mental health
Dominant Emotional States

Dominant Emotional States

A few weeks ago, I wrote to Rudy Skowronski, LCSW, who is a brilliant trauma therapist in practice in Saco, Maine (you can see his full bio at the end of this post). I asked Rudy to talk about his work with Dominant Emotional States as part of the the New Perspectives...

The Surprising Reasons You Feel the Way You Do

The Surprising Reasons You Feel the Way You Do

  This week has been all about why having a deep understanding of your emotional life is essential to your well-being and the health of your relationships. Today, I will concede that this can be difficult work. I've argued before that emotions are information,...

The Senselessness of Stigma

The Senselessness of Stigma

Today I have the honor of having my guest post The Senselessness of Stigma featured on Growing Up Chaotic. Growing Up Chaotic is a blog dedicated to "Hope and guidance with a modern kick on how to survive growing up chaotic." When creator, Dawn Clancy, told me that...

From Surviving to Thriving

From Surviving to Thriving

Last weekend I went to a fantastic concert, right here in Portland. Enjoying the music, I realized I was not just hearing it, but feeling it as well. There were thirteen musicians on stage, so there was a lot to watch. I felt more deeply relaxed than I had in quite...

New Perspectives Make a Difference

New Perspectives Make a Difference

Recently I heard a talk radio program where the host said (in reference to what, I cannot remember), "This is not like psychotherapy where they are trying to fix you..." I couldn't hear the rest because I was in total shock. I knew this point of view existed, but I...

Can EMDR Help Me Change an Old Pattern?

Can EMDR Help Me Change an Old Pattern?

Tomorrow I will be a guest on the internet radio program Growing Up Chaotic to discuss EMDR and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's at 7pm EST and I hope you will listen. As a result, I've got EMDR on the brain. I've been using this type of therapy with many of my...

Mission in Progress

Mission in Progress

A couple of weeks ago, I posed the question: Does therapy need a makeover? Many people wrote back saying that while therapy is (or at least can be) great, people without first-hand experience tend to feel negatively towards it. Since then, I have been working on ideas...

Does Therapy Need a Makeover?

Does Therapy Need a Makeover?

I’m on a mission to convey to people everywhere that working on your emotional life is a positive and useful endeavor that yields good results. I may have my work cut out for me. I have a deep concern that most people have negative associations with words like therapy...