Psychotherapist
Mindfulness is not only a type of practice associated with silent meditation in a quiet room. It is much more than that—it is an embodied experience which we live every day, breathing in and breathing out. While in the therapy room, we as therapists try to cultivate a mindful attitude during the whole day with … Continue reading Mindfulness in psychotherapy and beyond
Inner child is real—it’s not real in the sense in which the desk which I am writing this blog post on is real, or the car on the parking lot in front of the building where I live. Inner child is real in the psychological and phenomenological sense of the word: It is a metaphor, … Continue reading Reconnecting with the inner child
Characterizing people who struggle with mental problems as "psychiatric patients," "mental patients" or "mentally unstable" can make them feel particularly unhappy. After they have been hospitalized for the first time they typically face drastically different social expectations. This new life may bring new social roles to the individual, where the self before the first psychiatric … Continue reading The impact of stigma on the identity of users of psychiatric services
Psychotherapy is successful when boundaries between the therapist and the client are well-defined. As in any relationship between two people, it is an ongoing process of defining borderlines between the two personalities. However, in psychotherapy there are some ethical concerns, norms and guidelines which are very important to follow. Boundaries are a crucial element in … Continue reading Boundaries in psychotherapy
Embarking on therapy is an important and difficult decision. The client may not have experienced anything similar to this before. Seeing a stranger for the first time and talking about personal, intimate issues can be very difficult and the client might perceive it as an artificial situation. Usually the first session is about gathering basic … Continue reading Building trust in psychotherapy
Feelings of uncertainty are usually connected to anxiety which is experienced when one is thinking about the future. Reduced ability to anticipate future events can trigger strong feelings of anxiety and many other unpleasant emotions. In fact, this ability to reflect about the future is something which makes us truly human. Uncertainty comes and goes, … Continue reading Tolerating uncertainty
The mind-body problem is a very old philosophical dilemma. What is the connection between this enigma and the concept of mental disorder? Stated briefly, the mind-body dualism could be explained in a form of a question: Is there a relationship between the mind and the body, and if there is some kind of a relationship, … Continue reading How is the mind-body problem relevant to the concept of mental disorder?
Rage can be strong, rage can be toxic and dangerous and rage can be contagious. Rage attack as an outburst of anger is usually very hard to handle. When you are close to a person who is experiencing explosion of anger, it is extremely hard to find an appropriate way to tackle the situation. So … Continue reading Rage attacks: Where do they come from?
We all feel down and sad sometimes. It is hard. It is difficult. It can drain our energy and empty our resources. But what if there is something we can do about depression to at least soften its influence on our lives? According to American Psychiatric Association, depression (or major depression disorder) is a treatable … Continue reading The vicious cycle of depression and how to get out from it
Hugs are integral part of our intimate relationships with others—a sign of affection with friends, family and spouses, and even with strangers we meet along the way. With hugs, we exchange feelings and meanings on non-verbal level which seems rather different from our everyday interaction, deeply entrenched in many words that we utter during one … Continue reading Hugs in psychotherapy: Good or bad thing?
