Personal Growth Topics
Natural Anger
WHAT ANGER IS Anger is a natural emotion or feeling. We feel anger whenever we are BLOCKED from getting something we want. It is good for us because it protects us from threat, it reminds us that we have power to overcome obstacles, and it gives us a measure of how...
Natural Sadness
WHAT SADNESS IS Sadness is a natural emotion or feeling. We feel sadness whenever we LOSE something that we previously enjoyed. It is good for us both because it offers RELIEF from the pain of the loss and because it gives us a MEASURE of the importance of what...
Natural Scare
WHAT SCARE IS Scare is a natural emotion or feeling. We feel scare when our very existence is threatened (or we think it is). It is good for us because it immediately mobilizes all our energy to deal with the threat. HOW IT WORKS Whenever we experience a threat, all...
Peace On Earth
This is a holiday present for you and for those who love you. If it’s not an declared holiday as your read this, declare one for yourself and read it anyway! PEACE ON EARTH We hear the phrase “Peace On Earth” often during the holidays. We probably...
Perfectionism
BRAGGING OR COMPLAINING Have you noticed that someone who says they have a problem with perfectionism usually says it with a sheepish smile on their face? Have you also noticed that their smile is a strangely complicated one which includes both pride and shame? The...
Personal Freedom
In the United States we constantly brag about how free we are… “The Land of the Free” and all that. But therapists know that many people, maybe even most people, are enslaved. Some of us are slaves to other people, especially spouses and employers. Others...
Powerful Ideas #1
A good therapist provides many “permissions.” A permission is a statement which helps you feel “allowed” to do well. The statements below are some of the many permissions I’ve sent your way in these topics. If you are looking for some...
Problem Solving #1: Roadblocks
PROBLEM SOLVING #1 All personal and interpersonal problems CAN be solved. When they aren’t solved, it’s often due to these roadblocks. MAYBE YOU DON’T WANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM One common roadblock happens when people think they want to solve a...
Problem Solving #2: Defining the Problem
All personal and interpersonal problems can be solved. When we don’t solve a problem, it’s often because we haven’t identified it clearly. ARGUMENTS ABOUT “EVERYTHING” Some people disagree for hours (or days!) without even knowing what...
Problem Solving #3: The Six Aspects Of A Problem (Part 1)
PROBLEM SOLVING SERIES: #3 All personal and interpersonal problems can be solved. We’ve looked at the roadblocks (#1) and how to identify a problem (#2). Now, in #3 and #4, we’ll learn about the six aspects of all problems. This topic focuses on the...
Problem Solving #4: The Six Aspects Of Any Problem (Part 2)
PROBLEM SOLVING SERIES – #4 All personal and interpersonal problems CAN be solved. We’ve looked at the roadblocks (#1) and how to identify a problem (#2). Now, in #3 and #4, we’ll learn about the six aspects of all problems. This topic focuses on my...
Problems With Anger
PROBLEMS WITH NATURAL ANGER If we work and live around other people, we get angry about twenty times every day. And yet many people would swear they seldom get angry at all. We tend to be so afraid of our anger that, as a culture, we pretend it isn’t there....
Problems With Sadness
PROBLEMS WITH NATURAL SADNESS Unfortunately, when we are confronted with a huge amount of sadness we are likely to fear that it will last forever. No matter how deeply you believe that it will last forever, it won’t! You need to trust that this is true. Ideally,...
Problems With Scare
PROBLEMS WITH NATURAL SCARE Natural scare only occurs when we are face to face with a real threat to our existence (a high speed auto coming toward us, threats with a weapon, etc.). Almost No Problems At All: Natural fear causes almost no psychological problems at all...
Quitting Addictions
MY KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST I’m not an expert on addictions but I do know a lot about how people change. And overcoming addiction is one of the biggest changes anyone can make. So here are the beliefs and methods I find most helpful for people who are licking...
Relationships
SEX OR CUDDLING? Which is most important, sex or cuddling? If that’s the choice, it’s cuddling. But really it is touch – in all its forms – that makes or breaks relationships. WANTING A NEW PARTNER In order to find a new partner you must first...
Self Help Quiz #2
These questions illustrate major points I’ve emphasized in various topics. Some of these major points were surprising when you first read them, so, if you’ve forgotten what the topics said, you may get surprised again when check your answers! Sometimes...
Self Love
Almost all emotional problems indicate a lack of self-love. (Only a few very rare problems which are caused entirely by physical disease can be excluded.) DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF? I’m going to be giving you a lot of examples of how self-love works. Remember as you...
Self-help Quiz #1
This quiz is based on ideas emphasized in other topics. Some questions are harder than they appear at first glance. Sometimes more than one answer is technically correct, but one answer is always best. The best answers are listed at the bottom. Click on the topic the...
Sexual Abuse In Childhood
ABOUT THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES This is the first of a series of articles on the general topic of childhood sexual abuse. Our focus will be on adults who were sexually abused as children and who did not receive adequate parental or professional care afterwards. This...
