#imagery-in-therapy

[ follow ]
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
18 hours ago

Time-Outs Work, if We Can Learn to Do Them Right

Well-implemented time-outs lead to positive outcomes and healthier relationships in adults who experienced them as children.
#trauma
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says the adults who seem the most indifferent aren't cynics - they've simply been disappointed so many times that their nervous system reclassified hope as a threat - Silicon Canals

Indifference may stem from a nervous system response to past trauma, where hope becomes associated with pain and disappointment.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology suggests the most reliable sign that someone had a difficult childhood isn't what they tell you about it - it's how startled they look when you are simply kind to them without a reason, as though kindness without a transaction attached is something the body recognizes as unusual before the mind has finished deciding what to do with it - Silicon Canals

Kindness can trigger confusion in those with a history of trauma due to learned survival responses from past experiences.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says the adults who seem the most indifferent aren't cynics - they've simply been disappointed so many times that their nervous system reclassified hope as a threat - Silicon Canals

Indifference may stem from a nervous system response to past trauma, where hope becomes associated with pain and disappointment.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology suggests the most reliable sign that someone had a difficult childhood isn't what they tell you about it - it's how startled they look when you are simply kind to them without a reason, as though kindness without a transaction attached is something the body recognizes as unusual before the mind has finished deciding what to do with it - Silicon Canals

Kindness can trigger confusion in those with a history of trauma due to learned survival responses from past experiences.
Mindfulness
fromTiny Buddha
46 minutes ago

From People-Pleasing to Self-Trust: How to Come Back to Yourself - Tiny Buddha

Indecision and people-pleasing stem from past experiences of conflict and self-doubt, leading to a loss of personal identity.
Writing
fromIntelligencer
6 hours ago

My Father and the Magic Mushrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms are explored as a potential treatment for alcoholism in an elderly individual during a therapeutic session.
fromwww.npr.org
1 hour ago

'How are you using AI?' Your therapist should ask you that question, experts argue

"We're not saying that AI use is good or bad, just like we wouldn't say, substance use is necessarily good or bad, or consulting with a friend about something is good or bad."
US news
fromPsychology Today
20 hours ago

How to Be Methodical

Being methodical usually involves creating a process that you trust will eventually lead to an acceptable result, and then committing to executing it over and over. This reduces a lot of mental load, and helps when you don't know exactly how long something will take or how many attempts you'll need to make.
Productivity
fromTiny Buddha
2 days ago

What My Body Taught Me: 13 Surgeries, One Coma, Countless Powerful Lessons - Tiny Buddha

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. I was born with spina bifida and faced multiple surgeries, leading to uncertainty about my ability to walk again. Despite the fear and pain, I refused to accept paralysis as my fate.
Medicine
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

The people who become the calmest adults are almost never the ones who had calm childhoods. They're the ones who grew up in houses where someone else's mood was the weather, and they learned to regulate the entire room before they ever learned to regulate themselves. - Silicon Canals

Children from chaotic homes can develop heightened emotional awareness and calmness, contrary to the belief that such environments only produce turbulence.
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Play, for All (Hu)mankind: Peeling Out Where No Men Had Peeled Out Before

Play is hard to tamp down, and exuberance breaks through even as busy spacefarers are carrying along the weighty hopes of humanity.
Science
Exercise
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Shame Attacking: Overcoming a Lifetime of Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can be treated effectively through techniques like shame-attacking exercises, which challenge individuals to confront their fears.
Yoga
fromYoga Journal
2 days ago

Feeling Anxious? Soothe Yourself With 10-Minute Gentle Yoga.

Yoga for anxiety helps shift focus from overthinking to present moment awareness through gentle physical practices.
Design
fromDesign Milk
2 days ago

An Argument for Interior Design with Neuroaesthetics in Mind

Interior design should prioritize functional aesthetics to enhance mental health, creativity, and interpersonal connections through a new field called Neuroarchitecture.
Books
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Is Recovery Too Serious to Be Funny?

Recovery literature often overlooks humor, focusing instead on serious tones despite the potential for laughter in the journey.
Arts
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Your Therapy Homework: Get to the Theater

Engaging with the arts can enhance psychological and social well-being, supporting mental and physical health.
#emotional-regulation
#emotional-health
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
7 hours ago

The friend who always checks in on everyone but never tells anyone when they're struggling isn't hiding. They've simply never had the experience of someone noticing without being told, and after long enough, the idea of being spontaneously seen starts to feel like something that happens to other people. - Silicon Canals

Being the emotional caretaker in friendships can lead to neglecting one's own emotional needs and feelings.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says people who've mastered not caring aren't detached - they went through a period of caring so much it nearly broke them, and came out the other side with a much shorter list - Silicon Canals

Mastering the art of not caring comes from exhaustion, not indifference, after deeply caring and learning what deserves emotional energy.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
7 hours ago

The friend who always checks in on everyone but never tells anyone when they're struggling isn't hiding. They've simply never had the experience of someone noticing without being told, and after long enough, the idea of being spontaneously seen starts to feel like something that happens to other people. - Silicon Canals

Being the emotional caretaker in friendships can lead to neglecting one's own emotional needs and feelings.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says people who've mastered not caring aren't detached - they went through a period of caring so much it nearly broke them, and came out the other side with a much shorter list - Silicon Canals

Mastering the art of not caring comes from exhaustion, not indifference, after deeply caring and learning what deserves emotional energy.
Writing
fromTiny Buddha
23 hours ago

Phone Down, Eyes Up: How to Really See the People We Love - Tiny Buddha

Offering attention is the most valuable gift we can give to others.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
23 hours ago

2 Signs Your Sensitive Child Is Stuck in a Thought Spiral

Sensitive kids often overthink situations, leading to emotional overload and difficulty letting go of thoughts.
Productivity
fromFast Company
1 day ago

Four steps for better focus from a cognitive scientist

Inability to focus is a major barrier to productivity, often exacerbated by self-inflicted distractions.
Medicine
fromNature
3 days ago

Your brain on drugs: different psychedelics work in surprisingly similar ways

Psychedelics show a common brain activity pattern despite differing pharmacological properties, suggesting a need to rethink their categorization.
Exercise
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Running Toward a Better Brain

Aerobic fitness and lifestyle choices can slow age-related brain changes and improve brain health across the adult lifespan.
Yoga
fromYOGMAY
1 week ago

What Makes a Good Sound Healing Teacher? Training Guide

A great sound healing teacher goes beyond technique, emphasizing deep understanding, safety, and the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge.
#therapy
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

When Therapy Explains Before It Understands

Therapists may misinterpret clients' experiences by relying on familiar frameworks, potentially overlooking genuine feelings and differences.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

When Therapy Explains Before It Understands

Therapists may misinterpret clients' experiences by relying on familiar frameworks, potentially overlooking genuine feelings and differences.
#emotional-intelligence
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
8 hours ago

Children who grew up in homes where one parent was the peacekeeper and the other was the storm almost always become adults who can read a room in seconds but have no idea what they actually feel when nobody else is in it - Silicon Canals

Emotional intelligence can stem from childhood experiences in volatile family dynamics, leading to heightened perception of others but self-blindness.
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago
Mindfulness

Psychology says being unbothered isn't emotional distance - it's the result of finally understanding which battles were never yours to fight - Silicon Canals

Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
8 hours ago

Children who grew up in homes where one parent was the peacekeeper and the other was the storm almost always become adults who can read a room in seconds but have no idea what they actually feel when nobody else is in it - Silicon Canals

Emotional intelligence can stem from childhood experiences in volatile family dynamics, leading to heightened perception of others but self-blindness.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says being unbothered isn't emotional distance - it's the result of finally understanding which battles were never yours to fight - Silicon Canals

Being unbothered is about recognizing which conflicts are not yours, not emotional detachment.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
21 hours ago

I'm 44 and I have started paying attention to how I feel the morning after I spend time with someone - not during, when the performance is running, but after, when the honest version arrives - and that single habit has told me more about my relationships than twenty years of thinking about them - Silicon Canals

The morning after social interactions reveals true emotional states, often contrasting with the perceived enjoyment during the event.
Writing
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How Lucid Dreaming Can Make Us More Creative

Lucid dreaming enhances creativity and problem-solving abilities, as shown by studies on haiku poetry written in this state.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

A Parent's Guide to Child-Centered Play Therapy

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) relies on the child-therapist relationship to facilitate therapeutic change through child-led play.
#anxiety
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

People who always respond with "fine" when asked how they are aren't lying - they learned, at some specific point in their life, that the true answer produced outcomes that were worse than the silence, and fine has been the silence ever since - Silicon Canals

Personal experiences with anxiety and emotional responses reveal deeper truths about coping mechanisms and the challenges of authentic communication.
Mental health
fromTiny Buddha
3 days ago

What's Really Happening When Your Thoughts Spiral at Night - Tiny Buddha

Anxiety serves as a messenger, revealing underlying fears rather than being an enemy to be eliminated.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

People who always respond with "fine" when asked how they are aren't lying - they learned, at some specific point in their life, that the true answer produced outcomes that were worse than the silence, and fine has been the silence ever since - Silicon Canals

Personal experiences with anxiety and emotional responses reveal deeper truths about coping mechanisms and the challenges of authentic communication.
Mental health
fromTiny Buddha
3 days ago

What's Really Happening When Your Thoughts Spiral at Night - Tiny Buddha

Anxiety serves as a messenger, revealing underlying fears rather than being an enemy to be eliminated.
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

7 Lessons for When Your Attempts to Control Outcomes Fail

Many situations contain irreducible uncertainty. No matter how many variables we try to control, we can't reduce uncertainty to zero. It's inherent in the messiness of life.
Productivity
#self-compassion
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Learn Self-Compassion in 5 Simple Breaths

Self-compassion is essential for personal growth and should be practiced as one would treat others with kindness and support.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Learn Self-Compassion in 5 Simple Breaths

Self-compassion is essential for personal growth and should be practiced as one would treat others with kindness and support.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says the happiest people aren't the ones who found their passion - they're the ones who stopped treating their life as a problem that needed solving - Silicon Canals

The relentless pursuit of passion may lead to unhappiness, while embracing diverse interests can foster a richer, more fulfilling life.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

An Exercise for Releasing Emotional Pain

Emotional pain from past experiences can lead to mental and physical health issues, but journaling can help express and alleviate this pain.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

I realized recently that I've spent years becoming whoever the room needed me to be - and now I honestly can't tell the difference between what I actually enjoy and what I've just been pretending to for so long it stuck - Silicon Canals

Constantly adapting to others' expectations can lead to losing touch with one's authentic self and preferences.
#silence
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Not everyone who goes quiet during an argument is punishing you. Some of them learned in childhood that their anger, once expressed, became the only thing anyone responded to, and the original hurt disappeared entirely. So they stopped expressing it. Not to win. To preserve the point. - Silicon Canals

Silence during conflict can stem from past trauma rather than being a power move.
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago
Psychology

Not everyone who stays silent during an argument is shutting you out. Some of them grew up in houses where raised voices preceded things that couldn't be taken back, and their silence isn't withdrawal. It's the sound of someone trying very hard not to become a person they promised themselves they'd never be. - Silicon Canals

Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Not everyone who goes quiet during an argument is punishing you. Some of them learned in childhood that their anger, once expressed, became the only thing anyone responded to, and the original hurt disappeared entirely. So they stopped expressing it. Not to win. To preserve the point. - Silicon Canals

Silence during conflict can stem from past trauma rather than being a power move.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Not everyone who stays silent during an argument is shutting you out. Some of them grew up in houses where raised voices preceded things that couldn't be taken back, and their silence isn't withdrawal. It's the sound of someone trying very hard not to become a person they promised themselves they'd never be. - Silicon Canals

Silence after an argument can signify deeper emotional struggles rather than mere avoidance or rejection.
Mindfulness
fromMindful
1 week ago

Being Courageous About Change: Mindful Guidance on the Proactive Pivot

Proactive pivoting involves making changes before they are necessary, requiring courage and strength to overcome resistance to change.
Psychology
fromHarvard Gazette
1 day ago

How forgiving can improve well-being - Harvard Gazette

Regular acts of forgiveness improve psychological well-being and foster character development across various nations.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Is Searching for Memories of Childhood Trauma Helpful?

Understanding suffering through trauma is appealing but can distract from the need for compassion and treatment regardless of its cause.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Can Listening Move You to Love?

High-quality listening evokes Kama Muta, a powerful emotion of feeling moved by love, fostering emotional closeness in both listeners and speakers.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

What Meditation Retreats Really Do to Your Mind and Body

Unemployed adults participated in a three-day retreat focusing on mindfulness meditation versus guided relaxation to assess stress management effects.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Psychoanalysis Is a Type of Exposure Therapy

Psychoanalysis and exposure therapy both involve gradual exposure to feared stimuli, with relationships being the primary focus in psychoanalysis.
Mindfulness
fromScienceDaily
3 days ago

Scientists say 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain

Seven days of meditation and mind-body techniques significantly altered brain function, immunity, and metabolism, resembling psychedelic experiences achieved naturally.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says the people who look back at the end of their lives with the least regret aren't the ones who made the fewest mistakes - they're the ones who were most fully present for the life they were actually living, who didn't spend it waiting for a better version to begin, who loved the people in front of them rather than the idea of people, and who understood, early enough to act on it, that this was always the whole thing and there was never going to be another one - Silicon Canals

Presence, not perfection, leads to a life without regret at the end.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Is Too Much Information Fueling Your Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders have increased significantly, likely due to technology's impact on information overload and intolerance of uncertainty.
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Health Benefits of Looking at Beauty

Beauty, it turns out, is capable of launching not just an armada of ships, but a cascade of the same feel-good chemicals you get from being in love, eating chocolate, exercising, and having orgasms- dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin. It also lowers stress, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Miscellaneous
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology suggests people who become difficult to be around with age are almost always carrying an unprocessed grief - for the life they expected and didn't get, for the recognition they believed they had earned and never received, for the version of themselves they were supposed to become - and the difficulty is what that grief sounds like when it has been stored as resentment for long enough to become the way they experience everything - Silicon Canals

Unprocessed grief can manifest as bitterness and negativity, stemming from unfulfilled dreams and unmet expectations in life.
#mental-health
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says people who feel a persistent low-level sadness they cannot attribute to any specific cause aren't depressed in the clinical sense - they're experiencing the accurate emotional response to a life that has drifted, incrementally and without announcement, away from the one they meant to live, and the sadness is not a symptom, it is a signal, and signals are not treated, they are followed - Silicon Canals

Low-grade melancholy may signal a disconnect between current life and expectations, rather than being a symptom of depression.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says people who feel a persistent low-level sadness they cannot attribute to any specific cause aren't depressed in the clinical sense - they're experiencing the accurate emotional response to a life that has drifted, incrementally and without announcement, away from the one they meant to live, and the sadness is not a symptom, it is a signal, and signals are not treated, they are followed - Silicon Canals

Low-grade melancholy may signal a disconnect between current life and expectations, rather than being a symptom of depression.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Why Hypersensitivity Is an Emotional Superpower

Highly sensitive individuals process emotions deeply, which can be a strength in understanding social cues and empathy.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Fighting Your Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Is Why You're Stuck

Struggling against BFRBs empowers them; releasing the struggle allows for self-compassion and engagement in meaningful activities.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

When the Body Heals: Recovery From Relational Stress

Emotional stressors can lead to chronic stress, affecting immunity and increasing autoimmune disease risk, but healing can occur after relational stress ends.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says people who mellow out as they get older aren't the ones who suffered less - they're the ones who decided, at some point and without always knowing they were deciding, that the suffering was going to make them more open rather than less, and that decision, remade daily in small ways that nobody notices, is the entire difference - Silicon Canals

Emotional responses to life's challenges can change over time, leading to greater peace and stability despite ongoing difficulties.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Why Breathing Matters for Emotional Regulation

Slow, smooth breathing can calm the nervous system, regulate emotions, and improve health with just five minutes of practice daily.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology suggests people who were never taken seriously as children grow into adults who either compulsively over-explain or go completely silent - and both responses are the same wound wearing different clothes - Silicon Canals

Over-explaining often stems from trauma and anxiety, leading to chronic justification of one's presence in conversations.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Stop Pretending to Be Happy

Emotional acceptance leads to healthier processing of feelings, while suppression prolongs negative emotions and creates incongruence between feelings and expressions.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

Psychology says the most emotionally strong people aren't the ones who never fall apart - they're the ones who fall apart privately, reassemble without fanfare, and never use their recovery as a reason for anyone else to feel guilty - Silicon Canals

Emotional strength involves acknowledging feelings and recovering privately, not denying vulnerability or pretending to be unbreakable.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

What Makes Painful Memories Stick

Painful memories linger because they signal threats to core psychological needs, making them psychologically urgent and demanding more cognitive processing.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

How to Help Someone Have an Empathy Makeover

Empathy can be developed through structured reflection and practice, enhancing mental health and relationship dynamics.
Arts
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Why Art Is a Pillar of Health

Creativity improves mental health through emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, social connectedness, and activation of emotion-regulation neural circuits via active or passive art engagement.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Your Most Horrifying Thoughts May Not Mean What You Think

Intrusive sexual thoughts are a common form of OCD, often misidentified and not indicative of actual desire.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Still Waiting to Hear "You Were Right"?

The desire for validation stems from past neglect and devaluation, creating a painful emotional wound that seeks recognition and worth.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Emotions Are Facts: Why Therapy Requires Talking About Them

Discussing emotions is a fundamental, non-optional component of psychotherapy, not an optional preference that clients can avoid.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Loosening the Grip: Finding Peace by Letting Go of What Hurts Us

You control your emotional response to hurt by shifting focus from toxic relationships when the pain of staying exceeds the pain of letting go.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How Therapists Can Heal Our Attention

Therapists must protect and cultivate human attention against tech-driven exploitation to preserve clients' well-being and societal functioning.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Quintessential Secrets of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves varied definitions and debated practices, with acceptance-focused principles and techniques like free association helping many clients achieve change.
[ Load more ]