You might have a client who is feeling “stuck” and beginning to despair as the pandemic drags on. And it can be difficult for them to see hope for the future when they feel bogged down in the present. So in the video below, Lynn Lyons, LICSW, shares how she’s working with clients who feel […]
A Compassion-Based Approach to Foster Change
Even when a client is making progress, self-blame, shame, and self-criticism can hold them back from reaching their goals. But according to Dennis Tirch, PhD there is a compassion-based strategy that can help clients keep moving forward, even during difficult emotions or circumstances. It’s a metaphor that he adapted from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). […]
How to Help a Client Come Back from Freezing in a Session
Working through trauma can trigger many perceived threats for our clients. They might start to breath rapidly and find it hard to hold still, or perhaps they start to freeze up during the session. So what are some practical ways to calm the nervous system and keep a client grounded – especially when they begin […]
When a Client Is Stuck in the Freeze Response
What triggers the freeze response? We tend to think of traumatic events, but according to Peter Levine, PhD, that’s not always the case. Even a perceived threat can be enough for a client to get stuck in a frozen state. So how can we help clients who are stuck in the freeze response to move […]
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 […]