I like to highlight the seemingly small shifts which can be transformational and are significant signs of progress, whether that is experiencing a sense of increased safety when leaving the house, or the ability to engage in breathing practices without feeling anxious. All of these moments can lead to longterm progress.
I've found that bringing some of my key personality traits such as lightness and humor into my sessions, when appropriate, has helped to facilitate growth and healing in many of clients, especially for those who have experienced complex trauma.
The incorporation of the body in mental health treatment, in particular for clients who have experienced trauma, has been a necessary and exciting evolution in this field. As a psychotherapist that values and honors the body's responses to trauma and stress, the openness to body based modalities has been transformational.
There’s been a long history of debating the connection between creativity and mental illness. Research shows mixed results but ultimately, anyone can experience mental health issues in relation to professional burnout or work-related stress.
Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry, anxiety, and/or fear.
Many medical professionals have extremely difficult jobs. When the result of one’s work is a matter of life or death, stress is typical. Medical professionals’ mental health is oftentimes impacted by experiencing vicarious trauma, working long hours, feeling underpaid or unappreciated, and believing that the well-being of others is more important than their own. This may lead toward distress, compromised performance, resentment, poor mental and/or physical health, and burnout.
PTSD is a condition that is precipitated by a perceived terrifying event. This event need not occur directly to the person but may happen vicariously—having seen something terrible happen to another person. The condition may last months or years while symptoms include ruminating thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, intense anxiety when triggered, and potential substance abuse in attempt to cope.
Trauma is the result of experiencing a perceived, extremely distressful event. Although the stress threshold for each person differs, meaning that each person considers and experiences trauma differently, it is an event that tops one’s threshold. It exceeds one’s ability to cope or emotionally process. Symptoms may include shock, anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, feeling disconnected, mood swings, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.