Good Mood

I am a full time psychotherapist and this is my blog. A project to help me focus on my own good mood and health.

[happytherapist]

What I have learned today.

I am constantly surprised when things 'come together' and go well. At some point I need to recognise this is the rule and not an exception.

[happytherapist]

What I have learned today.

Sometimes its the therapist's lack of faith in change that is the barrier to therapy.

[happytherapist]

Where are my feet right now??

A simple grounding technique to interrupt the chaos of a busy day.

[happytherapist]

What I have learned today.

I cannot predict who will be able to make meaningful change. People in the darkest of places can do amazing things. I am inspired by this and my faith in the therapeutic process (and in people) is restored.

[happytherapist]

Creative gratitude

Sometimes it is difficult but amazing things happen when we are grateful. Sometimes we have to get creative to see that there is always something (or an absence of something) to be thankful for.

[blessing-curse]

[myrelationshipwithlove]

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

[fitness-and-sparkles]

[myrelationshipwithlove]

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

[feelthefearanddoitanyway-x-deac]

[myrelationshipwithlove]

The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.

[happytherapist]

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

Arthur Ashe

[happytherapist]

I am all about infused water right now...its so refreshing!

[happytherapist]

Smile, breathe, and go slowly

Thich Nhat Hanh

[happytherapist]

Things I learned today in therapy...

Sometimes it is important to try and deeply connect with the patient's world. Sometimes it is necessary to maintain boundaries and the awareness of who you are as a separate person to really help someone.

[happytherapist]

Things I learned today in therapy...

Sometimes the blocks to progress lie in the beliefs of the therapist...not the patient or the techniques.

[happytherapist]

A simple message I keep getting from people...'when I feel well I can be silly. Have fun.' Seems it's an important part of the human experience. :)

[happytherapist]

Snow drops shining from a corner of the woods

[happytherapist]

Blue skies and lots of space :)

[happytherapist]

Intrusive thought and the law of attraction

One of the messages from the law of attraction seems to be that thoughts can manifest and influence reality - our own lives and those of others. One of the key "thinking errors" in OCD is known as thought-action-fusion: the belief that thinking about something makes it more likely to happen. Thinking this way can be a major factor in maintaining and exacerbating obsessions and compulsions. For example, an intrusive thought about a car crash is horrifying if we believe that by thinking it it is more like to happen. (What kind of person must we be to have such horrible thoughts. Not to mention the immense responsibility for the safety of others!) Overtime I have been trying to reconcile these two theories. As a therapist I do not want to confirm or encourage anything that makes anxiety or distress worse for a patient. Then again I do not want to discredit their beliefs either. I have worked this through with patients and in meditation and have come to the following conclusion. Intrusive thoughts by definition are incongruous with a persons values. We cannot control what 'pops' into our mind (and those random thoughts do not define who we are) but we do have some control over our response to it. I believe it is our meaningful purposeful thoughts that can influence the universe: not the occassional nonsensical thought that is not backed by our beliefs, emotions, or behaviour. The energy we put out there comes from our consistent pattern of thoughts and behaviours. This must be true if the law of attraction is true: otherwise the world would be in meaningless chaos if every single thought we had manifested. I'm glad I have come to this conclusion. I am still not sure about my own beliefs about the law of attraction but I do not want to be in the business of undermining and judging others. For me this understanding creates an important distinction and allows me to work with people without taking away something they value. I would be very interested to hear other people's interpretation and understanding. I don't imagine I am the first to come across this problem.