..do a lot of threat assessing. Instruct them that when they’re anxious, it means their brain has them thinking and believing they are in danger, when they’re really not; so work toward getting them to acknowledge their overreactions to perceived threats. In this way, they’ll learn to evaluate how significant or insignificant a specific threat really is when they encounter anxious moments.
For all of us – at least from time-to-time – there’s a gap between where we are now, and where we believe we ought to be or want to be. It’s a space between our current reality and our future possibility. Think of this space as vast and expansive as the Pacific Ocean and you’ll be immobilized, stuck in the present situation. Refuse to look at it at all and you’ll be ensconced in the bosom of denial, and just [...]
We act on something in our lives when… the desire for it is so strong that we don’t want to be without it; or the pain for it is so strong that we don’t want to be with it.
In addition to training, writing, doing therapy and conducting consultations, I have a voiceover business. Last week during a practice session, I had read a script for my coach and received this response: “Joe, slow down, this is not a race to get to the last period.” I believe much the same can be said about our ability to communicate instantaneously these days – as it gets faster and faster aided by the latest technological gizmo and twist. Look at [...]
The easiest and sometimes the most convenient thing for us to do is to default to the negative in our lives. I’ve seen people, after being congratulated by dozens of others regarding an accomplishment chastise themselves for omitting something or second-guess the quality of their product, service or performance. There will always be something we should or should not have done. So, focus on the well-earned success that has been validated by reputable others instead of creating failure where it [...]
The pessimist sees what’s happening today, but expects only an eventual drop-off. After all, the glass is already half empty, so it’s bound to develop a crack, with the contents eventually leaking out all over the place. The future is only going to get worse. […]
If you’re trying to lay out a rational, logical argument for a belief of yours or a course of action that you believe is proper, you’d best first consider how well and to what extent such logic will serve you. It’s very tempting to resort to doing this when what someone else has said or done just doesn’t “make sense.” But this makes you a jury of one. We all view the world in at least a slightly different way, [...]
Metaphors provide a pathway to better understand something that would be otherwise difficult to comprehend if explained more straightforwardly. They do this by painting a picture, instilling an image or creating a thought or a feeling that is more identifiable through the use of powerful analogy to clarify a concept and “bring it home.” Professionals of all stripes employ them routinely as part of their lexicon. Metaphors aren’t actually true, so it takes confidence and self-assuredness to use them effectively [...]
I'm not much of a basketball fan, college or professional, and for that matter I rarely peruse the sports section of my local newspaper. But one day last week, I came across an article about Steph Curry, the phenomenal point guard for the Golden State Warriors. After reading it, I decided to tune in to a Warrior game. I watched Curry carefully as he navigated up and down the basketball court. Mostly I noticed his shooting process: Set up quickly [...]
Obtaining an accurate history is absolutely essential to isolating ADHD as a diagnosis because co-occurring disorders are the rule rather than the exception when it comes to assessing mental disorders in youth. Also, every mental disorder on the planet adversely affects attention in some manner. With children, it’s essential to ascertain what sort of difficulties he or she is having in school. Also, ask about certain benign signs that are often indicative of ADHD – such as frequent loss of [...]
