By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

Sometimes the women I coach come to me as a last ditch effort in attempt to create a happy life. Many times they say, “I’ve tried everything and nothing worked, or at least nothing worked permanently.” Many of them have lost the weight, but gained it back. They attracted who seemed to be Mr. or Ms. Right, but the relationship went sour. They made the money but blew it. They had or have “it all”, but they still feel unhappy. (more…)

By: Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

We either know a drama queen, we are a drama queen, or goodness forbid, perhaps both! Some people run from high drama to high drama. They never really live the real drama of life: deep love, true passion and deep peace. They seem to get high from the intensity and frantic nature of “cheap drama”. Why do we/they do it? (more…)

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

“A little more matriarchy is what the world needs, and I know it. Period. Paragraph.”
~Dorothy Thompson

Before last year’s New Year, many people asked me what my New Year’s resolutions might be. I’ve always liked the idea of starting anew and consciously developing aspects of one’s life in order to live more fully. However, much of the well intended query made me uncomfortable. As soon as I told my friends what I wanted to create, they immediately started in with, “How are you going to make it happen” and “What steps are you going to commit to in doing this”. As I coach, I know as well as anyone that if you want to create something that has eluded you, you do want some kind of action plan. But, the intent of their questions, which felt more like a police interrogation, had a somewhat desperate, intense and frankly unappealing energy about it. (more…)

By Debra L. Kaplan, MA, LAC, LISAC

Not too long ago, a client who I was treating for prescription drug abuse, looked at me and said, “It’s my desperate need to silence my feelings that drives me to want to use.”  She went on to describe what it felt like to live in her skin.  “It’s as if the people in my life are at the controls of this rollercoaster called my life and I’m trapped and I can’t get off.  I like or hate the ride based on how I feel about them at that moment; in my mind you’re either with me or against me. But I can’t fire them from the controls!” (more…)

By Kent Toussaint, MA MFT

Click here to contact Kent and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

Finally, it was the last straw. Both you and your spouse decided to call it quits. Just get through the divorce and there will be no more fights, no more arguments and no more misunderstandings… except about your kids!

Those arguments don’t seem to go away. More than likely, they get even worse. You fight about how to discipline the kids, who gets them for visits, what schools they will attend and it goes on and on. Those fights start to overflow into every aspect of your life. The dream of being rid of that despicable person that you had married gets farther and farther away. (more…)

By Jennifer B Baxt

What is ablutophobia? With so many different phobias out there, it will come as little surprise that there is a phobia that refers to people who are afraid to bathe, or wash. It might seem strange, but ablutophobia is a real phobia that people do suffer from. Symptoms that can occur in people suffering this type of phobia are not too unlike those suffered from individuals who suffer from other types of phobias. Common symptoms include breathlessness, anxiety, nervousness, and dizziness. There are others that people can exhibit, but these ones are the more probable ones for this phobia. (more…)

By Dr. Rita Bigel-Casher

Listening is hard work. Countless thoughts interrupt our focus, distracting us and blocking our understanding of one another. All too often, we are more interested in expressing our thoughts, than in hearing someone else’s. Obstacles to good communication magically melt away when we learn how to truly listen to another person. Effective listening requires that you: (more…)

By: Victor V. Wiesner, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, CCMHC

Click here to contact Victor and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile

In Texas, LPCs must currently complete 48 graduate semester hours of coursework. This might change in five years or less. To be implemented in 2013, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) is recommending that community counseling training programs increase the requirement for community counseling training programs from 48 hours to 60. Half of states now require 60 semester hours of training for licensure. If the CACREP changes go as expected, graduate programs in Texas will need to boost their degree requirements to become or maintain CACREP status. It is conceivable that there might someday be a gap between CACREP requirements and the Texas board. If this happens schools and students may have some tough decisions to make. (more…)

By Eduardo Sierra

When I first met Matthew, I immediately liked his presence as an elder and so I wanted to interview him. We met at Waking Down in Mutuality retreats. What began to flower was a friendship of the highest order, “spiritual brothers.” Our conversations were deep, stimulating and enriching for both of us, shared insights and observations flowed. Reminds me of: (more…)

By Jeanine Austin, Ph.D.

I saw a commercial today that made me laugh aloud. A man was beginning his day while a chorus of exuberant, if not completely over-the-top dancers, sang his day’s praises. The man walked outside, admired his beautiful home and smiled happily at his steaming coffee. Suddenly, a giant tree branch fell on his car and completely crushed it. (more…)