Portland Therapy Blog
Local experts share the latest information and resources on all things mental health.
Thoughts on Shame
Posted: January 16, 2014 by [email protected]
I’ve been thinking a lot about shame lately. One difficult thing about shame is that it compounds on itself, similar to having to pay interest on a loan. And the interest rate is high. If you only make the minimum payment, it will take a long time to pay off and you will end up paying much more than the original cost. Shame says, “You’re not worthy of living a full life,” and it uses an array of scare tactics to keep you prisoner. Shame is like an infection of the psyche that perpetuates itself whenever it gets the chance.
Tags: mood and feelings
Read MoreDeal with Anger Before it Deals with You!
Posted: December 23, 2013 by Keith Jackson
In order to conceptualize the dynamics of anger we must understand the emotion of anger. My contention is that with understanding comes awareness, and the more aware you are the more control you have.
Tags: mood and feelings
Read MoreNature and Mental Health
Posted: December 20, 2013 by Kirk Shepard
While Portland is known for its "green" policies and contentious urban planning, clients may still experience profound stress as childhood memories of landscapes, open fields, and less crowded neighborhoods are destroyed and replaced with modern construction.
Tags: news
Read MoreGrief: How to be there for your partner
Posted: November 26, 2013 by Jeff Guenther
Everyone deals with loss in a different way. Sometimes you go through the classic five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But often we don’t go through all the stages in a linear fashion and sometimes we don’t go through some of the stages at all.
Tags: mood and feelings, relationship and family
Read MoreSummer Seasonal Affective Disorder
Posted: November 06, 2013 by Jeff Guenther
Yeah, it’s a real thing and it affects about 1% of the population. It’s cooler older brother, winter seasonal affective disorder, otherwise knows as SAD, affects about 5% of the population and is much more trendy.
Tags: mood and feelings
Read MoreFeatured Posts
Love Lessons: A Guide to Dating Someone Who is Codependent
Shame, Guilt, Humiliation, and Embarrassment
Why Do People Have Open Relationships?