Helping humans one conversation at a time
Helping humans one conversation at a time
This conversation between psychologist Nick Wignall and therapist Emma McAdam is one of the best I’ve heard about how to address social anxiety. The advice is immediately usable whether you’re in therapy or not, or a therapist yourself. There’s a lot there that applies to anxiety more generally and so is worth a listen for […]
Do You Experience or Treat Social Anxiety? Great Podcast for You! Read More »
A new method of therapy called Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) is spreading quickly in Europe but not yet in the US. Early research shows that it’s more effective than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which for decades has been the gold standard of evidence-based therapy. In addition to anxiety and depression, MCT is also being used to
Stop Overthinking with Metacognitive Tools Read More »
This article is one of the best I’ve seen to help people make the most of starting therapy. It poses a few key questions to ask yourself, which will set you ahead when you first meet with a therapist or coach. If you’re undecided about whether you want to reach out to a professional, answering
Thinking about seeing a therapist or coach? Read this. Read More »
WRITE A LETTER YOU DON’T SEND Write a letter freely, without editing, to someone with whom you have unfinished business, or to someone you imagine would be a friendly audience for your thoughts. Some people work stuff out with their parents (or children) this way, without ever sending the letter, or with people who have
A Baker’s Dozen of Writing Practices to Fuel Insight Read More »
Most of us didn’t grow up learning how to take care of difficult feelings and it’s rare that adults are able to model this well. So many of us arrive into adulthood with more emotional reactivity and more emotional avoidance habits than we need. Small things set us off and we can get to feeling
What to do with those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad feelings Read More »
The five techniques described in this short piece loosen the grip that sticky thoughts have on us. The TED talk on that same page about developing psychological flexibility is really good as well. The short-hand for these practices is “thought defusion” and in short they are: Our sticky thoughts often get to run the show
Making difficult Thoughts Less Sticky Read More »
This wonderful piece gives a quick rundown on the researched benefits of the big non-drug things that support mental health: art, music, reading, physical activity, nature, laughter, yoga, sleep, sunshine, social connection, being kind, feeling grateful. Let us find ways to bathe in an abundance of these things every day! (Various medications are still very
Music, Reading, laughter, moving: non-drug prescriptions for mental health Read More »
As Voltaire said, perfect is the enemy of good. In our hunt for perfection, we wear ourselves out, make ourselves sick, and usually have a pretty grim time of it. This article is a solid look at how to recognize and dial back perfectionism. You don’t have to give up on excellence when you let
perfectionism produces paralysis Read More »
This page links to a list of free, scientifically-validated psychological self-assessments for common issues. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and wondering if a mental health professional might help, this may give you a place to start. Here’s an article about how to know if it’s time to consider therapy. And here’s a link to Psychology Today
Mental health self-tests Read More »
This is the best article I’ve seen describing the main cognitive distortions we humans habitually get caught in. Cognitive distortions are mental habits like catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, and emotional reasoning, and they tend to amplify stress, conflict, and low mood. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with them so you can catch yourself as
Are you in a distortion field? Read More »