self-confidence is, and isn't. It's absolutely beautiful...n nVanity and conceit have nothing to do with this,nand not arrogance or righteousness.nThose are the masks of Shame.nThe "proud" man, the "vain" woman,nthe smug, the selfish, the egotistical and stuck-up,nall the "better-than,"nthe know-it-alls

It is clear that each abuser requires individual psychotherapy, tailored to his specific needs – on top of the usual group therapy and marital (or couple) therapy. At the very least, every offender should be required to undergo the following tests to provide a complete picture of his personality ...

The earth spins on its axis at a precise angle. If that angle is off just a fraction, it would render the earth either too hot or cold to be inhabitable. The number of connections in our mind, between each nerve cell, has been compared to the number of stars in the universe. It is a complex, ...