Therapist Blogs for June 2012
Real Camp for Adolescent Girls This Summer
This summer, instead of going to a run-of-the-mill summer camp, teen girls and their parents may want to consider the Real Girl Empowerment Camp. Created by Anea Bogue, a life coach, writer, educator and speaker, the goal of this camp is to, "help each client discover her authentic self and reach her highest potential, through highly customized one-on-one coaching sessions and interactive workshops with women ad teen girls in Southern California." This year, the camp is being held in Pasadena and the website for more information is:
http://www.aneabogue.com/moms-realgirl-empowerment-workshops-southern-callifornia.php
You Can Heal Yourself
Several years ago my general practitioner referred me to an oncologist to remove a growth in my throat that consisted of a mass and fluid. I asked the oncologist to give me 90 days to work on it alternatively and to write a prescription to see a hypnotherapist. He did so immediately. After 3 sessions with the hypnotherapist the condition was reversed. Even though it did not show on the diagnostic test that I was neither hypo or hyper I added an iodine supplement to my diet to keep the condition from manifesting again.
Had I allowed the growth to be removed through surgery I would have been placed on a synthetic supplement, probably Synthroid for the rest of my life? Synthroid can cause swelling of the feet and legs and a host of other side effects. Not that my little skinny legs would not look better with a little more weight around them but the daily swelling would have been painful. The swelling would also spread to my hands and face making me look like Miss Piggy on any given...
What If I Don't Know What's Wrong With Me?
(From the Downtown Therapy blog. Check it out to see more)
It’s quite possible to want to see a therapist and yet not exactly know what it is that you really want to talk about: something’s going on, but it isn’t clear enough to say it’s ______.
This may feel odd, because sometimes we feel that we should have “the proper language” for everything. When we don’t have the proper words or phrase (or don’t feel we even understand what it is) it can be frustrating. For some people, not knowing the proper words can be stigmatizing.
As a result, on occasion people wonder if it’s worth it to see a therapist if they can’t name what it is that’s bugging them. Some may be afraid of wasting my time (not to mention theirs).
If you book an initial appointment with a therapist under these conditions, one of the following three things is likely to happen:
1) after some discussion, the foggy feeling you have may start to loo...
Counselor Dawn Echols
Recognizing that you may be in an abusive relationship can be a difficult truth. Sometimes recognition (or lack of recognition) is due to not knowing what this dynamic looks like. Sometimes, since relationships are such an important part of our lives, full awareness that we have been mistreated by someone we love, is a painful truth that we struggle to accept. Self-help books can be important in assisting the process of understanding our relationships and ourselves. Patricia Evan's book, "The Verbally Abusive Relationship" can be a helpful tool.
Why Clinical Hypnotherapy?
Throughout our lives, we develop limiting and unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, habits, and ways of "being" in the world that become stored in our unconscious minds. These negative thoughts often result in self-sabotage and an inability to achieve our goals or break destructive/unhealthy habits.
Clinical hypnotherapy serves to by-pass the conscious mind and speak directly to the unconscious, which is where these self defeating beliefs live.
Hypnosis is, basically, a natural "state of being" that we all experience on a daily basis. Have you ever driven to and arrived at your destination and then realized you were not aware of the journey? Or become engrossed in a television show, film, or book? How about the time just as you drop off to sleep or are just waking? These are all states of altered attention and heightened focus, which allows our minds to become unaware of things around us and focus in on something important to us in that moment. During this state, ca...
Replace “Connecting” with “Creating”… It’s not just semantics!
There is so much talk these days in our personal and professional lives about the importance of people ‘connecting’. Business networking is about connecting, good personal relationships need connection between two people, therapists ask couples, ‘do you feel connected?’ And the current mother of all connecting species: “friending” on Facebook!
So what’s all this connecting business about?
In exploring this with my clients and friends, my original question was: “How do we create connection?” But I think a more interesting question is: “How do we create what we do with one another?” It’s like the difference between ‘communication’ and ‘conversation’. Communication connotes the dissemination of already created information, while conversation connotes the creative activity of building a story together that did not pre-exist.
So yea - I want to create with people, not merely connect! This remi...
How to Get the Love You Want? Give it!
Take a minute to think about what you expect from a loving relationship with a partner. Does your list contain any of the following common expectations?
Healing past woundsMeeting all of your current emotional needsFulfilling fantasies and idealizations of how life should beMaking up for other less rewarding aspects of life / making your life "whole"
Any one of these expectations alone can be a very tall order! Not surprisingly, relationships often buckle under these kinds of pressures. So, what to do? Learn to take care of and give to the relationship; in other words, give instead of trying to get the love you want.
Take care of the relationship
v How is the relationship doing?
v How are we taking care of the relationship?
v What do we need to give to the relationship?
These might seem like strange questions to ask. However, if we view the relationship itself as a third entity, with the individuals being the other two entities, we have a much better shot and creating healthy, lo...
What's The Difference Between Seeing A Therapist And Seeing My Best Friend?
(From the Downtown Therapy blog. Check it out to see more)
I talk to people: it's my job. In my travels, I've come across many interesting perspectives when I tell people that I'm a psychotherapist.
One question that stands out came from a young woman who asked “What's the difference between what you do and, say, me talking with my best friend?”
Good question. On the surface it would seem that there wouldn't be much difference. However, the truth often bears differently.
Let's face it: if you have a "best friend", then chances are you give them that stature because of a good chemistry between the two of you. You feel you can talk with them and occasionally divulge personal matters you wouldn't normally share with anyone else. This is a good thing, particularly if - outside of the "best friend" qualification - the friendship itself is mutual and respectful. The thing is, what you can't count on (consistently) is whether or not your friend always has your i...
5 Keys to Get the Most Out of Therapy
You've made the decision to go to therapy. I know this isn't an easy decision to make, and it probably means you're troubled and hurting. Therapy can be instrumental in turning this around, but you need to be aware of these 5 keys before you get started.
As a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in Boca Raton, FL, I've worked with hundreds of clients seeking therapy to turn their lives around. And I've seen my clients make amazing turnarounds. It's what makes my job so fulfilling.
But if you've never seen a therapist before, you need to understand exactly how it works. Or even worse, if you've tried therapy and it "didn't work", you need to understand what went wrong.
So here are my 5 Keys to Success in Psychotherapy, from a leading Boca Raton therapist.
Once you recognize you have a problem, don't wait to take action. You know yourself best. You've solved most of the struggles in your life. But some problems don't just go away. Some of them continue to hang around, and get worse the...
Take Control of your ADD at Work
How to Manage Distractions in the Office
One of the biggest concerns that I hear about from my clients with ADD is how to be more productive at work. Problems with distractibility are one of the most common concerns, due to the frequent interruptions that take place in most office settings, creating significant problems for many individuals with ADD. In an attempt to provide some solutions to this problem, I have written the following article.
Individuals with ADD often complain that the amount of distractions that create problems with being productive at work is often overwhelming. In fact, many of these individuals suffer from anxiety and or depression due to the amount of stress this factor places upon them on a daily basis. They may worry about how they are perceived at work and if they are able to manage their time efficiently, while keeping up with deadlines and other time sensitive work responsibilities that are part of their job. The following is a list of suggestions that ca...
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