People constantly compare themselves against messages they receive from friends, family, media, and our culture. And those messages often contribute to feelings of “never good enough”: Not attractive enough. Not intelligent enough. Not thin enough. Not successful enough. For many of our clients, they’ve encountered these types of messages from a very young age, and […]
What’s Underneath a Client’s Anger?
When a client erupts in anger, what’s really going on? While anger is a normal and sometimes necessary emotion, it can escalate all too quickly once triggered. And that can lead to devastating choices and consequences. In the video below, ten experts share their perspectives on what drives anger, and how they approach it. Take […]
Expert Strategies for Helping Clients Get "Unstuck"
One of the main reasons clients come to see us is that they’re stuck – in one way or another. Maybe they’ve got limiting beliefs about what they can, or can’t, accomplish. Sometimes the fear of trying something new holds people back. When a client is stuck, it’s often useful to consider how other practitioners […]
The Body’s Adaptive Response to Trauma
The pain from trauma runs deep, and its impact lingers in both the brain and body. And so often, people who have experienced trauma are embarrassed by their body’s response to the event – the way it shut down on them when they needed protection most. But in the video below, Stephen Porges, PhD explains […]
How to Get to the Heart of Resistance
The moment a client begins to resist, progress often comes to a crashing halt. But with the right strategies and a little creativity, we can usually get people back on course. For instance, when Marsha Linehan, PhD encounters resistance, she often starts to chip away at it by asking one key question. In the video […]
The Impact of Trauma on Future Generations
Could trauma’s impact be passed along genetically from one generation to the next? For years, Rachel Yehuda, PhD has been studying the biological impact of trauma on Holocaust survivors and their children. We discussed some of her earlier findings here. At that time, researchers were in the early stages of investigating epigenetic change – the […]
The Surprising Connection between Posture and Resilience
When patients can’t find words to describe their experience, we can often find clues . . . . . . in their posture, in the ways they move, and even in the limitations to their movement. According to Pat Ogden, PhD, when a client has a greater range of movement options – or “movement vocabulary” […]
Countering the Painful Impact of Cultural Messaging
In a perfect world, people wouldn’t be judged based on their abilities, gender, or ethnicity. But all too often, our clients come to us having taken in the harsh, critical messages they’ve received from family members or society. Shelly Harrell, PhD is a licensed psychologist who specializes in multicultural and community psychology. And in her […]
How a Mindfulness-Based Kindness Curriculum Could Shape the Future
Many of our adult clients struggle with the ability to control their thoughts and impulses. These weak self-regulation skills can damage relationships, decrease success at work, and lead to addictive behaviors. What if we could have intervened early on in their lives, even as early as grade school? What kind of changes would that have […]
A Simple Mindfulness Practice to Restore Vitality
When clients lose their sense of aliveness and vitality, how can we help them reclaim it? According to Dr. Tara Brach, we can begin by helping them notice the tension in their bodies. In the video below, Tara shares a personal story of how this helped her reclaim her own sense of aliveness. She also […]