IFS and Anxiety
Although anxiety may feel like an unpleasant experience, it is not always problematic. Often, it is an “alert system piece” that helps us become aware of and address risky situations. Think crossing the street while texting and NOT feeling anxious about being hit by a car! The anxiety we naturally experience helps us make sure we look where we are going and avoid a disaster. However, when anxiety begins to limit our ability to engage with our everyday tasks and it impacts our self-esteem and confidence, it becomes a challenge that needs addressing. Intrusive anxious feelings that negatively impact our […]
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Self-Esteem: Through The Lens Of Internal Family Systems
At times, we experience uncomfortable emotions washing over us. We may interpret them as harmful and wish we did not feel this way or have these thoughts. Working With Yourself Instead of Against Yourself It seems counterintuitive to suggest not pushing away these feelings and thoughts, and not disconnecting from them and erasing them from our minds. However, evidence shows that it is best to approach our thoughts and feelings with a level of acceptance and kind curiosity, explore their origin and purpose, and identify which part of us feels this way and why. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy encourages […]
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Coping with Trauma: Through the Lens Of Internal Family Systems
Experiencing a traumatic event is difficult: we feel broken into pieces and may find it challenging to pull ourselves back together. What Does Trauma Do To Us? When we experience a traumatic situation, the areas in our brain involved in emotional regulation and processing are overactivated, and logical thinking processes are shut down. The memories of the traumatic event are made vivid, triggering emotions and physical sensations that often feel overwhelming, and we may, at times, experience what has been classified as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy approach suggesting that we have different aspects determining […]
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
At one time or another, everyone experiences painful situations. To cope with the discomfort, people often try to avoid these events, feelings, and thoughts, hoping they will not need to address the cause of their suffering. Doing so may bring some relief in the short term, but the sense of resolution is rarely lasting, and avoidance is usually a cause for the worsening of the symptoms. A number of therapeutic modalities focus on helping individuals eliminate the cause of their sadness and pain and have been shown to be effective. These strategies concentrate on modifying maladaptive behavior, thoughts, and beliefs […]
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Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological modality that can address a variety of problems. This therapy helps the client make a conscious effort to change their negative thinking and behavioral patterns. Who Can Benefit from Cognitive Behavior Therapy? According to the American Psychological Association, many people benefit from this specialized treatment, including those who suffer from the following: Low self-esteem Anxiety Social anxiety Relationship problems Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Depression If we struggle with one of the above difficulties, we likely find it hard to cope in our daily life. The stress that builds up from our […]
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When Being Together Can Tear You Apart
A beautiful sunset, an ice cream, running against the wind – there are things in our world that we genuinely love. And while we look forward to these experiences and appreciate them, we know that they can sometimes become too much of a good thing. The same is true of people too. It does not matter how much we enjoy someone’s company: If we spend too much time with them, we can find ourselves amid a conflict with them more easily. This became crystal clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when we stayed inside with the same people day after day. […]
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