Many people struggle with the question of whether it is possible to do couple’s work when one partner won’t attend. Or to fix a family relationship when some don’t believe they need therapy, and some do. I agree that it’s hard. But it’s far from impossible. It is easy to think that the problem in…
Never, in the history of the world, has it been so easy to experience the world going all to . . . (in a handbasket?) Not only are we force fed news from the whole world’s troubles. We are also fed dire predictions about the many many ways it is all going to turn out…
The short answer is, yes! The longer answer is still yes, in a few different ways. There have been quite a few studies that show that for many people, counselling delivered over skype or similar services is not that different from in-person counselling, especially for those who are used to communicating that way. There have…
The internet is full of sage words about how important it is to be consistent, so that you can be successful. And it is true that to gain a new habit or skill, attacking it with dedication and consistency is probably necessary. BUT there are so many ways that being consistent can lead to trouble.…
I am very excited to tell you that I have signed on to be a resource for the members of the Libero Network. If you don’t know about them, you might not understand why this makes me so happy. The Libero Network began when Lauren Bersaglio decided to go public with her inspiring story of…
Everyone means something different when they use the word “depressed”, and there is no one solution that fits all.
The only time most people enjoy feeling afraid is in a scary movie or on a roller coaster. There are moments when we actually feel more alive and excited and truly connected to our physical selves because we have allowed a manageable amount of fear in our lives. And then, there are those fearful feelings…
Sometimes you get a perfect storm of small crises that overwhelm you. Sometimes you get one big wallop. But it’s absolutely a normal experience to find yourself over your head and struggling to breathe. It doesn’t even have to be all bad things. Some of my most stressful days have involved dreams come true or…
I have found that meditation (or, as I practice it, prayer) makes a huge difference to person’s state of mind. I’m going to post a little video I often recommend to people. A warning- it does have a slight Buddhist flavour, so if you are uncomfortable with that, please don’t watch. The point is to…
The last two posts have covered some ways to avoid being harmed by the news. But sometimes I need to do more when a story starts really bothering me. Here are a few good questions to ask yourself when you are reeling from something you heard on the news. 1. Do they have the whole…
This is the second in a series. The last post, No More News? introduced the idea that consuming news can harm your mental health, and explored a few reasons why people might want to continue taking in news. So, once you know yourself, the next step is . . . 2. Know the Media Once…
When I am anxious, or troubled, one of the worst things I can do is to watch the news. Or read a news site. I have gone through periods when I felt I had to check the news regularly to make sure nothing horrible was happening. And I have had periods of time when avoiding…
Suppose that you find yourself on a desert Island. It’s pretty good there at first. There’s sun and surf and no-one to bother you. It’s a little cold and creepy at night, but you soon get used to it, and build yourself a shelter. And it’s all okay. Until it’s not quite as okay anymore.…
When I studied addiction in grad school, I was introduced to the work of Bruce Alexander, and it completely changed my understanding of the causes and treatment of this very common problem. I read his excellent book “The Globalization of Addiction”, which is a long, but fascinating look at the problem. Alexander describes the Western…
I recently read a very interesting post by Oliver Burkeman in the Guardian called “Everyone is Just Totally Winging It“, which tells one of the basic truths of life. We are all just doing our best. Pretty much no-one actually feels like a fully competent adult who is confident all the time that they are…
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