Therapy and Counseling Articles

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 ...

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.

Medical attitudes to exercise, dance and pregnancy have altered radically in the past twenty years. Before then doctors were likely todvise the mother-to-be to avoid strenuous activity and just take gentle walks. Today the considerable benefits of aerobic exercise are generally understood and ...

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.

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.

...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 ...

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.

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?

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?

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

At my most recent check up, a pretty nurse prepared me for the visit. Her fine face was decorated by a dark circle encompassing her eye – almost surely caused by the viscous hand of her “loved one”. She was obviously deep in her ruins but was valiantly pretending everything’s all right. I was inclined to give her a warm embrace and tell her how much I am sorry about what had happened to her.

Organizations have their mission, vision, systems, mandates, values, policies and procedures that ensure they function effectively. They also have their own unique systems and patterns of behaviour and human interaction. This is the dynamic aspect of organizational life, which influences how people feel when they are at work and how they behave because of those feelings. When leaders and leadership groups are not mindful of the emotional life of the organization; when it is ignored and not factored into the other elements of organizational structure, cultural dysfunctions arise.r

Many years ago, when I worked in education, I spent my summers directing outdoor park district activities for kids. The children would come from the neighborhood to play various games. One year I recall a teenage boy coming to the park with a desire to talk with me. He would attend a youth ...Many years ago, when I worked in education, I spent my summers directing outdoor park district activities for kids. The children would come from the neighborhood to play various games. One year I recall a teenage boy coming to the park with a desire to talk with me.

“You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.” Richard Bach Finding my daughter’s birth family is by far the most touching and life altering story I have yet to relay. It is nothing short of a miracle and testimony to the belief that anything is possible. The power of thought does indeed have infinite potential; however it is up to us to mine this limitless resource and shape it into dreams come true.

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.

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:

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!

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.

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?

Becoming Unstuck Many people find themselves in a place in life where they feel completely stuck. They recognize their discomfort in the situation and wonder how they got there. The discomfort increases when the individual realizes they do not know how to transcend the situation and find relief. There are several steps to consider as we work to become unstuck:

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.

“I am Fabulous”: Embracing and Celebrating You!” “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddhann“And as we let our own light ...

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.

Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress. Increasingly, research suggests these factors may cause problems in brain function, including abnormal activity of certain neural circuits in the brain. The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms. These may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration, daily behavior, or self-esteem. Depression can also be associated with thoughts of suicide.

Spirit Messages are channeled messages, inspired messages, dream messages, automatic writing messages, spirit guide messages, messages from the beyond, or what we simply call, 'Spirit Messages'. Channeled messages are the specific thoughts, feelings, recommendations and advice from 'Spirit', whom we will define as all beings of light, God, Jesus, the angels, our deceased relatives and our spirit guides, the elementals, etc.; channeled messages come through a vessel, called as

Inevitably, sometime within your parenting career, you will face a power-struggle with your child. If you don’t, you may be too intimidating, your child may be rather compliant, or you have mastered the art of managing conflict. Power-struggles occur due to a variety of factors, but invariably ...

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.

A client recently asked me what the difference was, between healing and loving yourself and being selfish. To that person, they appeared to be the same thing. Learning to love ourselves is an important step on our journey to grow in our emotional intelligence. Yet, fear of being selfish is a hurdle that many of us face, in our journey to self-love. We all want to be kind, decent people and discover and share our spiritual gifts. But what is the difference between loving and caring for ourselves, and being selfish?

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.

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.

Dance sport is set to become an Olympic event. Personally I am not in favor of this. Not for a moment would I dispute the fact that dancers have considerable athletic prowess. Nonetheless, I feel that all Olympic events should be decided on technical and verifiable rules and regulations. In my ...

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".

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.

Step 1: Learn to identify what you’re thinking, your self-talk. Being aware of your thoughts and self-talk helps you track the kinds of thoughts you typically have. Step 2: Identify the thoughts that make you feel bad, and consider if the thoughts are problematic. If they are, they will need to be challenged. For example, because it is normal and realistic to feel sad while thinking about a close relative’s recent death, this thought needn’t be challenged. However, feel

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

Children with ODD seem angry a lot. They blame others for their mikstakes, act in negative or hostile ways and they frequently and deliberately disobey the rules and requests of adults. They argue with adults and seem resentful. These children are touchy and easily annoyed and will make ...

Why is it that so many relationships end in divorce? The statistics will vary across the globe from as little as 5% in Macedonia to as high as 68% in Belarus. Regardless of the figure the emotional impact, stress, family split and the monetary heart aches it creates is never pleasant. Yet as a ...

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, ...

FOREWORD – ABOUT THE MIND BRAIN BALANCE TEAM “The Center for Mind Brain Balance” was established to bridge the gap between a person’s psychological and emotional needs versus their brain-based or physical imbalances that are so often overlooked.

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

In a world that seems set on winding up our springs and forcing us to scurry about completing our appointed tasks, it would be nice to find an alte ative therapy that could ease our daily angst without sending us into oblivion or making us feel as we weren’t really there.

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.

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 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

I Am Enough I would LOVE to write a post that has 5 easy steps, or 3 simple ways to evaluate your belief system. From where I sit today, that is simply not possible. Awareness of self and the belief systems we have is a life's work. It takes time, patience, and commitment to change. This awareness is something that we all do, and will continue to practice for our entire life. The first phase of this life's work is overcoming a commonly held belief that “I am not enough.” Strong enough. Smart enough. Emotional enough. Sensitive enough. Tough enough. Thin enough. You get the picture.

Medically speaking, there isn't a "true cure" for this mental behavior, however, you can typically determine treatments for hoarding by doing a small amount of research of your own. The definition of "no real cure" simply means that this upsetting habit will always be exhibited in one form or another. If the compulsive hoarding behavior is allowed to fester, it will gradually grow into an uncontrollable nightmare. The longer it remains fixed in a person's every day lifestyle,

Visually impaired children may not have much experience of what their bodies can do. There can be delays in their physical development in the critical early years of childhood. They also often have deficits in physical and motor fitness. This can in turn lead to problems with balance and ...

This weekend I saw Clint Eastward’s new movie HEREAFTER which explores the issues of near death experience, afterlife, and an intimate look into the life of someone who is psychic. The movie also touches on the difference between those who profess to be and those who truly have heightened awareness. What was of particular interest was the main character didn’t procure his abilities. They became apparent after he recovered from a serious illness. How relevant is this? Does plowing through personal trauma sharpen and intensify our perception. Are some of us just born more sensitive?

Are you one of many who claim not to be very intuitive? Do you have children? If you are a parent, can you tell at a moment’s glance, that something is bothering your child, even when they refuse to admit it? What about over the phone when they just don’t sound right? Have you had restless nights without sleep, or troubling dreams, sensing something is wrong? Most parents will answer, “Yes” to these questions even if they deny having extra sensory perception.

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.