What is Trauma? Trauma is an experience where death, abuse, or serious injury is a very real threat. This can include your own direct experiences, witnessed events, or situations faced by someone you care about. Vicarious Trauma Vicarious trauma is a process of change over time that results from witnessing, identifying with, or hearing about…
traumaBlog
Emotional Safety
These are the guidelines that I wrote in my work with couples. I have revised them to work with my teenage clients. Healthy relationship lessons are a lifetime of learning.
GeneralDepression in the Workplace
Last year, I had the opportunity to teach a seminar to the upper level management of a large East Coast restaurant company, on mental health in the workplace. More and more, it has become imperative for employers to address mental health problems in the workplace. One in five adults experience depression during their lifetime. And…
depressionGeneralHospitality Industrystrategies for self-carePattern Interrupts
In the business world, a pattern interrupt is anything that forces you to snap out of your automatic thinking. I believe in flashcards. They help us learn new material and remember what we have learned. We also have adult flashcards. A picture of your dogs or children on your phone or home screen reminds you…
GeneralWhat is abandonment anxiety?
People with abandonment issues may experience problems in relationships because they fear that the other person will leave them. Signs and symptoms of abandonment issues in adults include: always wanting to please others (being a “people pleaser”) giving too much in relationships an inability to trust others pushing others away to avoid rejection feeling insecure…
anxietyShades of Gray
Black and white thinking – also known as all-or-nothing thinking – splits your world neatly into one category or another. If you’re experiencing depression, it’s common to fall into black-and-white thinking. You might focus a lot on your perceived failings, what you should have done differently in a situation and not surprisingly you end up…
anxietystrategies for self-careThe Small Things That Are Huge
Telling people that you can’t take on any more tasks. Allowing yourself to sleep when you are tired. (See also Making Sleep Your Best Friend) Spending your time with people who get you. Respecting your limitations and boundaries. Being honest. With you and others. Walking your talk. Asking for help. Enjoying your leisure time. Throwing…
strategies for self-careThe Neuropsychology of Wine
Neuropsychologists already know that the brain’s memory hub, the hippocampus, is the first area to be compromised by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Those who smell, serve, recommend, and taste wine for a living are apparently doing more than just expanding their palates. According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in…
Generalstrategies for self-careSpiral Up
You are driving on the Washington DC beltway, and somebody cuts you off abruptly. You slam on the brakes as hard as you can. A near miss. A moment later you get a surge of almost electric energy, followed, often, by feeling weak at the knees. Stress is a natural physiological reaction to perceived danger.…
UncategorizedSystemic Racism and Mental Health
Currently participating in the Maryland Psychological Association(MPA) annual Ethics Conference. I was able to speak about systemic racism and mental health. With clients: nurturing diversity awareness gently, but also insisting on it. Takeaways from Dr. Siddique: It is our obligation as mental health professionals to speak about systemic oppression, environmental context, and racism as an…
race and mental health