A deer who stopped speaking long time ago went to the riverside. She had wounds on her skin. She hoped that the water would heal the wounds. But the currents of the river took the deer to salty waters. Then they brought her to the sea of the whales. And the deer found herself lost on a foreign shore with white sand. Continue reading “The Eagle and the Flying Deer”
“There is something wrong with me!”
Depending upon the nature of the trauma and the age of the person, trauma doesn’t just impact the person’s physiology. It can also impact her sense of self.
This is where the deep negative stories and beliefs arise. As a result of attachment injuries, and in an attempt to re-gain a sense of control, make meaning of traumatic events, and to preserve the attachment relationship, the child develops negative beliefs about herself. Continue reading ““There is something wrong with me!””
Survival Responses, Depression and Anxiety
In the face of a traumatic event, the body will defend itself by producing a series of survival responses. We also call these animal defenses since these are healthy responses we share with all other animals.
These animalistic responses are an integral part or our survival instinct. They are: startle, orient, signal cry, fight, flight, and freeze.
If you watch animals in dangerous situations, you will see them using these defenses in order to survive. Continue reading “Survival Responses, Depression and Anxiety”
Trust
“When I don’t feel good about myself, my partner still sees the good in me. This is a bond I can trust.”
How is emotional trust formed? In a moment, a day, two months? By never being sad or getting angry? With perfect manners? To answer these questions, we must understand the relationship between stress and the building of trust.
Three Tools to Manage Depression & Anxiety
There are three interrelated factors of attention that can help us transform our experience of daily life.
Bringing intentionality to these factors will give us a sense of agency over what otherwise may be unconscious, automatic processes that adversely affect our inner state and how we feel and act in the world. Continue reading “Three Tools to Manage Depression & Anxiety”
The Movement of Depression & Anxiety
Life is movement, energy in motion. Movement generates power. In nature, we see this in obvious and subtle ways. The dramatic power of ocean waves suddenly crashing against shoreline rocks. Succulents quietly forming intricate spiral patterns of geometrical movement as they slowly grow.
Trees encompass many patterns of energy. Branches reach out into space in unique curves, spirals, and bends. A squirrel runs and jumps along the branches like a circus performer. Water moves up and down inside the solid trunk of the tree. Light entering the leaves turns them red in the fall. As a seed sprouts, eventually to become a tree, we can see energy and movement playing out over time. Continue reading “The Movement of Depression & Anxiety”
“Am I becoming an Individualist?”
The Principle Character — Ayşe, a woman in her early 40’s.
The Scene — In her bedroom, Ayşe is standing, wearing a night robe with hood and belt. The lighting makes it appear that she is in a spacesuit.
Ayşe’s Monologue: — Spoken as if talking to an audience…
I have been fascinated with astronauts lately. I constantly watch space-walk videos. I admire their team spirit. I envy them when I see how they float with their hair pointing up, doing summersaults in the air. They look like joyous children inside disciplined adults. Continue reading ““Am I becoming an Individualist?””
This Too Shall Pass
“How Ya Doin?
Hang in There.
This Too Shall Pass!”
“You optimistic people! You always want to make things seem better,” Pasha thought when he saw the sign on his neighbor’s fence.
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Ode to “Catching Up”
Hi my name is Runner.
I don’t remember ever learning to walk. I always ran. I have been running all my life.
I’ve never stopped.
I run when I sleep, I run when I eat, I run as I write this.
The funny thing is I am always behind.
I run but I never catch up. Continue reading “Ode to “Catching Up””
What Therapists and Artists can Learn from Oneanother
Therapists can learn much from artists.
They could learn to utilize more nonlinear forms of thinking, expression, and processing. Artists aim to translate invisible felt senses into tangible forms of art. They might do this with sounds, words, movements, shapes, or colors. They may do it by putting themselves in others’ shoes.
Artists, through their artform, aim to make the invisible visible in a way that creates beauty. The artwork can connect the viewer or listener to a deeper internal and external awareness. Continue reading “What Therapists and Artists can Learn from Oneanother”