Did you know that…
- You will succeed: You will feel like it was all worth it and that all is right with the world
And then…
Nicole Weiss
Mom, Your Legs are Chubby
I was swimming with my children on a beautiful beach in Poipu, Kauai when this dialogue took place.
Child: “Mom, your legs are chubby.”
Me: “Now, is that nice to say?”
Child:”Yes, they are comfortable to sit on.”
Who’s Knocking (The Classroom of My Mind)
Many clients come into my office asking if it’s possible to remove troubling aspects of their personalities. Often I might hear:
Can you help me to get rid of my anxiety?
Is it possible to completely eliminate my depression?
How exactly do I totally let go of my anger?
Be Your Best You
The phrase JUST BE YOURSELF has always confused me when it comes to relating to other people. Obviously we all want to get along with others. We want this because it just feels nice, and because relating well to others is correlated with all kinds of perks like better health, an increase in happiness and a longer life.
“Success” is an odd thing to calculate, don’t you think?
Recently I had to print out and LOOK AT financials from my practice. When I saw the numbers my heart sunk. I felt that I hadn’t done well last year. I felt that I had slacked. And that made me feel guilty.
Then I stopped myself from heading down this path and began talking to myself…(not aloud. well maybe aloud). So this is how the self-analysis went down.
How to Help a Loved One Weather a Depressive Storm
We all know someone who has been down.
When you get the call or arrive to see someone who is depressed it can feel overwhelming. You may want to help but you may not exactly know how. You may feel at a loss for words, unsure of what direction to take or feel downright helpless. And as a therapist I have noticed that feeling helpless is one of the emotions that humans dislike most.
What to do When Change Isn’t Happening (Otherwise known as contacting your inner rebel.)
I work with bright clients. Most people that come to see me could pick up any number of self help books how to fix whatever issue they have. Yet sometimes all that knowledge doesn’t work.
My clients already know all the current wisdom, like:
- When you are angry count to ten before speaking
- Keep a calorie counter and go to the gym before work
- Don’t drink when you feel sad as alcohol is a depressant
- Don’t text her if she/him hasn’t texted you back.
- Don’t argue when your heart is racing. It is a formula for a blow up.
Go Ahead and Be Jealous
A client came in and told me that she felt terrible. “Why?” I asked.
“Well, I was with a friend and she told me that she landed her dream job. Making four times as much as me. I wanted to be happy for her, but I just felt jealous. I felt like we weren’t in the same league. All I could think was that I could never have what she has.”
Mantras for the Not-So-Positive
Mantras for the not so positive-a primer for taking the very first step.
I am a therapist. I am also big on working with people in ways that I am willing to work on myself and that have actually worked for me or others rather than giving the textbook answer. In short, I try my best not to be a hypocrite. I also know that people are different than me and some interventions will work for them even though they never worked for me. For example, the extrovert who has issues with sharing the microphone with someone else. Definitely not an issue I have but can still offer solutions none the less. If you read about change the list is usually the same-journal, vent, write down triggers, write down alternatives, blame your mother. And these things work well blaming your mother actually doesn’t work. But what about when you have it down? What about when you are not actively needing day treatment or twice a week therapy. What then?
Cave Person Anger
The theme in my practice has been anger this week. You know, that revved up feeling that you get when something really p*&%es you off. We all have it to a greater or lesser degree. We would not want it to go away entirely either. You want to be able to fight or flee if someone is attacking you. But the problem with most relationship situations is that the other person is not really trying to attack you. It just feels that way. Yesterday, I was telling my husband that WE forgot to write our friend a check for money that we owed. I heard him respond from the other room and this is what he said: instead of talking about writing the check, you could just write the check.