CULTURE
The Trouble With Gratitude-Hacks
In an age of life hacks and workarounds, therapists are increasingly asked for quick fixes to the issues that bring people into therapy. Who doesn’t want a quick fix for the crud that makes us feel bad? Of course folks want some psych-hacks that will make seemingly simple goals faster and easier – we have…
Ten Tips for a Depression-Free Election
This has been the most rancid election cycle I’ve ever experienced, and although I generally have a good working filtration system for mental toxins, this year has hit me a bit like a sudden surge of sewage into the treatment plant. I’ve had to be more proactive in my “detox systems” to allow me to…
Coming into Focus: Living in a World of Color
COLOR In the animal world, it indicates danger: the most colorful creatures are often the most poisonous. Color is also a way to attract, and seduce a mate. In the human world color, triggers many more complex, and often deadly reactions. Judith Ortiz Cofer, The Story of My Body Minding the Body Open Invitation…
The Myth of Independence: Why You Should Be More Needy.
Frederick Douglass, in a speech given on Independence Day in 1852, said: “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary. Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common.” Independence is a great American myth. Frederick Douglass understood…
What happens in therapy offices when sexual assault is in the news?
Co-written by Rochelle Greenhagen and Christine Hutchison Anger. Disgust. Fear. Outrage. Grief. Helplessness. Deep sadness. When an event happens as evocative as the Stanford Rape case, it touches on our own wounds and causes us to respond in ways that reflect our own experience. And many people have that experience. One in four women have…
Who Should I Talk To, My Hairstylist or a Therapist?
Have you ever joked that your hairstylist knows more about your personal life than your family does? Or, perhaps a friend has said her hairstylist fixes more than just her hair. Stylists definitely hear this from their clients: “You’re like my therapist!” What is the difference between talking to a hairstylist and talking to a…
What about Bedside Manner? Empathy in Medical Care
There is a long-standing tension in the physician’s role in clinical care. On the one hand, doctors strive for detachment to treat all patients regardless of their personal feelings. Yet patients want genuine empathy from providers. Medical educators and professional bodies increasingly recognize the importance of empathy, but they define empathy in a special way…
Prince Wasn’t Just the Twin Cities’ High Priest of Funk
“You’re seeing this news right?” a Minneapolis friend texted. What news? I was at home, playing with my toddler. “Prince died!” That was how I learned of his death, on the living room floor. I’m glad I learned about it from her—someone who understood the gravity of the loss and the passion of his music—instead…
The Skeptic’s Guide to Therapy
Whatever side of the therapy couch you’re on, let’s face it, you probably know someone who thinks it’s a whole lot of mumbo jumbo. The path to becoming a therapist isn’t a fast or easy one, and years of graduate training plus years in low or unpaying jobs plus state exams equals a lot of…
The Hypocrisy of American “Family Values”
It’s election season. This means that we will likely be inundated with talk about “family values,” which seems to always be a debated issue in American politics. I eventually wind up disappointed that the conversation becomes politicized and simplified, which leads to no change or real discussion. I think about this also because in my…
Addressing our Collective Fear: How Therapy Might Heal America’s Deepest Wounds
co-written by Jared Michaels and Shirin Shoai As therapists, we’re trained to look beneath the surface of the myriad issues that our clients bring into the room. What we’ve found is that fear is usually the ultimate source of these issues. To help our clients heal, we may gently inquire about their reservations, concerns, or…
Stop the Mindfulness!
Mindfulness has become all the rage of late, particularly within the helping and healing professions. Since it was introduced by Jon Kabbat-Zin as a means for managing stress and anxiety almost 20 years ago, mindfulness has become a go-to modality for anything from acute traumatic stress to depression. Even the monolithic Psychotherapy Networker ran a…