Investigators at Stanford and elsewhere have shown, for the first time in humans, that low blood levels of acetyl-L-carnitine track with the severity and duration of depression. People with depression have low blood levels of a substance called acetyl-L-carnitine, according to a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist and her collaborators in a multicenter study.…
Living with anxiety can be tough — your thoughts might race, you might dread tasks others find simple (like driving to work) and your worries might feel inescapable. But loving someone with anxiety can be hard too. You might feel powerless to help or overwhelmed by how your partner’s feelings affect your daily life. If…
My Marriage Has a Third Wheel: Our Child Here’s a typical weeknight scenario in our household: My husband, Tom, our 9-year-old daughter, Sylvie, and I feel like ordering in, and after a lengthy debate, we decide on pizza. Later, while the three of us are eating pepperoni slices and playing Bananagrams, Sylvie reminds Tom that…
What is dissociation? Dissociation, sometimes also referred to as disassociation, is a term commonly used in psychology that refers to a detachment from your surroundings, and/or physical and emotional experiences. Dissociation is a defense mechanism that stems from trauma, inner conflict, and other forms of stress, or even boredom. Dissociation is understood on a continuum…
There are many different types of emotions that have an influence on how we live and interact with others. At times, it may seem like we are ruled by these emotions. The choices we make, the actions we take, and the perceptions we have are all influenced by the emotions we are experiencing at any…
Exploring the Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and restructuring negative patterns of thought and behavior If you suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression, even the simplest activity, like going to school, work, or the grocery store, may at times feel…
Definition of Sex Addiction Sex addiction can refer to a range of behaviors that are done in excess and significantly impact one’s life in a negative way. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-5) does not list sex addiction as a diagnosable condition yet, but research indicates that there is a clear prevalence…
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term (8 – 20 sessions) and structured approach to couples’ therapy developed by Drs. Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg in the 1980’s. It is grounded in research while focusing on negative communication patterns and love as an attachment bond. Attachment Theory “Attachment” between people typically provides a safe haven:…
A team of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently discovered why the drug ketamine may act as a rapid antidepressant. Ketamine is best known as an illicit, psychedelic club drug. Often referred to as “Special K” or a “horse tranquilizer” by the media, it has been around since the 1960s and…
The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However, scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two…
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental illness that affects about 6 percent of adults at some point in their lives. (1) At its core, the disorder is about emotion dysregulation, says Ryan Hooper, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Chicago and an assistant clinical professor of psychology at the University of Illinois.…
Psychological projection is a defense mechanism people subconsciously employ in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. Psychological projection involves projecting undesirable feelings or emotions onto someone else, rather than admitting to or dealing with the unwanted feelings. Have you ever disliked someone only to become convinced that the person had a vendetta against…
Being part of a group can offer insights that you may be too close to your situation to see. Discover why participating could be a helpful type of treatment for you. At first, the idea of participating in group therapy might seem intimidating. Who wants to share their story with strangers? But group therapy, in…
Introduction to attachment theory in developmental psychology, including Bowlby and Ainsworth’s contributions, evaluation and criticisms of attachment theory. Attachment theory is a concept in developmental psychology that concerns the importance of “attachment” in regards to personal development. Specifically, it makes the claim that the ability for an individual to form an emotional and physical “attachment”…
For Clinicians: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories (Shapiro, 1989a, 1989b). Shapiro’s (2001) Adaptive Information Processing model posits that EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories and other adverse life experience to bring these to an…
The concept of counseling in British English it is spelled counselling has actually been around for ages, and it reflects the need for one person to seek help or advice from another person. Counseling as a profession, therefore, places emphasis on social settings and does not derive from the clinic. It focuses on helping persons…
STRESS is an inevitable part of our life. Yet whether our daily hassles include the incessant gripes of a nasty boss or another hectoring letter from the Internal Revenue Service, we usually find some way of contending with them. In rare instances, though, terrifying events can overwhelm our coping capacities, leaving us psychologically paralyzed. In…
Watching out for elders has always come naturally for me. I grew up close to my grandparents, and during my teenage years, my paternal grandmother lived with us. We even built a new house to accommodate her stay. When my elderly neighbor, Joe, was widowed, I did what most neighbors would do. I didn’t know…
Suffering from PTSD is an uphill battle. It’s a difficult diagnosis to handle and powering through it takes a lot of hard work. Thankfully, due to a better understanding of the condition coupled with innovative therapies used to treat it, PTSD is becoming more and more manageable each day. Perhaps an innovative approach to the…
Despite what we see in the movies, love does not conquer all. Relationships take a lot to work, and, while love plays a big role in them, there are many other factors that need to be considered. When it comes to a healthy relationship, there is so much more involved that the heart-stopping joy of…
Understanding the first step to living a balanced life. The term psychiatric consultation can be a scary one which can conjure up feelings of tension, stress or uncertainty. Despite it being a term that may make you feel uneasy or worried, it’s quite the opposite. A psychiatric consultation (or evaluation) is a term used to…
Can you benefit from this useful service? Do you not feel like your best self? Have trouble managing your food intake or just eat all the wrong things? Feel like you need someone to help you navigate the grocery store, the restaurant menu, or the coffee shop? If you do, maybe using a nutrition coach…
Psychiatric Consultations What can I expect – Psychiatric Consultations? Psychiatric Consultations with a psychiatric clinician lasts 45-60 minutes and focuses on understanding your vision of well-being, the concerns that are interfering with your well-being, the efforts you’ve made in overcoming those concerns, and your interest in pursuing additional resources, such as medication. The psychiatric clinician…
Whether you were denied a promotion at the office or you failed to qualify for a marathon, failing feels bad. Many people will go to great lengths to avoid failing so they don’t have to feel painful emotions. Knowing how to cope with failure in a healthy way takes some of the fear out of…
Loneliness. Anyone can feel lonely. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a relationship or not, a social butterfly or someone who isn’t into crowds. To understand what’s making you feel alone, we’ll focus on your inner and outer experiences and work together to find useful things you can do to feel more connected to the…
The science of intuition and how it keeps you safe and holds you back. Have you ever had a gut feeling that you just can’t shake? A queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach or a nudging from your brain to change course, rethink your next move or proceed with caution? When do you…
Clinical hypnosis has been used since the 1700s as a drug-free way to help patients with dealing with pain, phobias and numerous other ailments. According to the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis “Clinical hypnosis is an altered state of awareness, perception or consciousness that is used, by licensed and trained doctors or masters prepared individuals,…
Psychological projection is nothing new. In fact, it was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the ‘father of psychoanalysis.’ Yet, despite how long the idea has been around, many people still aren’t fully aware of what psychological projection really is, and what warning signs to look for. Simply put, it’s a subconscious defense mechanism. People use…
Psychodynamic therapy works for at least 80 percent of individuals, including the very young and the very old. How young, and how old? One very successful psychotherapist in California, when asked, said that his youngest patient was 9 and his oldest patient 82. In fact, psychodynamic therapy delivers a number of psychological benefits, all of…
Dissociative Disorders are conditions that involve breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity or perception. Dissociative Disorders can be triggered by stress, substance abuse, psychological trauma or may have no identifiable trigger at all. Some of these disorders can run in families, and most are diagnosed in adulthood but typically stem from childhood trauma. These disorders are…