…psychoanalysis fails to deal effectively with death anxiety (the important role that death plays in life) and its impact on the future development of the individual. Existential psychology focuses on the significance of death awareness and dying on the personality, as well as other issues of being, such as autonomy, individuation, transcendent goals etc, but tends to neglect the “down and dirty” psychoanalytic concepts of defense mechanisms, compe…
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…g positive qualities in ourselves so as to have a positive effect on their development. Ultimately, the greatest impact that we have on our children comes from us valuing and living our own lives. Many of us operate with the mistaken belief that good parenting involves sacrificing yourself for your children. However, we do not offer our children our best by being self-sacrificing and giving up parts of ourselves. We can only offer them our best by…
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…ndards to compromise their dignity and self-respect. A good therapist is a role model In the course of therapy, the therapist is inadvertently acting as a role model for clients. He/she is modeling an interest in self-exploration, an accepting attitude toward feeling, and the ability to regulate feelings and behavior. The therapist is also exhibiting a style of relating to another person that is respectful, compassionate and equal. In the parent/c…
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…riencing it and their parents. As parents, caretakers, and counselors, our role is to be there for adolescents, providing a safe, supportive, and secure base from which they can launch into the world. And we can all get better at this pursuit by learning more about what young people are experiencing, what challenges they face, and what ways we can best support them. This webinar will take a look at some of the invaluable lessons we can draw from t…
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…timate availability of and support from attachment figures” (Tran & Simpson 2009). This hyper-vigilance and insatiable desire for security often result in distressed and self-defeating behavior in relationships. For example, if a partner says or does something that signals ambiguity, the anxious person may react with a disproportionate level of anger or hostility in an attempt to coerce reassurance (Tran & Simpson, 2009). Often, such reactions cau…
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…l and psychological well-being. Terror management theory is focused on the role that awareness of death plays in diverse aspects of life. In this webinar, Dr. Solomon will discuss the theory’s implications for understanding the widely varying ways in which people have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of whether one consciously believes that the virus is a major threat to life or only a minor inconvenience, fear of death plays an impo…
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…describes attachment trauma, and the effects of neglect and abuse on brain development. Dr. Allan Schore: We’re also looking at the more understanding that we have now about normal development and normal attachments, secure attachments, we’re also looking at the other side of that. The other side, of course, would be the insecure attachments. And the most unfortunate early human beginnings, of course, would be in cases of neglect and abuse. Just f…
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…Reconnection Alexander went further, and added experiments to explore the role of the rat-friendly community in recovery from addiction. He induced substance dependence in rats using the isolation model. “Then he took them out of isolation, and placed them in Rat Park.” Alexander found that the rats “seemed to have a few twitches of withdrawal, but they soon stopped their heavy use, and went back to having a normal life. The good cage saved them….
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…t themselves? These counteractive actions can actually be signs that we’re afraid to be vulnerable and get too close. 2. You’re Becoming Hypercritical of Your Partner or Potential Partners One of the most common complaints between couples after they’ve been together for a while is that they lose the spark or stop feeling as excited or attracted to each other. A lot of this has to do with our defense system. More closeness feels more threatening, t…
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…answers can be found within. Whether they know it or not, most people are afraid of really being in love. While their fears may manifest themselves in different ways or show themselves at different stages of a relationship, every individual harbors certain defenses that they believe on some level will protect them from getting hurt. These defenses may offer a false illusion of safety or security, but they keep people from attaining the closeness…
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