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by guest blogger Shawn T. Smith Psy.D. , author of The User's Guide to the Human Mind
In my experience as a psychologist, I've noticed that our biggest obstacles are often the thoughts and feelings inside our own heads. I'm not referring to the figurative old trope about self-confidence. What I mean is that we treat thoughts and feelings almost as if they were physical objects. They can seem to coalesce into a wall that stands between us and happiness.
I meet people every day who feel they must eliminate sadness before they can do things that bring joy, or eradicate anger before they can behave graciously, or even that they should prevent optimism in order to avoid disappointment.
It's natural to think that way because that's how we handle obstructions in the real world. We clear trees before building a house, and fix flat tires before driving. But that strategy fails when we apply it to thoughts and feelings. They are not objects that we can manipulate. Even if we could throw them away, the mind would just give us more.
by guest blogger Ronald Alexander, Ph.D., author of Wise Mind, Open Mind
Most of us were taught that creativity comes from the thoughts and emotions of the mind. However, the greatest singers, dancers, painters, writers and filmmakers recognize that the most original, and even transformative, ideas actually come from the core of our being, which is accessed through an "open-mind consciousness."
In ancient traditions, open-mind consciousness was considered to be a spiritual awakening, the great enlightenment that dissolves the darkness of confusion and fear and ushers in peace, happiness, clarity and contentment. Today the notion that there's one formulaic way to achieve this spiritual awakening and creative vibrancy has been blown apart. You don't have to run off to a monastery or practice meditation for 30 years before attaining a breakthrough.
by blogger Lara Honos-Webb, Ph.D., author of The Gift of ADHD.
excerpt from Yoga for Pain Relief
Reflect on different parts of your body with gratitude and appreciation. Practice:
A full practice will take five to ten minutes, but you can practice the essence of this reflection anytime by simply reminding yourself of one reason you are grateful to your body.
excerpt from Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice by Robert W. Firestone, Ph.D., Lisa Firestone, Ph.D., and Joyce Catlett, M.A.
How is it that we can be so turned against ourselves? Where did this enemy within come from? How did we end up with this critical inner voice? The answers lie in the past when, as children we were trying to cope with our lives in the best way possible.
The nature and degree of this division within ourselves depends on the parenting we received and the early environment we experienced. Parents, like all of us, have mixed feelings toward themselves; they have things they like about themselves and they have self-critical thoughts and feelings. The same negative feelings that parents have toward themselves are unfortunately often directed toward their children as well. Therefore, parents have both loving feelings toward their children as well as critical thoughts and negative feelings toward them. Mothers and fathers who feel that they are bad find it difficult to believe that something good could come from them. In addition, children, just by their presence, tend to stir up in their parents the feelings they had when they were children. If a parent has unresolved feelings from their trauma or loss in his or her past, these feelings will impact his or her reactions to his or her children.
excerpt from Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice
All of us divided ourselves and have a basic conflict in relation to our goals and aspirations in life. On one hand, we have feelings of warm self-regard, and we have traits and behaviors that we like or feel comfortable with in ourselves. We have natural tendencies to grow and develop and to pursue our personal and vocational goals, as well as desires to be close in our relationships and to search for meaning in life. In this book, these tendencies are referred to as the real you or your real self, because they are made up of friendly, compassionate view of yourself.
New Harbinger Publications
Susan Albers, PsyD
Ronald Alexander, Ph.D.
Lisa Firestone, Ph.D.
Susan Pease Gadoua, LCSW
Elisha Goldstein, PhD
Randi Gunther, PhD
Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
Steven C. Hayes, PhD
Lara Honos-Webb, PhD
Susan Kuchinskas
Karen Leland
Tammy Nelson, PhD
Sheryl Paul
Suzanne Phillips, PsyD
Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D.
Stephanie Silberman, PhD
Pavel Somov, PhD
Cassandra Vieten, Ph.D.
Susan Albers, PsyD "Comfort Cravings"
Ronald Alexander, PhD "The Wise Mind Open Mind"
Susan Bauer-Wu "Living Fully & Letting Go"
Stanley H. Block, MD "Come To Your Senses"
Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC "Teen Angst"
Elliot D. Cohen PhD "What Would Aristotle Do?"
Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH "Real Healing"
Troy DuFrene "Fumbling for Change"
Russ Federman, PhD, ABPP "Bipolar You"
Lisa Firestone, PhD "Compassion Matters"
Robert Firestone, PhD "The Human Experience"
John P. Forsyth, PhD "Peace of Mind"
Paul Gilbert, PhD "Practice Compassion"
Barton Goldsmith, PhD "Emotional Fitness"
Ken Goss, DClinPsy "Practice Compassion"
Randi Gunther, PhD "Rediscovering Love"
Rick Hanson, PhD "Your Wise Brain"
Russ Harris, MD "The Happiness Trap"
Steven C. Hayes, PhD "Get Out of Your Mind"
Lynne Henderson, PhD "Practice Compassion"
Lara Honos-Webb, PhD "The Gift of ADHD"
Jonathan Kaplan, PhD "Urban Mindfulness"
Melissa Kirk "Test Case"
Bill Knaus, EdD "Science and Sensibility"
Randi Kreger "Stop Walking on Eggshells"
Marilyn Krieger, PhD "The White Knight Syndrome"
Mary Lamia, PhD "The White Knight Syndrome"
Karen Leland "The Perfect Blend"
Barbara Markway, PhD "Shyness Is Nice"
Kelly McGonigal, PhD "The Science of Willpower"
Susan Pease Gadoua, LCSW "Contemplating Divorce"
Stephanie Sarkis, PhD "Here, There, and Everywhere"
Jefferson Singer, PhD "Life Scripts"
Shawn Smith "Ironshrink"
Olga Trujillo, JD "The Sum of My Parts"
Cassandra Vieten, PhD "Mindful Motherhood"
Ruth C. White, PhD "Culture in Mind"
Psych Central
Elisha Goldstein, PhD "Mindfulness & Psychotherapy"
Christy Matta, MA "Dialectical Behavior Therapy Understood"
Suzanne Phillips, PsyD, ABPP "Healing Together for Couples"
Pavel Somov, PhD "360º of Mindful Living"
Web MD
Judith London, PhD
Sharecare
Annemarie Colbin, PhD
Margaret Floyd, NTP
Raychelle Lohmann, MS, LPC
Blake Taylor
Sheri Van Dijk
Ruth White, PhD