by guest blogger Pavel Somov, PhD, author of Eating the Moment

Emotional eating is misunderstood and often unnecessarily demonized. However, emotional eating -- that is, eating to feel good, often termed "compulsive eating" -- isn't the problem. It's emotional overeating and mindless emotional eating that can be both psychologically and physically unhealthy. Emotional eating works as a coping strategy and stress reliever if approached with mindfulness and moderation.

excerpt from When Love Stumbles by Randi Gunther Ph.D.

For most of us, those feelings of being deeply known and unconditionally treasured first occurred when we were small children. Protected from the more conditional demands of the outside world, we could express our needs and feel entitled to their fulfillment. As an adult newly in love, we are likely to activate those childhood desires, sharing the words, phrases, and feelings that we remember from that time.

by Suzanne Phillips, Psy.D., ABPP, co-author of Healing Together

The news of Bin Laden’s death has erupted on national and international levels in a mix of feelings. Attached to the thrill of justice served and military courage recognized are shadows of fear and the pain of catastrophic loss.

For survivors and the thousands who lost so many loved ones on 9/11 this is not only long awaited news, it is a déjà vu of that September day.

Once again there are ongoing calls of condolence and remembrances, non-stop media reports, and the visceral pain of losing a Dad, a child, a partner, a firefighter, a friend, a community, and the illusion of safety.

What Does this Mean for Emotional Healing?

excerpt from Splitting by Bill Eddy LCSW, JD, and Randi Kreger

Regardless of where you are right now in the separation and divorce process, we recommend an assertive approach (in contrast to an aggressive or passive approach) in dealing with the potential splitting that may already have begun. …An assertive approach involves actively learning about personality problems, cultivating energy for dealing with such problems, documenting events (what happened and what was said), and actively presenting your information to legal professionals, the court, or both.

It’s perfectly understandable and normal to feel like responding aggressively when someone acts aggressively toward you. You might try to eliminate your partner from your life and from your children’s lives, or trash her the way she trashed you, but this common mistake backfires in court. Legal professionals may view you as the splitter and an equal party (or the primary party!) engaged in misbehavior. Even if that isn’t true, you don’t want to give your partner any ammunition to use against you in out of court. An aggressive approach by you can increase your partner’s unwanted behavior. Resist the urge to act aggressively, and mentally prepare yourself; in the long run you will be very glad you did.

Quick Tip for Therapists by Bill Knaus EdD , author of The Procrastination Workbook.

Part two of a three-part series on client procrastination

If your client dodges making meaningful changes, this could be connected to a habit of procrastinating. Indeed, you can anticipate that practically every client you see will sometimes procrastinate on following through on dealing with the problem(s) they came to you to help them resolve.

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.

excerpt from Bipolar 101 by Ruth C. White, PhD, MPH, MSW and John D. Preston, PsyD, ABPP

Stress has such an impact on our minds, bodies, and spirits that it exacerbates mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder. Stress is a significant trigger for episodes of bipolar disorder. Obviously, people who don’t have bipolar disorder get irritable, impatient, and short-tempered when faced with chronic stress, but for people with bipolar disorder, uncontrolled stress can lead to dangerous manic or depressive symptoms. The degree of stress we have in response to environmental stressors is partly genetic but can be controlled when we learn behaviors that minimize its impact on our psyches, relationships, and bodies.

Coping with stress has to do with our response to our environments. Having bipolar disorder can be very stressful and creates anxiety that reinforces symptoms. But with psychotherapy and medications that reduce anxiety, those of us who have bipolar disorder can learn how to live in the present moment without worrying as much what might happen if we have an episode. When in the midst of an episode, we may feel anxious that it might result in a hospitalization. Though we may feel we have no control over whether or not that happens, learning to cope with our stress in a healthier way helps us focus more effectively on managing our symptoms, which reduces the likelihood of being hospitalized or having a severe episode.

by guest blogger Bill Knaus, Ed.D., author of The Procrastination Workbook

Rat race can mean a fierce competition by people who plan to get ahead at any cost. The negative influence of this workplace politic group far exceeds their numbers. Open their Pandora's Box and you find betrayals, manipulations, deceptions, and exploitations. If you count yourself among those who would rather get body slammed than politically whipsawed, how do you protect yourself?

Take charge of yourself and you can help yourself avoid many political frays. Follow 10 guidelines to boost your confident composure as you solidify your position in an organization. Use a three-phase radical shift technique to avoid procrastinating and add to your effectiveness.

Marcia Cannon, Ph.D., MFT, discussed her book, The Gift of Anger, and information about dealing with anger.

Quick Tip for Therapists by Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, author of Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, The Bipolar Workbook for Teens, and The DBT Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder.

Sometimes a few minutes of venting can be helpful, providing emotional release and catharsis. But mostly, venting only increases emotions about the situation and isn't productive. So, what do you do when that's all the client wants to do in session?