Close your eyes and imagine you are walking on a beach. Do you see the waves? Do you hear the roar of the sea? Do you feel the sand under your feet? Many people can conjure up images in their minds, hear sounds or feel the sensation of warmth and wind. But not everyone can … Read more
What is spiritual bypassing? Many people use spirituality to avoid difficult feelings and problems. They meditate to push away anger, take refuge in yoga to avoid confrontations, or try to attract abundance with manifestation techniques instead of addressing their financial problems. This is called spiritual bypassing. Psychotherapist John Welwood noted in the 1980s that spirituality … Read more
What makes you who you are? Why do people differ so much in their behavior, feelings and thoughts? According to Sigmund Freud, personality formation begins in early childhood and proceeds through a series of psychosexual stages. Freud argued that children face inner conflicts and urges at different stages of development. How these conflicts are resolved, … Read more
Xenogender is a gender identity that does not fit within traditional masculine, feminine or non-binary categories. It is often described as a gender associated with concepts, feelings or experiences that fall outside the human understanding of gender. Examples include identities associated with nature, objects, emotions or abstract ideas. Xenogender accommodates people whose gender experience is … Read more
You chose the right counselor, you dealt with your initial issues and now you are in love with your therapist. If this has happened to you, you are not the only one. Many people fall in love with their psychiatrist or psychologist during their treatment. A good therapist will provide a safe haven to reveal … Read more
The history of psychiatry is a fascinating story of progress, setbacks and changes in the way we understand and treat mental health. From the earliest ideas about mental illness to modern treatments, psychiatry has come a long way. In this timeline, we discover the key moments that have shaped the development of the field. Early … Read more
Do dreams have a deeper meaning? Can you discover hidden desires and ambitions by analyzing your dreams? Many people wonder if their nocturnal adventures are more than a random collection of images. Dreams can provide a glimpse into your subconscious and offer insights into emotions and desires you may not notice during the day. From … Read more
When life is unpleasant or upsetting, people often use fantasy as a way to escape reality. Fantasy is one of the defense mechanisms or coping mechanisms the brain can use to escape reality. What is a defense mechanism? When you have difficult emotions or impulses you often look for ways to deal with these unwanted … Read more
Splitting is a defense mechanism in which you view something, someone, or yourself as “all good” or “all bad.” A person who splits sees the world in terms of black or white, all or nothing. It is an inability to integrate positives and negatives into one whole; often you alternately idealize and devalue something or … Read more
What is emotional incest? In emotional incest, a child is used by an adult for emotional gratification. When a parent goes to his or her child for emotional support or treats him or her more like a spouse than a child, psychologists call it emotional incest. The child is forced to support the adult by … Read more
