Updated 08/17/23 Dopamine is a brain chemical that plays a crucial role in the brain’s reward system. When our brains release dopamine, it gives us feelings of pleasure and happiness. These emotions can help motivate us to carry out essential tasks. However, too much or too little dopamine can lead to certain mental health conditions.Dopamine deficiency is one of the underlyingcauses of depression,schizophrenia, andpsychosis. On the other hand, increased dopamine levels can lead to addiction and ADHD....

Updated on 4/13/2022 What is Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)? Emotion focused therapy can help.Looking for healthy ways to understand and manage your emotions.Learn more Emotion focused therapy can help.Looking for healthy ways to understand and manage your emotions. Emotion focused therapy can help. Looking for healthy ways to understand and manage your emotions. Learn more “Our emotions and our reactions to them drive so much of our interactions with others — especially those we love....

Updated 11/10/2022 Humanistic therapy rests on the belief that every human is born with unique potential that, with the right nurturing, can be fully realized. This field of psychology strives to foster the potential in individuals via treatment that focuses on their humanistic traits and provides them with positive support.Because of the individual nature of personal growth,humanistic counselingis a personalized mental health treatment crafted to serve your specific needs and goals....

Updated 7/3/2024.There’s a reason they call it “hitting the wall.” Burnout reallydoesfeel like a whole-body experience, like physically running into an impassable barrier. You may be chugging along, telling yourself that you can push through whatever it is that’s plaguing you: challenging family situations, the election stress, the exhaustion of racial justice organizing, the difficulty concentrating on work from home while teaching a child, the late nights at work.But, as psychiatrist and PTSD researcher Bessel van der Kolk writes,the body truly keeps score: when your body reaches its limit, you crash into the wallAs election season continues to heat up and doubts add to our anxieties, many of us are approaching political burnout....

If you are thinking of trying hypnosis or hypnotherapy, one of your first questions might be:How can I find a hypnotist near me? But that might not be your only question. Before you go searching for a hypnotherapist, you’ll want answers to all of your questions about hypnotherapy — what it is, what conditions it can treat, what to look for in a hypnotist — and most importantly, how hypnotism can benefit you....

When will 2020 be over? I know I’m not alone in thinking that this has been one of the longest years of my life. From a global pandemic and the worst recession since the Great Depression, to the murders of innocent Black people, and one of the most controversial election seasons in U.S. history, among horrific wildfires in the West and destructive hurricanes in the South, the collective stress and tragedies we’re enduring are almost too much to bear....

Updated 8/18/2023.We all know romantic relationships are hard work. Like cars, they require regular maintenance to keep them running well. So if there is a problem, you want to have things repaired immediately to avoid further complications.Often we can do some of the basic maintenance and repairs ourselves. Other times, behavioral therapy for couples with the help of a licensed professional may be the best for the relationship. Couples counseling focuses on improving relationship satisfaction and conflict resolution between couples....

Shame is an emotion that many of us don’t talk about, even when it wreaks havoc on our lives. It refers to a deeply rooted core belief that something about us is intrinsically wrong. There’s a high likelihood that we don’t even realize what we’re feeling is ‘shame’ and instead we might use words like ‘guilt’ or ’embarrassment.’ What Exactly Is Cyberbullying? While most bullying in schools still takes place in physical locations, the virtual space has become a new venue for abuse....

Updated on 8/10/2021 For those who have been through a traumatic situation, the memories from that incident may lead to feelings of fear, and in trying to deal with that fear they may develop escape and avoidance behaviors — often unconsciously. Although traumatic events are often beyond one’s control, emotions like guilt or shame tend to arise in the aftermath of trauma. These difficult emotions may be a sign that you’re experiencingpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition resulting from the experience of a traumatic event....

Updated on 07/21/23Somatic counseling, also known as somatic experiencing therapy, or SE therapy, is atype of therapythat helps treat post-traumatic stress, past trauma, and effects from other mental health conditions. Thistype of therapyconnects a person’s mind and body to apply psychotherapy and physical therapies during treatment.“Somatic therapy is designed to help individuals clear their minds and connect to their bodies, and it is helpful because it combines mindfulness, grounding techniques, and traditional talk therapy....

As a parent, one of your greatest wishes is that your child lives a happy life. But everyone deals with hurdles, and sometimes your child may be dealing with a situation that you’re not equipped to handle.There are also complex situations that kids today often have to deal with, which could be a lot different from those that you remember from your own childhood. The challenge for most parents is how to provide the necessary skills their kids need to deal with life’s ups and downs and support them as much as they need....

As humans we are creatures of habit. Whether it’s personal upheavals like the loss of a loved one, or more routine updates like a new job or moving, change has a profound effect. And then of course, there are the huge societal disruptions: political turmoil, the climate crisis, and of course, the pandemic. Change is even more challenging to deal with when the pace is so fast: how can we stay grounded when everything is shifting?...

Updated on 12/28/2021 Many forms of therapy ask you to look deeply inward, to explore your past, and understand your impulses. Implicit in this model is the idea that personal introspection can help forge a path toward change and healing. Although your own roadblocks are acknowledged, most traditional therapy doesn’t dwell on the struggles that are inherent in the human condition. But what if you are looking for a kind of therapy that acknowledges the struggles of human existence, and that takes a more positive forward-thinking approach to problem solving?...

Updated on 8/10/2021 People of all ages have common addictive habits that they wish to break free from — smoking, nail-biting, alcohol addiction, and substance abuse, among others. Some people are able to stop these habits with just a strong resolution to do so, but for many others, dropping an addictive behavior can be a struggle. People have employed countless measures while trying to break free of their addictions. If you’ve tried most of the more common approaches and found them to be ineffective, there are other reliable options worth considering....

Updated 02/17/2023 Avoiding the pitfalls of workaholism is possible, though. Discovering the difference between loving your job versus being addicted to working is the first step. Next is looking for signs you’re developing a work addiction, potential causes, and the adverse effects on your mental health and well-being. Concerned about how much you work? Continue reading — we’ll look at strategies to manage your addiction so you can enjoy success without letting it take control of every aspect of your life....