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Psichaelogical Spaces

Relationships, Life Changes, Therapy, and Personality: Sensitive Style

A man relaxing in a space that keeps his sensitive style calm and stable

Who has a streak or main aspect of Sensitive? That friend, coworker, or relation of yours who loves doing familiar things, is mortified when they make a minor faux pas, is cautious and thoughtful, usually controlled-seeming? The one who performs admirably when prepared and briefed, worries quite a bit, took a few months to share private thoughts? Later you discover...[ read more ]

Accessible, Nuanced Personality Description for Therapy: A Series

Nails show personality styles give relationships, work, and creativity their variety

I am a self-rediscovered fan of a book and system I again ran into. It was from my earliest psychology days and written by John Oldham, M.D. and Lois Morris: The New Personality Self-Portrait. The book is a straightforward, realistic way to look at the personality styles, strengths, and challenges of individuals, while not getting into pathological aspects. Looking at...[ read more ]

Collaboration Versus Isolation: Ideas Provoked by the Documentary ‘Room 237’

Keep doors open in your relationships with communication, collaboration, and compassion

I became fascinated by the documentary Room 237 a few years ago. It is a collection of interpretive perspectives on the Stanley Kubrick film, The Shining, narrated by cinephiles who are obsessed with it. Now, I hesitated on this post…  The family in The Shining are snowed into a remote hotel and bad things begin to happen. Maybe not a...[ read more ]

Mockingbird at Dawn

Mockingbird 'just singing' shows us how we can benefit from self-reflection and action; psychotherapy can help

[audio mp3="https://claremontpsychdoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Dawn-Mockingbird.mp3"][/audio] Things are not always sweetness and light. We should acknowledge that. However, then we are still left with what we are and therefore must do. I awoke to this. It just kept going and doing its thing. I noticed (after transferring the recording) that it had not stopped for hours. No insistence on rose-colored, or doom-pronouncing, lenses. No distractions....[ read more ]

March 2020 Interview

Radio interview of Claremont, CA psychologist Chris Michael on therapy and counseling

This was with Business Talk Radio; the link below simply refers you to their website to have a listen... https://businesstalkradio1.com/?s=christopher+michael

Laying Awake These Days? Improve Your Sleep…without sedatives

Sleeping cat knows what Christopher Michael, therapist, sometimes has to say to humans about sleep

OK, these are the times that keep us awake at night, if we're not busily trying to prep and maintain for the crisis about us lately. Also, sometimes we don't need a crisis like this one to make it hard to sleep. Sometimes it's just hard. Improving sleep will improve health, including mental health, and immunity. Many of you might...[ read more ]

6 Signs You are Having Good Therapy Sessions

A happy wink is easier after good therapy sessions / counseling because of knowledge, skills, and self-compassion

This is for your curiosity and information and is also a list to which I can hold myself! The more of these you get in your therapy or counseling sessions, the better overall. 1. The counseling setting is secure, comforting, and not too distracting. This forms a safe, shared space for two cooperating minds, not a space in which the...[ read more ]

Symptoms as Unconscious Control Routines

Therapy can make you feel less puppeted

A paradox in counseling and therapy? Many people talk about mental health symptoms or life problems as things to be cut out, like surgery. “X medication works for Y. This manualized counseling / behavioral mod treatment works, too. Just follow procedures.” Brings to mind the phrase about unwanted behavior, “Just cut it out.” In my opinion that does not work...[ read more ]

Understanding Compassion Fatigue

Helping all day can be a lot; compassion fatigue and burnout for helpers who need help, too

Do you have a professional or non-professional job to do that involves helping others who have been through a lot? If so… Do you frequently want to call in sick or pray that you will not be needed? Find yourself exhausted? Does work frequently, mentally, and emotionally intrude even when you are several hours out of work? Even though you...[ read more ]

Dealing with the Psychological ‘Flu’

Note: this post was originally written and placed on another website platform long before the current crisis with COVID-19. It has a recent publication date due to my change to a new web platform near that time. Please read in psychological terms and with understanding for this timing. -Dr. M During a training on compassion fatigue, I had a great...[ read more ]



415 W. Foothill Blvd., Suite 123
Claremont, CA 91711

drmichael@drchrismichael.com
(909) 766-2221

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