June 14th, 2010
In The Noonday Demon - Andrew Solomon’s book on depression - internalized racism is defined as self-doubt predicated on dominant social attitudes (pg. 196, Scribner, 2001). In other words, the oppressive social attitude of white society that People of Color are less-than can manifest in a Person of Color as a lack of self-confidence.
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Tags: African Americans, People of Color, shame
Posted Under | People of Color | 4 Comments »
May 29th, 2010
When I see a couple in the therapy room, they are typically at their wit’s end. They’ve tried to fix things on their own and can’t see their way through it. Perhaps one partner blames the other. Most likely, they’ve tried to talk over their concerns themselves, but end up fighting, arguing, or simply avoiding the issues. They don’t feel connection with each other and often feel contempt.
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Tags: couples, relationships
Posted Under | Relationships/Couples | 1 Comment »
May 20th, 2010
Discussing topics of fetish, fantasy, BDSM and other “kinks” demands that your therapist is non-judgmental. So many times, folks have reported feeling judged or pathologized for their desires or fantasies, even when they find these desires to be joyful and fulfilling. A kink-friendly therapist doesn’t judge. A kink-friendly and aware therapist recognizes that there are many ways in which people express themselves, their identity, intimacy, and sexuality.
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Tags: couples, relationships
Posted Under | Relationships/Couples, Therapy & Counseling | 1 Comment »
April 13th, 2010
Grief is depression in proportion to circumstance; depression is grief out of proportion to circumstance. So says Andrew Solomon, the author ”The Noonday Demon” (Scribner, 2001). Mr. Solomon then proceeds to detail his often devastating experiences with major depression.
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Tags: Anxiety & Stress, Depression, Anxiety & Stress, grief, loss
Posted Under | Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Grief & Loss | 1 Comment »
March 9th, 2010
Do you have a hard time trusting? Do you find intimacy threatening? Do you run from a relationship before it gets too serious? If so, you’re not alone. These are some of the difficulties survivors of abuse, sexual assault, rape and molestation report. Not all survivors, of course, but enough to were it’s recognizable.
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Tags: Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma, trauma
Posted Under | Relationships/Couples, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma | No Comments »
February 24th, 2010
How does it feel to heal from sexual abuse? What efforts do people make to once again feel healthy & strong, to regain trust? A terrific resource is the book ”Strong at the Heart” by Carolyn Lehman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005). She makes space for eleven survivors of sexual abuse to tell their stories of healing and hope.
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Tags: trauma
Posted Under | Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma | No Comments »
February 2nd, 2010
I spent the weekend at a workshop exploring insights from mindfulness practices and psychotherapy. Mindfulness practices include meditation, yoga, contemplative prayer, and a host of other activities. One of the things that stuck with me was how both mindfulness practices and psychotherapy can help a person cultivate a mind like a sky. But what exactly does that mean?
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Tags: hope, therapy
Posted Under | Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Grief & Loss, Therapy & Counseling | No Comments »
January 14th, 2010
Are you in a difficult situation with your partner or spouse? Fighting, arguing, wondering if this will work? If so, it’s not an unusual place to be. Being in a committed relationship has many challenges. Being vulnerable and trusting, especially when trust has been violated, is difficult.
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Tags: couples, relationships, Relationships/Couples
Posted Under | Relationships/Couples | No Comments »
December 29th, 2009
Being a Person of Color in America has it’s challenges. You already know that. You don’t need a therapist to tell you about racism and how it affects you and your life. What I would like to tell you about, however, is how therapy can help relieve trauma-based symptoms which are caused by social conditions, like racism, sexism, and the like.
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Tags: African Americans, People of Color, trauma
Posted Under | People of Color, Sexual/Physical Abuse & Trauma | No Comments »
December 8th, 2009
Living in a world which doesn’t accept differing expressions of gender, much less transgender and transexual people, can be confusing and difficult. And not just for gender variant or transgendered persons. Parents, partners, spouses, and children also experience the judgement and fear that often comes out of our culture.
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Tags: transgender, transphobia, transsexual
Posted Under | LGBTQ Concerns | No Comments »