Editor's Note
September/October 2015
Over the course of their careers, most psychotherapists discover that to be genuinely helpful they must learn to do something more than simply wield a set of highly specialized professional skills. But what exactly is this “something” that’s both the bedrock of therapy and the energy that propels it forward?
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Facing Our Dark Side
Some Forms of Self-Compassion Are Harder than Others
September/October 2015
Achieving a genuine state of self-compassion is a more challenging undertaking than many realize. Far from a little feel-better incantation you offer yourself when stressed, it’s a journey into multiple parts of yourself that may include the good, the bad, the ugly, the confused, the frightened, and the abandoned.
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Inside the Heart of Healing
When Moment-to-Moment Awareness Isn't Enough
September/October 2015
As the mindfulness movement sweeps through our field, many therapists are discovering that traditional contemplative practices grounded in detached self-observation have limits. When we’re overwhelmed with intense and disturbing emotions, just observing moment-to-moment experience is often not enough.
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The 5 Myths of Self-Compassion
What Keeps Us from Being Kinder to Ourselves?
September/October 2015
There’s now a growing body of research demonstrating that relating to ourselves in a kind, friendly manner is essential for emotional wellbeing. More pointedly, research proves false many of the common myths about self-compassion that keep us trapped in the prison of relentless self-criticism.
Moments of Meaning
Unexpected Lessons from Practice
September/October 2015
Three clinicians share stories of challenging cases that show how the most surprising outcomes often have nothing to do with therapeutic brilliance or technical wizardry.
Clinician's Digest
The Emotional Emancipation Movement
September/October 2015
After the unrest in Ferguson and Baltimore, the Emotional Emancipation movement offers a different way to address racial issues in the African American community.
In Consultation
Don’t Hit Your Sister! Understanding the complexities of moral development
September/October 2015
How to help the concerned parents of aggressive kids understand the complexities of moral development.
Case Study
It’s Not about the Diet: Building a healthy relationship with food
September/October 2015
Too often both clinicians and clients fall into the trap of pursuing weight loss as a therapeutic goal.
Point of View
Smart Growth: Developing a mindset for life
September/October 2015
A conversation with motivation expert Carol Dweck on the importance of the “growth mindset” and how to enhance people’s ability to tackle adversity and persevere.
Bookmarks
Life after Trauma: What are the possibilities for post-traumatic growth?
September/October 2015
Review of Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth
The new emphasis on the transformative power of trauma can be a template for false assumptions about the “gift” of suffering and the meaning of recovery.
Family Matters
A Palm under the Moon: A grandpa’s love story
September/October 2015
A young child’s bedroom is a place for magic and enchantment.
