Blog

Getting Started – September 30, 2011

                Starting this blog feels a lot like starting therapy for the first time. There are a lot of questions in my mind, and a little anxiety. What will I write about? Will it be helpful or useful? What will come out of exploring thoughts, feelings, and knowledge here?

 I imagine, in a manner that reflects life and therapy, this will be a journey of learning and hard work. Here at the beginning, I have a sense that the process will be more important, rich, and satisfying than the outcome.

                What is my goal? To share what I have learned over the last 18 years of studying psychology in an easily accessible manner so that anyone may benefit. Since I saw my first client in 1999, and especially in the last 7 years of post-school clinical practice, I have realized that I return over and over again to many of the same pep talks with clients in session, whether it is about parenting, trauma, sleep, emotions, healing, or many other things. I have found that the more that clients understand what is happening within them and why, the easier it becomes for them to fully engage in the tough work of therapy and to make meaningful changes in their lives. However, these insights, explanations, and directions are frequently useful beyond the therapy office. It is my hope that these brief ventures into areas of life and healing that are often common to us all may be of benefit to anyone who reads them.

                Over time, I will explore the worlds of feelings, parenting, trauma, attachment and bonding, and more. To kick things off, I will start with emotions. They are a constant companion to our journey through life, and yet we often know very little about our own emotional reactions. We as human beings have a mythical understanding of emotions. But there is good science that can help us move away from these myths to an informed understanding of where emotions come from, how they came to be in our development, their function and purpose, the reasons they can serve us well and why they can backfire and fail us.

                So let the journey begin!