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The Power of the Breath in Calming the Nervous System
People seek counseling for any number of reasons, but something every person I have ever seen had in common is wanting to feel better quickly. I can hardly blame them. When I am not feeling ... Read More
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Should We Break Up? 5 Factors to Consider Before Ending It
While it’s inevitable that couples experience ups and downs over the course of a long-term relationship, there are times when conflict can reach a critical point and the prospect of a ... Read More
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Taking Back Your Life from a Narcissistic Family Upbringing
People with narcissistic qualities tend to view life in black-and-white: a world of only losers and winners, victims and victimizers. They loathe feeling like losers or victims. In the ... Read More
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Commit to Action: Values-Based Living with Chronic Illness
What are your core values? Can you state them without thought? A better place to begin might be, What are core values? A core value can be considered a life direction, an internal compass ... Read More
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How Do I Overcome the Shame of Sex?
Dear GoodTherapy.org, I grew up in a fairly religious household where sex was rarely discussed (and when it was, it was talked about for the purposes of conception). Now, in my 30s, I have ... Read More
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Coping with Bullying as a Quirky, Gifted, or Sensitive Adult
If you were to think of a bullying situation, you might conjure an image of a small, bespectacled child cornered by a much larger one. Or perhaps you might imagine a group of taunting children ... Read More
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Felt Sense: The Vitality and Liveliness of Our Inner World
As we begin, here is an invitation for you: In your mind’s eye, create a mental picture of a wolf. The wolf is alone; perhaps he is a young male who’s just left his mother’s side, ... Read More
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How Loving Yourself More Leads to Judging Others Less
How we treat ourselves affects our interactions with others. If I beat myself up for not being perfect, how will I be loving toward a friend or a romantic partner who has “failed” me? ... Read More
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How 12 Minutes a Day Can Change Your Life
What do you think of when you hear the word “meditation”? Perhaps you imagine a Tibetan monk tucked away in silence in a centuries-old monastery. Maybe you envision a crystal-wielding ... Read More
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How to Heal from the Narcissistic Abuse of a Parent
To recover from the emotional abuse caused by a parent with narcissistic tendencies, you must repair your reality—a reality that has been skewed and damaged by your experience of parenting. ... Read More
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Respect-Focused Therapy: Honoring Pain, Yourself, and Others
I’ve had the great fortune of being a therapist for the past 40 years. When I began this journey in grad school in 1974, I was told I would never make it in this field, nor should I, ... Read More
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Life from the Driver’s Seat: When Your Partner Has Epilepsy
I remember the first time I saw all the medication bottles in Mark’s cabinet. We hadn’t been together long, and I was curious to learn more about the medication he was taking. I asked ... Read More