How to Read Your Emotions Part I: Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
Sometimes when you first start having a feeling, your brain will very quickly make up its mind that the emotion is somehow dangerous or bad. Then it tries to escape from the emotion…
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What Exactly is Insomnia? (and what you can do about it)
People can experience many difficulties with sleep throughout their lives. Some people are often told by their parents that even as small children they were never “good sleepers.” Some people experience issues with sleep…
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Helping People Grieve with Compassion
Comfort has its limits. One of the reasons it can be so difficult to approach someone who is suffering is that it can bring us face to face with our powerlessness to do…
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CNN Article on Religious-Themed OCD (aka Scrupulosity)
CNN featured a nice article on a lesser known subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)–Scrupulosity. This involves religious-themed obsessions, such as fear of blaspheming, fear of going to hell, or a sense that you…
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New Law in Oregon: Your Rights to Bereavement Leave
People who experience the loss of a loved one are often tasked with managing life insurance and legal issues, resolving financial paperwork, planning a funeral, and sorting through their loved one’s belongings. All…
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Why See A Health Psychologist?
When a person has significant issues with their health it can bring many challenges, more than just how it affects their body. Just like it is often helpful to see a physician who…
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Good Grief: Before asking how to get over your grief, ask whether you should.
Sometimes people aren’t very understanding of the pain of grief. They can even be downright insensitive at times. One of the common insensitive phrase I’ve heard in my work as someone who specializes…
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Do Opioids Work For Chronic Pain?
The NPR program Fresh Air broadcast an interview earlier this week with New York Times reporter and author Barry Meier discussing his e-book A World of Hurt: Fixing Pain Medicine’s Biggest Mistake. While…
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Recovery from Schizophrenia? Yes, it’s Possible!
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…