Some of our most difficult work is with clients who have suffered a traumatic experience . . . . . . especially when they’re trapped in a cycle of self-blame, beating themselves up for what they perceive to be wrong thoughts, wrong decisions, and wrong relationships. But according to Deborah Lee, DClinPsy, there are three […]
Two Compassion-Based Ways to Help Your Client Overcome Shame
Without a doubt, the compassion we offer our clients is often a key part of their healing. But how do we help our clients build compassion toward themselves . . . . . especially when they feel frozen and unable to act, cut off from themselves and those they care about? When their ability to […]
Applying the 3 Circles Model of Emotion to Help Clients Heal Shame [Infographic]
According to Paul Gilbert, PhD, we have three types of emotion regulation systems – we’ve got the Threat System, the Drive System, and the Soothing System. Now when a client is stuck in a painful cycle of self-criticism and shame, it’s often because these three systems are out of balance. You see, many clients spend […]
One Key Insight That Can Help Clients Undo Years of Blame and Shame
As practitioners, we’re well-acquainted with the fight, flight, freeze response – that automatic response that evolved to protect us from external threats or danger. But what happens when the threat is internal? When the threat is painful emotions or distress? Our response can still be automatic, and for many clients it can often be to […]
How Anger Affects Your Brain and Body [Infographic – Part 3]
Anger is an important and sometimes necessary emotion. But all too often, anger can quickly escalate and become destructive once it’s been triggered. Uncontrollable anger can often create problems in relationships both at home and in the workplace. But beyond that, it can have devastating physical consequences. So just how and where does anger impact […]