Search Results for: lisa firestone/feed/2009/11/fear-of-intimacy

Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence with Dr. Daniel Siegel

…tivate kind intention can literally help grow a healthier brain and reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in life. This webinar provides practical instruction for mastering and teaching clients how to apply the Wheel of Awareness, a life-changing tool for cultivating more focus, presence, and peace in one’s day-to-day life. Whether you have no experience with a reflective practice or are an experienced practitioner, Aware: The Science and Practice of P…

Learn More

One Tool We Need After a Tragedy

…phe. It is designed to help people cope with the stress, shock, confusion, fear, feelings of hopelessness, grief, anger, guilt, and withdrawal that arise. Perhaps the most important element of PFA is being a caring presence for a person impacted by a traumatic event. The principle actions of PFA are to help establish a sense of safety, security, and connection, restorative resources, foster adaptive short and long-term coping, and enhance natural…

Learn More

Changing Your Sense of Identity

…Therapy is a method developed by my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, to help people identify and act against their “critical inner voice,” a negative internal dialogue that criticizes and undermines us and others in ways that hurt and limit us in our lives. The steps of Voice Therapy help us to identify the destructive things we’re telling ourselves. Some of these are right at the surface. “You’re so stupid, fat, ugly, lazy, annoy…

Learn More

Parenting to Grow Self-awareness and Self-management

…ectively. These actions don’t exist in a vacuum devoid of interactions and feedback from how things feel in their bodies. Instead, they are the product of an intricate process informed by many aspects of being. However, once the “basics” are in place, attention to these hidden variables fades as priorities shift. Children’s lives then become carefully curated by their devoted and committed parents with the ideal future they have in mind. Education…

Learn More

Gut Health Linked to Bipolar Disorder?

…myself about how I shouldn’t let myself refrain from enjoyment because of fear of gaining weight, how satisfying my craving will be proving to myself that I am body positive, and how I should prioritize my mental health. I call it “happiness calories.” Activating pleasure centers in the brain is an important part of maintaining well being, and this chocolate cake will do just the trick. However, new research seems to invalidate my logic. Science…

Learn More

PTSD: Why Does It Happen? How Survivors Can Heal

…act at a sound like a balloon popping. They may dread making a mistake for fear something terrible will happen, even if part of them knows it isn’t rational. It is as if the body’s self-defense system cannot be turned off. During the “fight, flight or freeze” survival response, the “senses become hypersensitive to better smell, hear, see and taste the danger… in preparation for further assessment and response,” explains sensorimotor psychotherapis…

Learn More

Which is Worst for Your Mental Health: Instagram, Facebook or YouTube?

…pp negatively impacts body image and sleep, increases bullying and “FOMO” (fear of missing out), and leads to greater feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The positive effects of Instagram include self-expression, self-identity, community building, and emotional support.   Facebook was found to have similar negative effects to Instagram in the categories of bullying, FOMO, body image, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Facebook also…

Learn More

You Don’t Really Want to Get Better

…low them to develop and overcome their psychological maladies. Most people fear a basic change in their identity, be it positive or negative. From an early age, children form a powerful bond with their parents whom they are dependent upon for their ultimate survival over a prolonged period of time. Every child needs protection, love, and affection from adults who ideally possess both the desire and ability to provide satisfaction of the child’s ba…

Learn More

Separation Theory

…essive separation predisposes a state of anxiety and unrest. The resultant fear is compensated for by forming a fantasy or illusion of connection, which I term the fantasy bond. The fantasy process soothes the anxiety and pain, but generally predisposes maladaptation as well. In order to maintain the fantasy bond, children tend to idealize their mother or primary caretaker at their own expense. In denying her faults, children come to believe that…

Learn More
when to let a friend go

How You Know When To Let a Friend Go

…o the point where I was scared to be in a group setting with my friend for fear that she would bring up something embarrassing from the past, which became pretty normal. A healthy friendship consists of two people who build each other’s confidence by speaking of their amazing attributes, rather than breaking one another down by public humiliation. Judgment, blame, and a lack of trust are three of the most prominent characteristics of an unhealthy…

Learn More