Children, who are dependent on adult caretakers, use minimization of the pain caused by trauma as a defense mechanism.

I agree with the author that it is misleading to consider addiction only as a disease.

I have discovered that often the only truly effective treatment for sexual and emotional abuse is EMDR. Shame, guilt and low self worth are often debilitating emotions resulting from sexual and emotional abuse.

There are countless theories about why we dream, none of which fully explain exactly why it is that we dream. There is no concrete, evidence based data on why we dream.

I have successfully used CBT for years in treating sleep issues. These techniques work for me, and I am convinced they can work for you as well. We all know the difference between having had a good night's sleep and a fitful night of sleep (or no sleep at all). The difference is night and day.

I will never forget the patient who gave me the best description of depression I ever heard. She was a 17 year old highly intelligent and very articulate patient on a hospital crisis unit who had attempted suicide.

As a mental health professional who has done a lot of study and research regarding school shootings, I am aghast at the level of incompetence by school officials who failed to follow the most basic protocols on how to handle a situation in which there were glaring warning signs that a tragedy was about to happen.

The more I use EMDR in therapy, the more I have come to value its transformative powers. I have found EMDR to be especially useful during the holidays. I have given some thought as to why EMDR is often very effective in dealing with intense negative emotions which may be exacerbated during the holidays.

There is no doubt in my mind that many of my clients who may have had mild or moderate symptoms of ADD or ADHD developed severe symptoms of both during the pandemic. The question is: what can be done to treat this uptick in cases of ADD and ADHD?

These are extraordinary times, but mostly for all the wrong reasons. Previously, I wrote about existential angst, which is a terrible feeling of dread about the future.

This article perfectly illustrates what I mean by existential angst. Teens have it in spades. They are literally worried that the planet earth will become uninhabitable and that they or their children will be doomed.

The Washington Post article on October 12, 2021 titled "A record number of workers are quitting their jobs" dovetails nicely with the point I made in my previous blog post about many people re-evaluating their values and priorities. The social changes we are experiencing and witnessing are structural shifts which are likely to become permanent.

Existential angst is of course a part of the human condition. What makes the current era so viscerally intense is that we are all exposed to the same threats as a collective whole

Teen stress has been heightened by a year of pandemic. How to help

An interesting article about how domestic abuse has risen during the pandemic and how drinking (especially at home) has led to this.

The following is an article from the Washington Post that discusses the mental health crisis among health care workers about Stress on the front lines of covid-19.

Stay 6 Feet Apart, We're Told. But how Far Can Air Carry Coronavirus?

My heart goes out to doctors and nurses who are demonstrating the true meaning of courage, namely, acting with grace and dignity and doing their jobs in spite of their fear of contracting COVID-19 (and many have come down with the illness and many more are likely to become ill and possibly die).

I have transitioned 100 percent to teletherapy at my private counseling practice with unexpected success. It has been a new experience and has taken a while to acclimate, but I am pleased at how many of my clients have not only adapted to online therapy but have thanked me for doing it.

I have had a lot of success in treating clients who have experienced a trauma using EMDR. Please read this article for a good overview of how EMDR works.