self-understanding

I see you. I hear you. It is so: The powerful tool of acknowledgment in achieving self actualization

Have you ever worked hard to complete a task, and your efforts seemed to go unnoticed? Have you ever been the one who was guilty of not being cognizant? As the receiver, it can feel incredibly frustrating and dehumanizing not to enjoy the privilege of receiving acknowledgment. According to Abraham Maslow (1943), our psychological health… Read more »

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Three Ways to Beat Your Insecurity

For many of us, not a day goes by where we aren’t affected by insecurity. In my last blog, I wrote about two primary sources of insecurity. Here, I will talk about an approach to challenging our negative self-concept by seeking inner security, bolstering self-compassion, and countering the “critical inner voice” that resides in all of us. Developing Inner… Read more »

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Are You Feeling Insecure?

One of the biggest afflictions I see people struggle with is insecurity. This is in large part why I’ve dedicated much of my life to studying the self-critical thoughts or “critical inner voices” people experience. It’s probably no surprise to you that in decades of research, one of the most common self-attacks I’ve seen people… Read more »

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Box, checked!: Why performative allyship isn’t sustainable

“Hey, would you mind getting off the line so the VP can speak freely…He likes to speak without being censored.” These were the words from a White colleague to my Black friend, on a conference call last week. Instead of dealing with the organizational backlash for the racially insensitive comments he knew would ensue from… Read more »

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Experts at Home: Dr. Kristin Neff on Self-Compassion

In this Experts at Home conversation, Dr. Lisa Firestone talks with researcher Dr. Kristin Neff about the importance of practicing Self-Compassion, especially during challenging times such as this global pandemic. Watch Now: Subscribe to PsychAlive (it’s free!) to see more Experts at Home.  

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Experts at Home – Dr. Les Greenberg on the Power of Understanding Our Emotions

In this Experts at Home conversation, Dr. Les Greenberg and Dr. Lisa Firestone talk about the value of understanding our emotions, especially during challenging times. Watch Now: Subscribe to PsychAlive (it’s free!) to see more Experts at Home.  

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UNmuted: The Necessary Discomfort in Acknowledging America’s Racial Pandemic

When Africans arrived in the New World, they weren’t allowed to read or write. Transmitting information orally was the only way that the slaves were able to retain their culture from generation to generation. Today, that oral tradition is reflected in storytelling, rap music, and spoken word performance. This type of expression is normatively accepted… Read more »

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Experts at Home: Dr. Donna Rockwell on the Benefits of Mindfulness in Challenging Times

  In our second Experts at Home conversation, Dr. Lisa Firestone talks with mindfulness expert Dr. Donna Rockwell. They discuss the many benefits of mindfulness during this challenging time, including how mindfulness can help reduce anxiety and expand our ability to “sit with the unknown” and face this moment. Watch Now: Subscribe to PsychAlive (it’s free!)… Read more »

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Finding Purpose in a World “On Hold”

It’s 10 pm on a Saturday night, and I’m curled in bed wearing the same sweatshirt I’ve had on the entire day, drinking tea, watching my fourth consecutive episode of The Sopranos. It’s a scene quite different from the typical Saturday nights my friends and I partake in as college seniors, but it’s become my… Read more »

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Paying Attention to Your Mental Health

These trying times are hard on us psychologically! With the focus on the very real threat of the Coronavirus to our physical health, it is easy to overlook the impact that this pandemic is having on our mental health. The virus and our necessary response to it are creating two of the emotional conditions that… Read more »

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