When clients have a low threshold for tolerating difficult emotions, their lives can become extremely limited. Instead of working through the challenges that can lead to new opportunities, they may choose to stay with the relative “safety” of what they know – even if it’s dysfunctional. So in the video below, Bonnie Goldstein, PhD, walks […]
Questions That Can Help Your Clients Talk About Shame
Talking about shame can be a deeply uncomfortable experience . . . . . . and clients may go to great lengths to avoid discussing or admitting to feelings of shame. But as we know, shame that stays hidden will continue to grow more powerful, often bringing on even more shame. So in the video […]
Treating Trauma: How to Work with the Shame of Moral Injury
When a client experiences a moral injury, the guilt, sadness, and shame that come with it can be debilitating. It can create a deep wound at the center of a person’s identity. So how can you help a client who’s suffering from a moral injury begin to heal? In the video below, Ruth Lanius, MD, […]
A Mistake Practitioners Might Make When Their Patient Is Stuck in the “Attach/Cry-for-Help” Response
We know fight, flight, and freeze . . . . . . but recently the experts have identified several more defense responses to trauma, including “attach/cry-for-help.” This response is potentially the least understood, and it can be challenging to work with. And according to Kathy Steele, MN, CS, there’s a common mistake that practitioners make […]
A Simple Strategy for Dissociative Clients Who Lose Time
When a client dissociates in session, there are many grounding techniques we can use to bring them back to the present. But what can help clients when they dissociate outside of your office – particularly when they report losing chunks of time? Below, Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD shares a simple yet effective strategy that helps […]