“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright…
Recently a colleague alerted me to an article in the Chicago Tribune about CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training). A few months back I wrote a blog post about CRAFT that described the…
Not long ago my girlfriend stumbled across a YouTube video from Animal Planet’s show “My Extreme Animal Phobia.” It features a segment from the show involving a tough-looking, heavily tattooed man who is…
There have been some articles on the National Public Radio (NPR) website about the use of the drug ketamine as a fast acting treatment for depression (See here and here). Originally developed as…
Here in Portland, seasonal depression, commonly called the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is relatively common. Up to 20% of the population in the rainy Pacific Northwest may be impacted. I’ve written…
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” Hans Hofmann Oversaturated. That’s how it can feel once the holidays have ended. And now that the last…
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes…
A couple weeks back I was perusing the news on the internet when I came across an interesting story and really cool idea in addictions research. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research…
Here in Portland, up to 20-30% of the population suffers from decreased mood and fatigue during the dark and cloudy days of winter. This has been called the “winter blues” and more serious…
“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” –John Milton It’s a rainy, cold November day. Everyone…
Changing a habit is hard. Anyone who has tried to change their eating habits, quit smoking, start an exercise program, or stop drinking or using drugs can tell you how difficult it can…
More and more, I have clients coming into see me who are taking over-the-counter “natural” or “alternative” products. Sometimes these are recommended by a specialist, sometimes by a friend. I was curious about…
If you’ve ever tried to change your diet, you’ve probably experienced a situation like the following: You’re committed to pursuing a healthy lifestyle and as part of that commitment you’ve decided to reduce…
Here at Portland Psychotherapy, we spend a lot of time researching the most effective treatments for problems in living. Too often, though, there’s a disconnect between what the research says works and what…
If you live in a major city you have probably encountered a person who is dressed strangely, mumbling to himself, not making eye contact, and perhaps pacing back and forth or engaging in…
Have you ever had the experience of learning the ending of a book, movie, or TV show that you had really wanted to read/watch and saying to yourself, “AARGH—it’s ruined for me!”? In…
I love stories. A great storyteller can transport you to places you have never been, can touch a place within you that seemed lost, or can inspire you in ways you might never…
“If we want to discover the full potential in our humanity, we need to celebrate those heartbreaking strengths and those glorious disabilities that we all have…it is our humanity, and all the potential…
