Anthropology, the study of human roots, emphasizes that gift-giving is a near universal human characteristic, appearing among the vast majority of human cultures world-wide. What is it that makes gift-giving so important, so special?
Individual therapy is certainly an exploration of the validity, importance and plain reality of everyday, ordinary, individual life. Situations that we find ourselves in, that seem mundane and ordinary are often archetypal. In the conflicts, transitions, losses and gains of our lives, we share in…
Doing individual therapy with many through their life journey often makes me wonder why society doesn't have a proper graduation ceremony for people passing into midlife. This might seem like a wonky idea -- so let me make it even wonkier! Shouldn't our society have…
Individual therapy can potentially be one of the most important undertakings in an individual's life; so, how can a person find good therapy? Here are 4 good ways to tell whether individual therapy will offer what you really need.
Self-help books are unbelievably popular, but they don’t meet many of the needs that individual therapy can meet. It’s not that self-help books aren’t good or useful. But there are some key, bedrock things that we need in our lives that we can get from…
What isn't as well appreciated is that, often, those same old patterns that keep women from their individuation can keep men from individuation, just as effectively. These stereotypes even contaminate certain types of individual therapy.
Male individuation is the uniquely individual path that underlies individual therapy for men. Often, discussions about "therapy for men" lapse into really regrettable stereotypes that would be completely unacceptable in discussions about therapy for women. Is there a way beyond this?
This post is based on the following quotation from C.G. Jung: What then, is a "feeling toned complex"? It is the image of a certain psychic situation which is strongly accentuated emotionally, and is, moreover, incompatible with the habitual attitude of consciousness. This image has…
In “Individual therapy, Individuation & Masks, 2“, I dealt with the “overly thick” persona or social mask — but can the mask also be overly thin? A number of my readers have pointed out in responses to that earlier post that it most certainly can — and that’s an individuation issue! Not…
I'm not suggesting that antidepressants are not necessary sometimes. But they are often not sufficient. Often people need to get in contact with their depths, and to experience acceptance and understanding.