By Megan Kennedy, LMSW When things in our lives arise that we see as problems, it can be more natural for us to focus on why the problem exists, how it emerged, and what we are doing that’s allowing the problem to remain present. As a counselor, I believe that searching for the cause of people’s problems is not nearly as useful as exploring what has been different when the problems are less severe or non-existent. Counseling from this approach is formally called Solution Focused Brief Therapy or SFBT for short. Developed by American social workers, Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg, this counseling approach is very much strengths- based, future focused and heavily dependent on a collaborative relationship between the counselor and client.
Have you ever felt separated from your body or your surroundings? Lost track of chunks of time and can't explain what happened? Found yourself in an unfamiliar location without knowing how you got there? If so, you may have experienced dissociation, or what I like to call "interrupted awareness." Dissociation is closely related to trauma. I will outline below some key features of this experience and what to do about them.
Today I added added a new page to this site about trauma. In both private practice and non-profit, I've seen how prevalent traumatic events are and the effect they can have on mental health. Read more about what trauma is, what can happen to those that have a traumatic experience, and signs and symptoms to look for that may indicate the need for mental health treatment.
Every day, my inbox is full of amazing information about mental health! So much so, I can't read all of it. I choose the articles that look like they apply to my practice, my clients, and my perspective, and read further. Here are a few good ones to share this week.
Being mindful is a term used frequently in our society today, and the scientific study of mindfulness is relatively new. From self help articles to blog posts to academic literature, there is a wealth of information available and research to show that creating a mindful attitude can help us deal with many of life's challenges. A foundational book on mindfulness is Jon Kabat-Zinn's Full Catastrophe Living.
Tasks. How many do you do in a day? Countless, right? How do you feel about doing them? Perhaps tired and discouraged, feeling that your tasks don't really have a greater purpose? Or maybe you feel energized and encouraged by some of the things you do in a day? The English dictionary definition of a task is "a definite piece of work assigned to, falling to, or expected of a person; a duty."
Chances are you don't have these words below on your to-do list. I know I don't. |
AuthorKambria Kennedy-Dominguez, LPC-S |