You can't overcome anxiety, addiction or depression without allowing yourself to, first, go outside of the box... a bunch. People often emotionally limp into my office and look at me as if I have all the answers, thinking I have some magic word/pill that will set them on their feet again - without their effort…
Read MoreWhen I think about who I am as a therapist and why I decided to pursue this wonderful and wacky helping profession, there are three memories that seem to encapsulate something that is very difficult to put into words…
Read MoreHave you ever been to court? Have you ever stood in suspense as the judge contemplated your sentence? I have. And it blows. There's a sense of fear and dread, followed by this weird emotion of "whatever! I'll deal with whatever comes down the pike!" all wrapped up into one discomforting package…
Read MoreIn therapy, one of the most tenacious foes I face is helping someone realize they're wrong. Most people that come into my office are just dead wrong! About what? About what they believe about their future. And boy are they certain that they have it all figured out! "Nothing will ever go right for me; no matter what I do, I'll never be okay; I'll never find the right person; I'll always struggle…be alone…a screw-up, ..."
Read MoreBreathing exercises don't work for everyone. This is more of a tip that turns into a trick, later. Years ago, after about 10 emergency room visits for anxiety attacks, one of the ER docs recommended that I try some deep breathing exercises. Well, I did. For about a minute. Until the concentrated focus on my breathing became the bigger issue…
Read MoreTruth be told, I'm not completely free of anxiety myself. There are times during performing therapy, for instance, that the "what if's" come to me like an eagle swooping down to claw up its prey. "What if I panic and have to leave the room?" or "what if I go blank and can't think of anything to say?" Yes, I still experience anxiety on occasion. One of the reasons: toxic anxiety can be a bully!
Read MoreDon’t hold it in. If you're trapped with debilitating anxiety/panic right now, tell somebody. Don't hold it in. In fact, when you share this with others, you disarm anxiety's strength in your life…
Read MoreWe know that avoiding anxiety fuels it and that facing it increases healing. What are the ways we subtly avoid facing anxiety and what can we do about it?
Read More
