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By John Welwood For many of us, opening our hearts to ourselves may be the hardest part of the path. John Welwood on how and why meditation helped him do it — unconditionally. Freud once admitted in a letter to Jung that “psychoanalysis is essentially a cure through love.” Yet while many psychotherapists might privately […]

By Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” – Muhammad Ali Recently, I was in conversation with the mother of

By Alena Gerst, LCSW, RYT She was frustrated by her immobility and chronic pain. In her mind, she felt like she could simply stand up and walk wherever she wanted. But in reality, her body was stuck in a wheelchair. “I’m in a funk,” she declared in my clinic office. “I don’t want to do anything

By Leon F. Seltzer Most advice that claims to help elevate your self-esteem eventually falls flat for the same reason that, as Sancho proclaims in Cervantes’ Don Quixote, “Many words will not fill a bushel.” Successfully remedying deficits in your self-image can’t be done linguistically. What works? Pro-active behaviors that function to validate a positive perspective of self, and actions that serve to verify that

Some kids need help learning to control their emotions, and resist impulsive behavior If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve witnessed a tantrum or two in your day. We expect them in two-year-olds. But if your child reaches school age and meltdowns and outbursts are still frequent, it may be a sign that he or she has

By Courtney Ackerman  Postive Psychology Program People who meditate are happier, healthier, and more successful than those who don’t. Those amazing benefits of practicing meditation and mindfulness make you want to try it yourself. Good chance you have already tried meditation or mindfulness before. Maybe you decided – after a few frustrating attempts – that you must be one of those people

By GoodTherapy.org Staff Establishing a good self-care routine can sort of be compared to putting on an oxygen mask when an airplane cabin loses pressure. “Put your own mask on first before assisting others,” the flight attendant warns us during the safety brief before departure. While it may seem selfish and counterintuitive for some to help themselves

Contributed by Zawn Villines, GoodTherapy.org Correspondent Building on previous research showing the positive effects pet ownership can have on mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, a new study published in the journal BMC Psychiatrysuggests pets can improve people’s management of diagnosed mental health conditions. Pet Ownership as a Mental Health Self-Care Strategy The study involved 54 semi-structured interviews

By Bob Stahl                                                                                         grandfailure/Adobe Stock A great many people who suffer with

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.  Parenting is a difficult job and a juggling act no matter what. It requires balancing your own needs with those of your child. It involves managing your time, having adequate resources and supporting your child. For parents coping with a mental illness, “these issues are amplified,” said Ryan Howes, Ph.D, psychologist, writer and