Showing results by author "Brittany Forrester" in All Categories

The depth or imaginal psychotherapy is highly effective in treating and assessing adult survivors of childhood abuse. Specifically, interventions that use dreams, symbols, and metaphor, as well as expressive art techniques, are deemed especially valuable as they address dissociative changes. By assessing specific depth psychological aspects of the individual’s shattered sense of self, a more focused and efficient treatment plan can be created sooner in the course of therapy. Discover more with Brain Healing and Trauma.

As a self-conscious emotion, shame informs us of an internal state of inadequacy, unworthiness, dishonor, regret, or disconnection. Shame is a clear signal that our positive feelings have been interrupted. Through a depth psychological analysis of the author’s personal experience, which includes developing and living with a shame complex, the path toward healing shame is realized as the ability to find the courage to uncover and disclose a personal narrative in the presence of an empathetic analyst, who had the competence to contain and bear witness to his client’s story.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. To begin the process of healing in a therapeutic environment, it is important to create a safe place in which the individual can explore and share their experiences, and gain understanding as to why they are experiencing life as they do. This book may offer much to promote the healing and growth of those affected by complex trauma. 

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering experiences in brief doses while the therapist directs your eye movements.

For decades, the medical profession has advocated for nutritional management as part of the treatment strategy for a variety of illnesses including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and excessive cholesterol. There are currently no such recommendations for brain aging and dementia. Nutrition was only recently accorded scientific-field status, and eating has been recognized as a valid technique of defending oneself against brain aging and disorders such as Alzheimer's.

Parents everywhere seek a close emotional bond with their babies. They also strive to develop a parenting style that works with their values. Some parenting models favor treating children as little adults to be reasoned with. Others take an approach that stresses rule-following. They all aim to create self-reliant adults who can maintain healthy relationships and go on to have families of their own.

Learning to communicate and manage frustration is part of growing up. But some children don’t master those skills. If their frequent angry outbursts and aggressive behaviors interfere with family life, making friends, or school performance, they may have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), which, by some estimates, affects up to 16 percent of school-age children. Though no statistics are available for younger children, experts say that most children with ODD show signs of the disorder in the preschool years.

From cupcakes to pies to iced coffee drinks, sugar is found in many foods and is almost impossible to avoid. Emotional or psychological dependence on sugary foods and drinks, also known as sugar addiction, is a real cause of concern for health officials in America. Processed foods and refined grains create additional sugar in the body once the body metabolizes the food. Sugar in moderation is not harmful; however, many overdo it. A recent study suggests Americans eat far too much sugar.

The term “Narcissism” is derived from Ovid’s tale of Narcissus falling in love with his own reflection to the detriment of his true/real self, which caused him to perish. Although Ovid’s tale of Narcissus being obsessed by his image is void of any psychological examination, it is significant not merely for where the term “narcissism” is derived from, but more importantly for the constructive themes like unrequited self-love that resonated with later interpretations of narcissism as a personality trait.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based treatment for binge eating disorder, and most experts agree that while it yields positive treatment results, there is room for improvement in treatment. Shame is an important contributing factor in the development and maintenance of binge eating disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person's life. With the help of time, we now have a better understanding of the disease spectrum. Those observations made by the early pioneers have evolved as breakthroughs in the disease management process. In exploring past human competency levels and myths of autism, an emphasis of significance is placed on increasing awareness and the reaction factors to seeking treatment, as the scope of early intervention. 

Sibling abuse is the physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of one sibling by another. The physical abuse can range from more mild forms of aggression between siblings, such as pushing and shoving, to very violent behavior such as using weapons. Often parents don't see the abuse for what it is. As a rule, parents and society expect fights and aggression among siblings. Because of this, parents often don't see sibling abuse as a problem until serious harm occurs. 

Codependents do the wrong things for the right reasons. But the good news is that people can change; they can learn new, healthier behaviors. People can be inspired and encouraged to change, and they can learn from healthy role models.