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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
Reasons to Try a Male Therapist 137 female therapists listed, 19 male, and 16 non-binary: the results of my recent gender search of a popular therapist directory for my city of practice. Although perhaps male therapists are not advertising there (not likely), this tells me choices are much fewer for those who want, or might benefit from, what I will...[ read more ]
Burned out? We have all heard friends, family, and colleagues say about work or personal matters, “I’m so burned out.” Then they tell us the reasons. Nearly all of us have done this, in addition to having heard this. This kind of burnout talk is a signal. It lets us know when situations have progressed beyond annoyances to seemingly unmanageable....[ read more ]
In my view, some therapists miss the boat and talk about emotions because (to simplify): “it’s good for you to vent”. That is just a sliver of the reason. Also, while bottling up emotions is unhealthy, pure venting (especially Anger / Hatred) is not all that helpful--see https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/venting-just-makes-you-more-miserable-science-shows.html). Good therapists talk about emotions because it helps them understand people and their...[ read more ]