Essential Reads

How Vulnerable Should You Let Yourself Be?

The impulse, self-protectively, to ward off whatever feels threatening is only natural. But you also have to consider the costs of such cautiousness.

Freezing with Fear

Does scaring people about climate change lead them to freeze and do nothing in response? How to motivate action rather than inducing overwhelming fear.

What Are the Five Dimensions of Curiosity?

By Todd B. Kashdan Ph.D. on January 02, 2018 in Curious?
Over the past 20 years of studying curiosity, I have developed two measures. They are both antiquated. I am unveiling the new Five-dimensional Curiosity Scale...

Understanding the Roots of Dog Behavioral Problems

Behavioral pathologies are a sign that our dogs are suffering psychologically, and we need to understand what causes these problems to develop.

More Posts on Anxiety

Underlying Patterns: Hard to See and Painfully Obvious

Change and letting go by choice can trigger one’s own feelings of loss and abandonment.
K. Ramsland

The Structure of Fear: Follow-up

By Katherine Ramsland Ph.D. on January 05, 2018 in Shadow Boxing
A class trip to a haunted asylum to study the psychology of fear had interesting results.

The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump

Should mental health professionals get involved with diagnosing the president?

Resources Within Reach: The Merits of Speaking Up!

By Rick Miller LICSW on January 04, 2018 in Unwrapped
Were you bullied as a kid? Echoes of those messages often remain: “We deserve to be treated unfairly.” But those echoes will fade in the face of your superpower: Resilience!

You Don’t Really Want to Get Better

Of course psychotherapy clients want relief from their symptoms. Yet, they are reluctant to change the defenses that would allow them to overcome their psychological maladies.

Crushing Debt Affects Student Mental Health

Students are struggling to cope with rising tuition costs and high debt loads.
William J. McCloskey "Girl in Red Hat" (1922)/wikimedia commons

Imprisoned by Hoarding

By Elizabeth Young on January 04, 2018 in Adaptations
“You may feel a need to escape once you get inside," Lark says as we stand on the landing outside her apartment.

Do Therapy Dogs Suffer from Stress When They Are Working?

Worries that therapy dogs get stressed during treatment and intervention sessions appear to be unfounded.

How Therapy Works: What it Means to ‘Process an Issue’

By Noam Shpancer Ph.D. on January 03, 2018 in Insight Therapy
People often are advised to go to therapy to “process” some issue. But what does “processing an issue” actually mean?

Why the Same Old Thinking Gets You the Same Old Results

By Linda Esposito LCSW on January 03, 2018 in From Anxiety to Zen
Beginnings are filled with newfound energy, promise and dreams of a better future. But lofty goals often get in the way. A few mindset shifts can change all that.

Acupuncture in Mental Health Care

There is emerging but still inconclusive evidence for acupuncture as a treatment of depressed mood, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health problems.

(The Modern) Mother's Little Helper

Stressed out? There is help for anxiety.

If You Skip the Party, What Will You Miss?

By Donna Barstow on December 31, 2017 in Ink Blots Cartoons
Tips on how to prepare to be a party success, and leave with someone's number.
fotolia, used with permission

Finding Hope In The New Year

By Allison Carmen on December 31, 2017 in The Gift of Maybe
Feeling hopeful helps you develop a more open mind, which can help you access more possibilities, making it more likely you will find a resolution to your problems in the New Year.
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Where Do You Get Stuck Running Your Life?

By Robert Taibbi L.C.S.W. on December 29, 2017 in Fixing Families
What can't you do? Where do you get stuck effectively running your life? the 5 common emotional obstacles and tips on how to overcome them
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A Happiness Formula for Difficult Times

The key is to stop fighting life and instead roll with it.

9 Tips for Awkward Silences in Therapy

By Ryan Howes PhD, ABPP on December 29, 2017 in In Therapy
All the good stuff has already been covered (or so it seems). Where should you go from here? What should you talk about in therapy? Awkward.

Long Day's Journey Into Night: A Study of Psychological Form

A psychological approach clarifies the play's emotional impact and the psychological defenses on display.
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Trump Divided America With Psychology — Here's How We Heal

By Bobby Azarian Ph.D. on December 27, 2017 in Mind In The Machine
President Trump has increased collective anxiety, creating division and tribalism. But recognizing these psychological effects can allow us to reverse them with cognitive control.

How This Common Fear Can Keep You Stuck

Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. But it doesn't have to.

The Truth Will Set You Free...

By Russell Grieger Ph.D. on December 26, 2017 in Happiness on Purpose
Every second you experience anxiety is a second in which you cannot be happy. This blog guides you through the process to rid you of your anxiety and free yourself to be happy.

Superstition: Quirky Beliefs or Psychopathology?

Is superstition just anxiety in disguise?
antonioguillem / 123RF Stock Photo

How Well Adapted Are You?

By F. Diane Barth L.C.S.W. on December 23, 2017 in Off the Couch
What makes one person better able to adapt than another? The answer to this question is perhaps less obvious than we like to think.

Holiday Survival Guide for New and Expectant Parents

By Dawn Kingston Ph.D. on December 22, 2017 in The Pregnant Pause
Family gatherings can be especially challenging for new and expectant parents. It's possible to navigate those emotional minefields with your sanity intact.

What Is Cranial Electrostimulation?

By Emily Deans M.D. on December 22, 2017 in Evolutionary Psychiatry
A very small electric current applied to the brain from an FDA-cleared device can reduce anxiety, insomnia, and even depression and pain syndromes.

Toxic Masculinity as a Mask for Anxiety

By Ruth C. White Ph.D. on December 22, 2017 in Culture in Mind
Our social expectations of boys are for them to be tough, aggressive and stoic. Deviation from these norms can result in ostracism and bullying, which may cause anxiety.

Socializing in the Workplace: Who, Why, How

Not sure where to draw the line on socializing with work colleagues? Read this.

Can You Outsource Your Anxiety?

By Goal Auzeen Saedi Ph.D. on December 21, 2017 in Millennial Media
Are days flying by while work keeps piling up? It is easy to feel anxious as the days feel shorter and our to-do lists longer. It is no wonder outsourcing is gaining popularity.

Talking About Death May Prevent End-Of-Life Suffering

By Robert T Muller Ph.D. on December 21, 2017 in Talking About Trauma
Movements like the Death Café can help to ensure patient needs are met.

Patient-Doctor Communication

When patients control more of the doctor-patient conversation, they often have better medical outcomes.