Deb Kory shares her revelations working with women labeled “over-emotional” by the men in their lives, and where she’s come to believe the pathology truly lies.
Look at me!
Many people struggle to fully meet their therapist’s eyes the beginning. Particularly those who are shy or introverted. The warmth, care, interest or love that we may perceive in a therapist’s compassionate gaze may seem “too much” or even unbearable for many who missed or never received it from their original caretakers. Rachel was my first therapy client totally unable to tolerate the eye contact during a session. The first time we met, this lack of eye contact made me sense her…
House Call Revival
Welcome to my house. We had been meeting for a month already, but this was the first time Nick connected from his flat for our weekly online psychotherapy session. Because of our time difference—I am based in Europe, and Nick lives in the US, we were usually connecting during his early morning hours. I was by now fairly familiar with his work surroundings: a small office cubicle, neon lights, grey doors shut tight. This time everything was different, and Nick looked younger and…
The Socially Awkward Therapist
Everybody knows: therapists are all crazy. Right? Where did this idea come from? For some of us, perhaps it’s our social skills. Some therapists can come off a bit . . . well . . . awkward in social situations. Perhaps you know a Socially Awkward Therapist (SAT)? SATs even find each other off-putting. I had a SAT friend who was talking about another therapist friend. “She’s unsettling.” He shrugs. His eyes drift down and to the right. I catch the glance. I automatically…
The Imprisoned Brain: Psychotherapy with Inmates in Jail
Sudhanva Rajagopal, a clinical psychology graduate student, ponders our animal nature as he relates the poignant complexity of working with inmates in jail.
Spencer Niles on the Latest Developments in Career Counseling
Career counseling expert, Spencer Niles, offers poignant insights from his more than three decades helping people find their calling.
A Little Girl in a Dark Corner
Some mornings Nora would wake up, and the little girl would be there. She would always be curled up in the darkest corner of the room, concealed behind the curtains. Her un-natural white skin, her bare feet, and a part of her burgundy-red dress would be clearly visible in the early morning light. She looked wicked, and the very fact of her presence in the room seemed uncanny. But at the same time, Nora felt a compelling desire, almost a necessity,…
Whiteness Matters: Exploring White Privilege, Color Blindness and Racism in Psychotherapy
Explore White privilege in the psychology profession and the importance of confronting it with education, curiosity & humility.
Nothing To Say
Clair* walks into my office this morning as she does every week. She sits downs and looks up. “I’ve got nothing to say today,” she tells me. Sometimes, I say nothing. I just sit and wait. Something will come. The unconscious mind can often be counted on to send something forward into the silence. But sometimes I feel the need to help things along. “Well,” I say, “What’s most on your mind?” Clair has been with me for a little over…
The Secret to Getting More Therapy Referrals from Smartphone Users
The shift from desktop/laptop computers to mobile devices—especially smartphones—has progressed faster than anyone predicted. In most parts of the United States, it is now typical for over 50% of searches for therapists to happen on iPhones or Android phones. Google itself admitted in May 2015 that there are now more searches on mobile than desktop/laptop computers. And while Google commands only about 67% of desktop/laptop searches, they control over 80% of searches on smartphones. On the surface this would seem like…