When we can't fully express ourselves to our friends and family, some of us decide to find a therapist. Therapists can hold up the mirror to show us the maladaptive patterns we're repeating over and over. The brave therapists risk our anger and resentment as they professionally and respectfully challenge us to consider the mistakes we're making. They help us overcome our shame and teach us that our depression, our anxiety, and our hate all find no purchase on the steep slope of emotional support,
My client could have easily spent another hourlong session obsessing over "hot yoga guy" - which she'd done many times before - but I wasn't going to let her. My job as a therapist was to help bring deeper awareness to her emotional experience and to identify what was simmering just beneath the surface, driving compulsive thoughts and behaviors. In this case - limerence.
I am deeply, deeply concerned about what I've been seeingfor almost 10 years now. We see great division in families and friendships broken up over how strongly they feel about Trump, Alpert said. What I'm seeing is symptoms that in many ways mirror other disorders. People are anxious, they're angry, they can't sleep. One person even said she couldn't possibly enjoy a family vacation as long as Trump is out there.
For many people, Thanksgiving week kicks off the most psychologically intense stretch of the year. Those in therapy or actively working to improve family relationships often feel the pressure most acutely. As a therapist, this is a week filled with conversations about anxiety, dread, and longing. Many clients share some version of the basic sentiment: "I've built an independent, responsible life, but the moment I walk through the Thanksgiving door, I'm suddenly a miserable teenager all over again." This is the week when many clients prepare to approach the holiday differently, hoping that by changing themselves, they can influence the family system.
I grew up in a household where therapy was not an option, but after seeing a great therapist for anxiety during the pandemic years, I was sold on its benefits. I moved states and couldn't see my therapist anymore, and tried a few different ones in my new city. After many duds, I found a fantastic one, and I've been seeing her for two years. I love working with her, and we've worked through a lot of things and I've seen a lot of growth in myself with her help. Now I have to say goodbye, and I really don't want to.
When we were supposed to be on holiday but weren't, I kept feeling a tug towards finding the positive: I can book a replacement trip; At least we have travel insurance; This'll give me something to write about. But I never felt better, just a bit depressed. And then I would bump up against the reality that this holiday really was gone: my husband's surgery required frequent agonising dressing changes, and there is a limited time window for an enjoyable break on the Belgian coast.
I know I mentioned my profession to him, but I am pretty sure he was the one who engaged me that way. I also know how diabolically good a chatbot can be at saying what is on the tip of your tongue, and doing it before you can, and better than you might have. That makes me feel less troubled by my uncertainty.
While the catchphrases have evolved - "How does that make you feel?" has been replaced more recently by "Notice, don't evaluate" - the core idea remains the same. And this approach isn't a modern invention. Even as far back as the Stoics, we've recognized that a great deal of anxiety and suffering come from how we evaluate and label things.
A young woman asked, "Did you always want to direct or did casting work inspire you to direct?" My response was immediate: "I always knew I wanted to direct but my self-worth was in the gutter. So, I had to work on that most of all." She gave that answer some very enthusiastic snaps, as did others in the audience. I thought, oh yeah, a lot of people feel that
You're making an assumption about your wife's position on alcohol that might not be accurate. Is it really that she thinks a bottle of wine in the house means one of you will end up addicted? Or could it be that the sight of someone drinking, or even the smell of alcohol, brings up upsetting memories for her? Is it possible that it takes a lot for her to resist drinking, and she doesn't want to have to use that willpower at home?
Every week in my psychology practice, I meet people from around the world who share stories marked by loss, hope, fear, love, displacement, and resilience. Listening to them has deepened my understanding of how culture and tradition influence identity, relationships, and a sense of belonging. Yet I also see how these very foundations can be used to justify war, leaving individuals and families caught in an impossible dilemma: whether to uphold
"The people of Illinois deserve quality healthcare from real, qualified professionals and not computer programs that pull information from all corners of the internet to generate responses that harm patients," IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. said.
"We know that long wait times worsen symptoms, so that is the gap we were trying to address: to provide immediate access to affirming clinical therapy."
Empathy is perceived as an unqualified good, with societal belief suggesting that feeling each other's pain can heal issues such as relationship divides and social injustices. However, in romantic relationships, there can be an overemphasis on empathy, leading to an imbalance where one partner's pain overshadows the other's needs.
