It's been a while since I've posted. I want to rectify that by sharing a recent experience I had with a couple of colleagues. I wanted to pass on a lesson from that for those seeking treatment. We were consulting on cases and I mentioned Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which is on the extreme end … Continue reading Finding the right therapist for complex PTSD or dissociation
Here are five benefits of grief journaling
Grief journaling is a crucial part of the bereavement process, and I ask practically everyone I do grief work with to at least try. Research and my own professional experience show that it really does help. When I use the term "journaling" I am using it broadly, to include drawing and poetry as well. Some … Continue reading Here are five benefits of grief journaling
Five misconceptions about grief and loss
It's been a while since I've posted! This is partly because I am developing a second specialty, which is the field of grief and loss. As as therapist I feel as though I have some competence in treating these issues, but my goal is to be more than competent. I want to be better at … Continue reading Five misconceptions about grief and loss
How do you see a therapist that is out of network?
It's a story I've heard more than once. A client really wants to see me as their therapist, but I am not in-network for their insurance company. Now their choice is either to pay out of pocket to see me (a potentially expensive proposition) or find someone else. You may be surprised to learn that … Continue reading How do you see a therapist that is out of network?
Treating trauma symptoms vs treating the trauma itself
Trauma is a technical term, but in the context of psychology it simply means having a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. This experience affects the person in a significant way that does not get healed with time. Trauma is often defined as part of a mental illness and while this is a fair definition, it's … Continue reading Treating trauma symptoms vs treating the trauma itself
These four simple changes to your diet can reduce anxiety
I've written a few articles on anxiety and how to manage it. Today I will discuss how what we put into our bodies can directly affect the level of anxiety we feel. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and sugars can all be especially harmful and exacerbate anxiety for those of us who suffer from it. Caffeine. We … Continue reading These four simple changes to your diet can reduce anxiety
How to Stop Emotional Eating
I'm convinced that most of us at one time or another have eaten when we weren't hungry. I'm also pretty convinced that many of us have eaten when we are feeling stressed, anxious, angry, sad, frustrated, bored, lonely, you name it! I have my own comfort foods. The purpose of this kind of eating is … Continue reading How to Stop Emotional Eating
The Effects of PTSD on Everyday Life
I recently read an excellent summary article that discusses common ways post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can affect someone's life. I'll briefly summarize it, but if you'd like to read it in full, please click the link above. Problems at work and relationships. People with PTSD tend to miss more work and work less efficiently, … Continue reading The Effects of PTSD on Everyday Life
Five ideas on what to do when you feel like giving up
I have been getting messages from life lately teaching me how to react when I feel like giving up. Don't we all feel like giving up sometimes? I have felt that way in my career, in my schooling, and in my personal life in one way or another. My clients have expressed to me similar … Continue reading Five ideas on what to do when you feel like giving up
If you need to see a counselor for PTSD, but don’t know if you can talk about it
This is a great question, and one that I get frequently. In the past, the way therapists were taught to deal with PTSD is to talk about it. They had the patient talk again and again and again about what happened, and over time the person would become desensitized and have more tolerance for their … Continue reading If you need to see a counselor for PTSD, but don’t know if you can talk about it
Jason Chastain, psychotherapist 