What Is Engaged Listening?
When engaged in conversation, most of us focus on our own thoughts and what we will say next. This habit is actually quite distracting and gets in the way of better understanding what others are communicating. Improving in this area entails engaged listening, which refers to paying close attention to what others are saying and…
The Myers-Briggs Personality Test: An Overview
Personality has always been a hot topic for psychologists and mental health professionals who wanted to shed light on the human mind’s vast complexity. When Psychoanalyst Carl Jung developed his theories on the subject, they were considered groundbreaking and paved the way for the creation of one of the most popular personality assessment tools, the Myers-Briggs…
What is Hebephilia?
Hebephilia refers to the primary or exclusive adult sexual interest in pubescent individuals ranging from ages 11-14. Hebephilia is differentiated from pedophilia, which involves exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children (up to age 13 according to diagnostic criteria). Both of these conditions are noted as types of chronophilia, sexual preference for a specific physiological appearance…
What to Expect from Couples Therapy
In the early months of a relationship, it can seem like nothing can go wrong. Why wouldn’t you both be head over heels for each other forever? No matter what comes up, there’s nothing you can’t get through, right? While that may indeed be true at that moment, that head-over-heels part isn’t meant to last…
7 Ways to Help Someone You’ve Hurt
When you’re in a relationship with someone, you will hurt your partner at some point. You will also be hurt by your partner at some point. Whether intentional or not, it’s hard and painful when one partner hurts the other. When you’re the one who hurt your partner, it’s a tough spot to be in….
The Grey Rock Method: A Guide to Emotional Protection
The grey rock method is a technique in which an individual becomes emotionally non-responsive, boring, and virtually acts like a grey rock; bland, uninteresting, and unworthy of attention. This emotional detachment strategy undermines a manipulative person’s attempts to lure and control, causing them to lose interest and grow bored. This strategy is most commonly applied…
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an interactive psychotherapy technique used to help alleviate trauma-related distress by encouraging patients to focus on past traumatic memories while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements). The goal of this treatment is a reduction in the vividness and emotional pain associated with these memories. There are multiple…
Understanding Automatonophobia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Automatonophobia is the fear of human-like figures, such as mannequins, wax figures, dummies, animatronics, or robots. Psychologists do not typically use this precise term but rather refer to this condition as a type of specific phobia, a category of anxiety disorders characterized by an irrational fear triggered by certain objects and situations. So, while the…
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on mindfulness and acceptance. In addition to identifying and challenging irrational thinking patterns, DBT encourages patients to accept themselves and their reality and focus on the present moment. DBT was developed in the 1980s by Dr. Marsha Linehan….
What Is Crippling Depression?
Millions of people are diagnosed with depression every year. Depression has a range of different presentations, which are often categorized by severity and symptoms. Crippling depression is a term used to describe a type of depression that is characterized by depressive symptoms that are so severe they limit the person’s ability to function normally and…
Stress and Deep Sleep: Is there a Link?
Stress is an inevitable part of modern human life and is reportedly experienced by nearly half the population of US adults. While stress affects different age groups and genders in different ways, the triggering scenarios and recommended treatments are quite similar. One often overlooked factor impacting stress is deep sleep. The most commonly recommended solutions…
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a hands-on treatment that helps people understand that their thoughts are directly connected to how they feel, and how they feel is directly connected to their behavior. Recognizing this can help a person realize that if they can change their automatic thoughts in negative situations (using a variety of tips,…
Social Media and the Holidays: How to Keep a Healthy Perspective
The holiday season is overwhelming on social media. Your Instagram or Facebook feed is probably filled with perfect photos of happy family times, big gifts, and beautifully decorated homes. But don’t be fooled – what you see online isn’t always the whole story. Just because someone is posting perfect holiday moments doesn’t mean they’re having…
How to Cope With Grief During the Holidays
Grief is a complicated thing. Just when you think you have a handle on it, it pops up to rear its ugly head. And, as if that isn’t hard enough, the littlest and most unexpected things can trigger it. A distinct smell, a savory taste, or the notes to a beloved song can instantly bring…
How to Cope With Nighttime Depression
Depressive symptoms can sneak up on us and attack when we least expect it. Sometimes life events are the root cause but sometimes there is no clear reason. Common symptoms of major depression disorder (MDD) include feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in usual activities. Many who suffer from depression can function adequately…
Grounding Techniques for Coping With Anxiety
If you are having a difficult time managing the symptoms of your anxiety, you are not alone. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems today. People experience various types of anxiety ranging from mild to severely debilitating. Anxiety is associated with many different intense emotional states. It can be difficult to focus…
8 Tips For Saving a Failing Relationship
If you’ve been involved in romantic relationships that have come to an end, you are likely familiar with that feeling you get when you realize things are going south. Maybe you and your partner spent time trying to fix the relationship to no avail. It’s difficult and even painful to watch your relationship struggle and…
What Is Spectrophobia?
Spectrophobia refers to the fear of mirrors. This fear is not limited just to the mirrors themselves, but what people see reflected back at them. Spectrophobia is classified as a specific phobia, a category of anxiety disorders in which people experience irrational fear in response to certain objects and situations. Many times, this fear can…
How Do You Know if You Have a Damaged Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve connects the brain to almost every major internal organ. It plays an important role in regulating physical and emotional health. This system supports the body to regulate stress responses, such as heart rate, sleep quality, and digestion. Damage to the vagus nerve can interrupt or alter these processes, causing negative health symptoms….
What Is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychological response to a traumatic event. Those suffering from this condition experience disturbing thoughts and feelings about their trauma long after it has passed. A common condition treated by mental health professionals, PTSD can interfere with a person’s daily functioning at work and home. What Causes PTSD? Even…
Dealing With an Overbearing Mother
As an adult, dealing with an overbearing mother can feel like an impossible challenge. If you are reading this, you may be familiar with exactly what that means. She doesn’t approve of your significant other or your friends. She comments on everything from your hairstyle to your weight. She constantly adds her two cents about…
Semantic Memory: What is it and Why is it Important?
Scientists have been studying how human memory works for years to figure out how memories are stored short and long-term and what the functions and purpose of memory storage are. When we think of memory we think of how our own experiences in life get stored in our brains and how those memories of the…
Fluid Versus Crystallized Intelligence
Intelligence is one of the most talked-about subjects in psychology. What comes to mind when you think of intelligence? Is it the accumulation of facts? Or, the ability to solve complex puzzles? Intelligence is more complicated than that. There are two main types of intelligence: crystallized and fluid. In the 1940s, psychologist Raymond B. Cattell…
What Is Genetic Sexual Attraction?
Genetic sexual attraction (GSA) refers to the notion that a powerful sexual attraction can develop between blood relatives that initially meet as adults. This type of reunion could result from family members who were separated by adoption, or immigration, or who were conceived via sperm or egg donation. Background Often, adoptees encounter their birth parents…
Depression and Anxiety Chat Rooms: An Overview
If you have experienced depression or anxiety at any time during your life, you know that it can be hard to manage alone. The symptoms can make it hard to function in your everyday life to such a degree that even getting out of bed can prove to be a difficult task, much less going…
The Benefits of a Long-Distance Relationship
We’re told that getting into a long-distance relationship is a bad idea. But research says that may not be true anymore. It’s reported that 75% of college students in relationships and 3 million adult couples live apart from their partners (Long-distance Relationships Can Form Stronger Bonds Than Face-to-face Ones, 2013b). People in long-distance relationships have…
What Is Trypophobia? Definitions, Signs, and Treatments
Trypophobia is disgust or fear of small holes or bumps, such as the holes in sliced bread, a cheese grater, strawberry seeds, honeycombs, skin problems, spotted animals, showerheads, and even some flowers. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word “trypa,” which means “hole” or “drilling.” Despite its fairly common occurrence, the American…
Is Online Premarital Counseling Effective?
Ask any married couple and they will tell you that marriage is hard work. Even the happiest couples have arguments and struggle every once in a while. But the joys that come from a loving partnership make the extra effort and compromises all worthwhile. Many couples find that premarital counseling is a beneficial and positive…
What is Repression in Psychology?
Repression in psychology refers to the unconscious act of pushing distressing memories, thoughts, and emotions out of the conscious mind when one cannot cope with them. This defense mechanism, also known as “motivated forgetting,” is a key concept in psychoanalysis, a clinical approach pioneered by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. Oftentimes, whether in…
Eating Disorders: An Overview
Eating disorders are a type of illness characterized by a severe disturbance in eating behaviors and thoughts and emotions related to food and eating. People with eating disorders typically become preoccupied with food and their body weight. They also tend to experience distortions in body image. Eating disorders affect people of all ages and social…
Sociopath vs. Psychopath: Understanding the Difference
People often use the terms “sociopath” and “psychopath” interchangeably as if they both mean the same thing, when in fact, they do not. The two terms are typically used to refer to people who have antisocial personality disorder. Clinically speaking, there is currently no classification of sociopathy or psychopathy listed in the most recent edition of the…
Is Mental Illness Genetic?
Nearly one in five American adults will experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime. This includes all levels of severity, from mild to serious mental illnesses. While the US is among the countries with the highest rates of reported mental health disorders, it is by no means an outlier, as roughly 10% of the…
How to Foster Better Self-Awareness: 3 Tips
Self-awareness entails seeing yourself honestly and becoming aware of your behaviors, traits, and feelings, including both your strengths and flaws. Developing self-awareness has been found to improve self-control, creative abilities, self-esteem, and an understanding of other people’s perspectives.[1] I’ve found three core strategies to be effective in nurturing the capacity for self-awareness and improving overall…
How to Cope With a Midlife Crisis?
A midlife crisis is a period in a person’s life, typically sometime between ages 40 to 60 when they evaluate the choices they have made during their lives and experience anxiety resulting from thoughts about their mortality. Feeling confronted by end-of-life concerns, regret over missed opportunities, questioning self-doubt, and contemplating the way forward are all…
Are Hot Flashes in Men Anxiety-Related?
You’re a generally healthy man. But then one day, all of a sudden, you feel as if your skin is on fire. You’re sweating as if it’s 100 degrees, and you can feel your skin reddening. Your first thought might be that you’re experiencing hot flashes, commonly associated with women going through menopause. But is…
What is Regression in Psychology?
In the context of psychology, regression refers to an unconscious, emotional defense mechanism where an individual’s personality reverts to an earlier point of development. An example would be if a person were to display behaviors from childhood when confronted with threatening or objectionable situations. Individuals engaging in such behavior can be said to be regressing to previous…
How to Bring Romance Back Into Your Marriage
Marriage can be difficult, and many couples experience moments where they feel less connected, less intimate, and less engaged in the romance and passion they experienced when the relationship began. This is a normal part of a relationship and is not something to worry about or fear; it is a result of seeping into the…
How to Cope With Parental Anxiety
Parents have much to worry about, the health and well-being of their family, finances, and much more. While worry and stress are common feelings from time to time, some people experience these emotions intensely, with little or no respite. If you find yourself worrying excessively, to the point that it interferes with your daily functioning,…
How to Spot Emotionally Unavailable Partners
Entering a new relationship can be both thrilling and scary at the same. The possibility that things will progress and evolve into a long-term commitment may excite you, but it’s hard to ignore the risk that you may end up getting hurt. One common fear in new relationships is that your new partner is emotionally…
Is Alcohol a Stimulant or a Depressant?
There is often confusion as to whether alcohol is technically considered a stimulant or depressant. While alcohol can have a stimulating effect when consumed in small amounts, it is identified in the class of depressant drug types. When people first start drinking, it acts as a stimulant on the brain. However, with continued use, alcohol…
How to Stop Panic Attacks: 7 Helpful Tips
For those who suffer from panic attacks, the onset of symptoms is undeniable. They often seem to come out of nowhere and mimic medical emergencies such as a heart attack. The pressure and mounting stress set off a chain of unpleasant events in the body leading to a panic attack. Why Panic Attacks Happen Panic…
What is Stendhal Syndrome?
The condition of experiencing rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion, or even hallucinations when encountering artwork or objects of great beauty is known as Stendhal syndrome, a rarely documented psychological condition first identified back in 1817. While many mental health professionals are skeptical about the true nature of this condition, people have reported experiencing it for…
Are Children With ADHD More Likely to Lie?
Fibs, white lies, or straight-up whoppers, call them what you want, but at one time or another, parents may catch their kids in a lie. Sometime around the age of three, children discover that conjuring up tales can impress their friends, get them what they want, or keep them out of trouble. Older children may…
How Does Trauma Therapy Work?
Trauma therapy refers to the various psychotherapy treatments for helping individuals manage the intense emotional response triggered by experiences of extreme fear, stress, or danger. Such responses can include irritability, guilt, shame, flashbacks, emotional distress, difficulty sleeping, and many more. For those who have experienced trauma, support groups and counseling, such as trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, are…
An Overview of How PTSD Service Dogs Can Help
Post-traumatic stress disorder may result from a single encounter with trauma or from a series of traumatic episodes. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can greatly impact a person’s quality of life and ability to function. Symptoms can include nightmares, flashbacks, and avoidance of triggering memories. Other symptoms may include agitation, irritability, anxiety, or isolating behaviors. Specially trained…
How to Deal With Enochlophobia (Fear of Crowds)
Enochlophobia is the fear of crowds and crowded places. It is categorized as a specific phobia, an intense, excessive, and irrational fear of certain objects and situations that are not actually harmful. The anxiety experienced as a result of this phobia can be unbearable enough to make you resort to avoidance behaviors. On the one…
What Is a Serial Monogamist?
Serial monogamy is a term used to refer to people who follow a pattern of frequently entering committed relationships for short periods (generally a few months). Then, after a breakup, they quickly enter into another committed relationship. The serial monogamist is not ‘cheating’ on their partners but rather jumping from one relationship to another. Relationships…
How to Stop Worrying About Things You Cannot Control
All too often, we worry about things we cannot control. We worry about it raining on our wedding day, how our boss will react when we ask for a few days off, the way our brother-in-law will behave at Thanksgiving, and a slew of other matters that we simply can’t influence. We go through life allowing…
How Is Anxiety Linked to Appetite Loss?
Fight-or-flight mode is our body’s natural response when we’re in jeopardy. It helps people cope in dire situations and causes various changes in the body including reduced appetite. Sometimes anxiety can cause you to enter fight-or-flight mode, leading your body to respond as it does to danger. Prolonged anxiety often causes changes in appetite and…
20 Things Not to Say to Someone With PTSD
Imagine you are the survivor of a horrible car crash. One day, while you’re walking down the street, you hear a car horn followed by a screeching noise. Before you get a chance to look around and figure out what happened, you feel a sudden rush of adrenaline. Fear paralyzes you from head to toe,…
8 Tips for Calming Down When Life Is Stressful
Being worried and stressed is normal. Work, family responsibilities, financial challenges, and even health issues can leave you feeling stressed and living in survival mode. A little stress is good, but when you become overwhelmed with life’s demands, your ability to perform suffers immensely. Staying calm in the middle of a crisis is important. Research shows…
Signs of a Female Psychopath
People tend to associate the term “psychopath” with an evil criminal or serial killer. We have books, television, and movies to thank for that distorted perception. In reality, though, a psychopath is not necessarily evil. Psychopathy typically refers to those with antisocial personality disorder, a condition in which one exhibits signs of manipulative and anti-social…
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is an integrative or complementary treatment that is used in the treatment of a variety of mental health conditions. This science-backed treatment can help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and enhance the overall quality of life of patients. Practitioners of music therapy are called music therapists, using specific evidence-based interventions to help clients meet…
8 Simple Ways to Lower Your Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is a stress hormone in the human body that is released by the adrenal glands and helps the body manage stressful situations. The brain initiates the release of cortisol to mitigate stressors. Cortisol regulates sleep, controls blood pressure, decreases inflammation, and handles the way that the body uses nutrients. When cortisol levels are elevated for…
Is Skype Secure for Online Therapy Sessions?
One of the most common video conferencing platforms used for online therapy is Skype. While it’s among the oldest and most popular communication tools on the Internet, it’s wise to explore how Skype handles your personal information and what security measures are taken to protect your sensitive data. Are Skype Therapy Sessions Secure? The short…
Is Online Therapy Secure and Confidential?
It’s not always easy to decide to engage in mental health treatment. Yet for many, it is a choice that has transformed or even saved their lives. While the traditional, in-office, model for therapy is still the default option people think of when deciding to seek help, online therapy is proving to be an increasingly…
What is Acute Stress Disorder?
Acute stress disorder refers to the aftereffects someone experiences following an intense event where the person believed that they were witnessing a serious threat to their life or someone else’s, or when they or someone close to them experienced a serious injury, accident, or violent physical encounter or death. This diagnosis is similar to a…
Can Daith Piercing Reduce Anxiety?
Piercings are incredibly popular and prevalent in today’s culture. People engage in piercing for various reasons, such as self-expression, artistic appearance, or for religious and cultural purposes. One popular trend is the piercing of the daith, which is believed by some to alleviate anxiety and migraines. The daith is a tiny piece of inner cartilage that folds…
Using EMDR to Treat Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can be extremely dangerous for those who suffer from them. Drastic changes to food intake can make a person seriously ill, therefore it is crucial for those who struggle with managing their relationship with food to enlist help and support from a professional. The types of treatment approaches for eating disorders vary depending…
What You Should Know About PTSD Triggers
For those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it can be a highly painful and disruptive psychological condition. It is estimated to impact almost 7% percent of the adult population in their lifetime and involves symptoms that develop due to experiencing a single or series of traumatic events. If you have no experience with trauma…
Choosing a Therapist: A Detailed Guide
Finding a therapist might seem easy, but choosing a “good” one might be a daunting experience for a lot of people. There are probably a lot of concerns you have when it comes to choosing the right person. After all, you’ll be opening up to them and relying on them to help you work through…
Does Briffault’s Law Apply to Human Relationships?
Briffault’s law states: “The female, not the male, determines all the conditions of the animal family. Where the female can derive no benefit from association with the male, no such association takes place”. This idea asserts that females determine whether or not a relationship takes place. Essentially, they seek to understand if the benefits outweigh the…
How to Spot People That Use Others
Can you recall a time in your life when you were used by someone else? Unfortunately for most of us, this usually occurs sometime early in life. Some of us might have been used for our intelligence, some for our athleticism, and others for our popularity. Can you remember the moment when you realized that you were being…
Dating Someone With Anxiety: Tips and Advice
Dealing with your own anxiety can be difficult, but it can also be incredibly hard to watch anxiety affect someone you love. Anxiety is different for every person and managing it is not “one size fits all.” The first thing to do when you love someone with anxiety is to do your best to understand…
How Are Therapists Different From Psychologists?
When searching for mental health services, being knowledgeable is crucial. Although the terms therapist and psychologist both describe professionals committed to enhancing their patients’ emotional and mental health, they do not carry the same meaning. Understanding some of these distinctions can aid you in your quest for the appropriate expert. The two titles can often…
What is Gamophobia?
Gamophobia is a fear of commitment and marriage. As with many phobias, gamophobia’s name has an interesting etymology. ’Phobia,’ of course, is the fear of something. Meanwhile, ‘gamos,’ is Greek for ‘marriage.’ Thus, gamophobia quite literally translates to ‘fear of marriage.’ Gamophobia is not always quite as simple as someone being afraid of getting married….
How to Gain a Strong Sense of Self
Life is extremely unpredictable. From flat tires on the way to work and unexpected bills in the mail to a call into our boss’ office, things happen every day that throw us off course. Usually, when we least expect it, we are faced with a new set of challenges and surprises that fill us with…
What Is Smiling Depression?
Smiling depression refers to people who hide their depression behind their smile and an otherwise normal, happy exterior. Those who suffer from this can appear well-adjusted, presentable, professionally successful, and content. However, in truth, they are not, and they need to be helped no less than those who outwardly display the classic signs of depression.[1]…
The Dangers of Diet Culture and Eating Disorders
Our culture is obsessed with beauty, weight, and appearances in general. This is reflected in our advertising, media, and in how we treat and talk about our bodies. While improving our health is certainly a worthy cause for society to focus on, it’s clear that health has little to do with our obsession with being…
Solvable vs. Perpetual Problems in Relationships
Being in an intimate relationship for the long haul is both challenging and demanding. As you and your spouse encounter new experiences and grow through life, the challenge of maintaining an intimate and rewarding relationship becomes very real. It’s so easy to get lost in the busyness of day-to-day life that the stresses of dealing…
Intimacy vs. Isolation: Erik Erikson’s Theory
Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist most famous for creating the eight stages of psycho-social development. Each stage of life involves a person working through an issue or crisis where a specific virtue may develop. Throughout every stage, the individual is attempting to answer an existential question that will ideally help them make sense of…
Common Traits to Look for When Spotting a Sadist
Colloquially, the term sadist describes a person who derives sexual enjoyment and satisfaction from inflicting pain, retribution, and shame on others. The word is derived from an 18th-century Frenchman, Marquis de Sade, who was famous for penning aggressive, malicious, and ruthless literature about sexuality. Sade was said to endorse aggression in sexuality and thus, sadism historically referred…