Psychotherapists face many challenges in practicing their craft. Some patients feel hopeless, while others may be threatened by awareness of negative feelings, and some may be paralyzed with shame. But what can be most threatening to the integrity of the therapeutic...
Psychotherapy
Chemical Imbalance, Genetic Malfunction, Or Problems In Living?
Not too long-ago psychologists and other behavioral scientists prided themselves for their ability to understand emotional problems in depth. They didn’t limit their perspective and analysis to the proximal, superficial causes of people’s difficulties. Rather, they...
Why Can’t He Just Move On?
“The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” – William Faulkner, 1951 When explaining why some people require therapy in order to overcome past traumas, I am often challenged with the following: "Many people have had difficulties in their upbringings. What they do is...
Caution: “Extreme Giving” Is Hazardous To Relationships
A central goal in developing middos is to value peace, to avoid hurting others, and to avoid conflict by being mevater (conceding) to the other person. Likewise, the key role that being a “giver” (a נותן ) plays in good relationships is emphasized in all frum marriage...
Cognitive Strategies for Coping with Anxiety-Provoking Thoughts
1) Realize that you have a tendency to see things in a negative light. Be aware of that and if you see something negative, determine if it is really as negative as you see it or if you are limiting your perspective to just seeing the negative side when there is much...
Refusing Therapy
What causes people to refuse to enter psychotherapy even when they clearly need it? What could teachers, family or friends do to help a suffering person accept the idea of going to therapy? It is usually assumed that it is the fear of stigma that prevents people...