…struggles, to some degree, to stay connected to our loving feelings,” said Dr. Lisa Firestone, co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships. “Early experiences of feeling hurt or rejected can injure our ability to connect with and sustain our loving feelings. Giving and receiving love actually challenges our core defenses, early adaptations we formed to protect ourselves against the ways we were hurt.” While none of us choose to fall out of…
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…s. Historically, in studying the voices associated with suicidal ideology, Lisa Firestone, PhD and I developed a scale to predict the potential for suicide. Items were based on a series of increasingly negative self-critical thoughts and self-attacks. Clients were asked to endorse which items they experienced and how frequently. The scale effectively distinguishes suicidal from non-suicidal individuals at a high level of significance. We applied t…
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…ship can also help us to earn a more secure attachment style. According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, “One of the proven ways to change our attachment style is by forming an attachment with someone who had a more secure attachment style than what we’ve experienced. We can also talk to a therapist, as the therapeutic relationship can help create a more secure attachment. We can continue to get to know ourselves through understanding our past experiences,…
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…that you’ve learned from psychotherapy research and applying them to self-help. JN: In self-help, in self-change. Going back 30 years ago, beginning with my research with Dr. Jim Petraska, we’d been investigating how people change on their own, without psychotherapy, with a little bit of psychotherapy, only in psychotherapy. There’s this wonderful continua of change. We need not think about self-help and psychotherapy as antagonistic. They’re qui…
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…reduce violent acts. The first step in preventing violence is to learn the warning signs that indicate whether someone is likely to become violent. These warning signs often include a history of early aggressive behavior, such as enjoying hurting animals, expressions of violence in drawings and writings, as well as physical fighting with siblings and peers. Other warning signs have to do with feeling constantly disrespected and thinking that a per…
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…f them do not feel they receive adequate training in the assessment treatment and management of suicidal clients. (Link to Glendon suicide page for resources) Training Opportunities for Mental Health Professionals: Online: Something to Lose: An Interview with Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. (Psychotherapy.net – CE’s available) Suicide: What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know (CE’s available) For a full list of resources to help you as a practiti…
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…e actions now that can help save a life. We can do this by recognizing the warning signs for suicide in veterans and supporting them getting the services they need. We can reach out to veterans and their families, and work together to de-stigmatize struggles with mental health. In doing so, are taking action to protect the lives of those who have been deeply wounded in their effort to protect us. The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisi…
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…on. Being outdoors naturally teaches us how to stop worrying. According to Dr. Lisa Firestone in her blog “Nature as Medicine,” “One of the reasons, nature is so beneficial is that it allows us to feel more present in our own bodies. We tend to experience nature with our senses, drinking in sights, sounds and smells, feeling the earth on our feet and the breeze on our face.” This presence of mind can offer us respite from worrying. “As our mind un…
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…In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, PsychAlive is featuring videos that can help us to better understand and prevent suicide. Learn more about suicide prevention….
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…life. Safety is of course, the most important thing. That said, we want to help loved ones focus on helping to heal the underlying pain. Healing Conversations It’s hard to be compassionate if you don’t yet understand the person’s struggle to manage their emotions. Yet, it is possible — and healing — to circle back to an initial reaction that may have temporarily made things worse (e.g., “Are you crazy? What did you DO?”). Parents and loved ones ca…
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