Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a result of having experienced acute, chronic, or complex trauma. Let’s dive in and deepen our understanding of trauma before we discuss therapy. Common Sources of Trauma Birth trauma Bullying Community violence Physical and emotional abuse Neglect Parental Separation Injury Medical trauma Substance Use Incarceration Natural disasters Terrorism…
The word narcissism has been around since 1898 and was identified as a mental disorder defined by pathological self-absorption. There are many additional symptoms of narcissism including a lack of empathy, difficulty with attachment, excessive need for admiration, and a strong need for centralized power. Narcissism lives in systems everywhere within society: families, friends workplaces,…
Abuse is defined as the misuse or treatment of someone or something in a bad way or for a bad purpose. While physical abuse has always had validation and credibility because of its violent nature and visual wounds, invisible abuse is just as valid. Emotional and psychological abuse leads to serious consequences such as fear,…
We’ve all heard or made the statement “I don’t want to take sides”. Normally, that is a healthy and understandable position to take. Disagreements occur between 2 people and both parties have their own truths, hurts, feelings and narratives. But taking a side presumes there is an equivalent to each side. This is a false…
In today’s world, the term “spin cycle” carries much more weight than it did in the days of our parents and their parents before that. While most of the time we think a spin cycle is a washing machine setting or the name of a cycling class, a spin cycle is also the nickname for…
Part of the support I received during my high conflict divorce with a partner diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, included training in mindfulness and emotional regulation. One of the key learnings for me was prioritizing one of 3 areas in any interpersonal exchange: The goal or outcome of the encounter Preserving the relationship with…
When we think about psychologically abusive behaviors we most often talk about gaslighting, projection, manipulation, blame shifting and devaluing. Let’s take a look at red flag behaviors we are wise to pay attention to, especially early into a relationship. Teasing and Joking Have you ever heard someone say something unkind or hurtful and then quickly…
I grew up with 3 older sisters. Because I was the youngest, I always had to share a bedroom with another sister. As with most families, siblings get along sometimes and go to war at other times. The reason doesn’t matter (and there were many!), but we knew when the “imaginary” line was crossed. During…
Has losing your temper caused problems in relationships, at work or school, with your neighbors, or on the road? Maybe you’ve been arrested, lost custody of your children, or been served with divorce papers. When rage is severe or interrupts your life, anger management counseling may be in order. But there are some things you…
More and more people seem to be burdened with some sort of mental illness or condition. The medical industry, where much of the psychotherapy is conducted, seems hooked on palliative ‘solutions’ such as medication and curtailed programs of manualized ‘sausage-machine’-style psychotherapy which assume that every patient is the average patient. There’s no time to actually…