Real World Therapy: Recent Episodes
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The feeling nobody cared was worse than the violence “I’ve come to terms with the violence I experienced as a child. I don’t blame myself for that. I’m more haunted […]
The post Attachment and the Brain appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Have we unfairly pathologized clients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder? In this case study I wrote for the Psychotherapy Networker, I share a surprising example of what happened when I moved beyond the BPD label to focus on the real issue: unresolved attachment trauma. No diagnosis conjures up stigma quite like borderline personality disorder (BPD). […]
The post The Problem with the Borderline Diagnosis appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Hurricanes. Another mass shooting. Political crises. Seems anxiety is at an all-time high for us and our clients as chaotic events erupt around the world. How do you reassure clients and help them find hope in the midst of turbulent times? In this post, I’ll share what seems to be helping my clients and want […]
The post Coping with Mass Tragedy appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Recent brain research has revealed new clues to better guide us in the process of resolving traumatic memories. The key is lies in creating what is called a mismatch experience, or new meaning experience. As I discussed in the first part of this article (“Healing Traumatic Memories, Part 1”), the memory network has the capacity to […]
The post Healing Traumatic Memories- Part 2 appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Can you really eliminate the fear and distress associated with a traumatic memory? Until recently, researchers weren’t sure, but significant discoveries are now improving the way therapists treat traumatic memories. For decades, prolonged exposure has been the gold standard for treating fears, trauma, and phobias. However, people often drop out of exposure treatment before it […]
The post Healing Traumatic Memories- Part 1 appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Therapist and author, Courtney Armstrong explains why our emotions can override our thoughts and how you can heal. Do you ever feel nagging self-doubt or insecurity that you know is irrational, yet can’t seem to turn off? Often it is because we are still carrying around what I call a negative embodied belief that has inadvertently merged […]
The post “I know it’s irrational, but I can’t stop feeling this way.” appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Do your client’s symptoms offer clues to their hidden strengths? Find out in this article Courtney wrote for the Psychotherapy Networker’s September/October 2016 issue. As therapists, we’re taught to be master detectives, methodically investigating our clients’ symptoms in search of a culprit—the source of their pain. But if we spend too much time preoccupied with our […]
The post Turning Symptoms into Strengths appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Therapist Courtney Armstrong interviews trauma survivor and author of Your Life after Trauma, Michele Rosenthal about how to reclaim your identity after trauma. How do you move forward after something happens in your life that challenges your ability to feel safe, secure, and hopeful? More important, how do you reclaim your identity when a life […]
The post RECLAIMING YOUR LIFE AFTER TRAUMA appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Therapist and author, Courtney Armstrong discusses how light physical activity can be a more effective tool for reducing anxiety than relaxation techniques. Did you know that one of the best ways to reduce anxiety is to move your body? Most therapists are taught to teach their anxious clients relaxation techniques. But, if a client is […]
The post ANXIOUS CLIENT? FORGET RELAXATION, GET THEM MOVING! appeared first on Real World Therapy.
Therapist and author, Courtney Armstrong discusses how demonstrating care toward someone after a traumatic event is the best way to aid their emotional healing. Brain science is finally validating what we intuitively know as therapists: people heal through feeling cared for by others. Whether you receive emotional support from compassionate friends or family members, or […]
The post HOW SMALL ACTS OF CARE CAN ALLEVIATE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS appeared first on Real World Therapy.
How do you connect with clients who are guarded or resistant to change? Therapist Courtney Armstrong suggests that sometimes it helps to lighten up and simply play. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Love) Intuitively we know that humor and laughter are ardent antidotes for depression and anxiety, but many therapists avoid using humor for fear they […]
The post Lighten Up! How Being Playful Can Reduce Clients’ Resistance appeared first on Real World Therapy.