Tag: Depression

From a psychodynamic psychotherapy perspective, anxious-preoccupied attachment develops from early experiences with inconsistent or emotionally unavailable parents and caregivers, leading to deep-seated fears of abandonment and an excessive need for reassurance in relationships. Relational patterns are then internalized, where love and security feel unpredictable, leading to hypervigilance toward perceived rejection. Their internal working models, shaped […]

Your subconscious mind is an incredibly powerful part of your mental makeup.  It influences your thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and even your physical well-being.  It operates beneath the level of conscious awareness, processing and storing vast amounts of information while shaping your reality based on past experiences, beliefs, and conditioning.  Your subconscious mind also stores your […]

From a psychodynamic perspective, the avoidant-dismissive attachment style is deeply rooted in early relational experiences, particularly with primary caregivers. Individuals who develop this attachment style often had caregivers who were emotionally unavailable, dismissive, or rejecting of their needs. As a result, the child learned to suppress their own attachment needs, where a defensive structure was […]

Therapy is about developing mental fitness rather than focusing on mental illness. Over the years I have become aware that one of the biggest problems I face as a Toronto therapist is the negative attitude of people towards emotional and psychological health. Compare it to the attitude towards physical health. The attitude towards physical health has […]

Forgiveness is a subject that has been endlessly discussed. There are pros and cons. Some people insist it is necessary in order ‘to move on’. Others say forgiveness is forced and artificial. Whatever side you’re on it is agreed that we need to let go of past hurts.  Many of my clients suffer from past […]

Grief is a universal response to loss, however the manifestations of grief are unique to each individual. Grief is a deeply personal emotional process that is commonly experienced after the death or permanent loss of a person or relationship. Cultural and religious beliefs can also impact your experience and expectations of grief.  There is no […]

Childhood trauma shapes the way individuals perceive and navigate relationships in adulthood, sometimes in ways that are unconscious and deeply ingrained. From a psychodynamic perspective, early experiences with parents or caregivers can act as a template for future relationships where attachment styles, dynamics, and emotional regulation are influenced. If a child experiences neglect, abuse, or […]

Constancy plays an important role in psychoanalysis as it reflects the mind’s fundamental drive toward stability. While Freud initially used the concept of constancy within a neurological framework, its relevance goes beyond his interpretations, and offers a foundation for understanding human behaviour and emotional regulation. In psychoanalysis, constancy represents the psyche’s attempt to manage internal […]

We’ve all experienced that “gut feeling” – a sense of intuition or unease that seems to come from deep within. But what if your gut wasn’t just a source of figurative feelings, but a literal player in your mental health? It turns out, our gut-brain connection is far more profound than we once thought. This fascinating and rapidly evolving area […]

The term “McDonaldization” was coined by sociologist George Ritzer in his 1993 book The McDonaldization of Society. It refers to the process by which the principles of the fast-food industry, notably those embodied by McDonald’s, come to dominate various sectors of society. Ritzer identifies four key elements of McDonaldization: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. These […]