Psychoeducation

This was true 60 years ago when Mr. Baldwin said it and it continues to be true today. I am a therapist who has spent many years working with people who are poor, who have to rely on Medicaid for insurance and who often were…

The dorsal vagal system is one part of our nervous system. This system responds to life threatening cues, by causing the entire system to shut down, numb out, and disconnect from others.  And if you suffer from PTSD you may be perceiving danger that is…

I think one of the cruelest effects of complex, childhood trauma is the impact it has on people’s relationships with others. These are folx who desperately want and deserve to have kind, loving, and fulfilling relationships. But it is a constant struggle if they have…

So, I am doing my part to help end this pandemic. This last weekend I was one of about 5,000 healthcare workers to get vaccinated. In San Diego county private practice therapists were considered essential workers in this first round of vaccines. I am feeling…

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is the brake system of the autonomic nervous system. The PNS is the system that is responsible for the actions of “rest and digest.” It conserves energy by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, regulating sexual arousal, and relaxes…

Working in the mental health field, it is easy to get trapped into thinking of people as diagnoses. It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about “that Borderline,” not the client who happens to have Borderline Personality Disorder. This reduces their humanity and makes them…