Author: William Bishop, LPC, LMFT, AAMFT Approved Supervisor
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Systemics in Psychotherapy
Systems therapists are interested in helping a family, couple, community, school system, country etc. to function with dynamics and structures which best support the well being and potential of the pieces which make up the system. Systems theory taken to a radical (and dichotomous) position would state that problems do not exist within individuals; instead,…
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Democratically Denying Education – the internal flaw of democracy
Democracy needs education to function properly; without an informed electorate it would be unclear as to what any given person’s vote was based on… this turns voting into a game of chance where we the people are choosing one person or policy based on either no information, false information, or fallacious information. Yet the freedoms…
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Scientism
Scientism is essentially the result of dogmatism for the scientific method, which leads to gross overgeneralization about the importance or ability of the scientific method. Most speakers on the subject relay their concern of the impact that scientism has had on the field of human psychology and spirituality.
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The thoughts, emotions, and behaviors triangle
The Diagram below can be used to understand the interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Additionally the diagram gives an easy to understand explanation of the many different means of offering a psychotherapy intervention. I use this Diagram to offer a visual depiction of all the different options which are available to help the client…
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Respecting Elders in a Society of Rugged Individualism
My intention is to stir up a conversation as to a possible answer to why there seems to be a decreasing degree of ‘respecting your elders’ in the United Stated and other individual focused cultures (as opposed to collectivist cultures).
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Hope affects outcome… why?
If I were to tell you that hope affected outcome most of you would have no difficulty accepting this statement as truth. What we might all have a bit of difficulty agreeing on is why… why does hope affect outcome? I asked this question to a very intelligent person the other day and that person…
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The difference between good intentions and good actions = understanding, humility, and empathy
There are many saying about how many “evil actions” have been the result of good intentions. So how are we to know if our actions are good? Are there actions which are indisputably wrong and indisputably right? Instead of going into a heady philosophical investigation as to why good and bad are infinitely one, inseparable,…
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Face your Suffering on your way towards Freedom and Balance | The Effects of Resistance
There is a widely held belief (especially by males) that it is a person’s duty in life to “just get over it” … which in my experience entails using a great deal of energy to deny and repress what is.
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Adlerian psychotherapy – an overview
In this post I will be giving an overview of Adlerian psychotherapy, which was one of the first theories in the field.
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What is a systemic approach in psychotherapy? Family systems theory intervention
The major difference between Family therapy and individual therapy is something called systems theory… therapist using such an approach are said to look at problems and solution systemically. In viewing a problem systemically a therapist will look at all the factors which bear some relation to the reported symptoms… ‘Factors’ could be family members, friends,…
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Dialectics – open your mind and balance will occur naturally
Quick summary: There are many different definitions of what “dialectic” means and most are relatively related while others are a bit different (the Hindu and the Buddhist dialectics are more similar than the Socratic dialectic). I intend to talk about Dialects as a subject which helps us to experience the idea that all things are…
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What are 'triggers' – automatic responces
Quick answer – a trigger is anything in the environment (person, place, thing, thought etc) that causes a predictable reaction in a person. Very often people are unaware of their triggers… they might be fully aware of the reaction… but they are not always aware of why they seemingly reacted automatically and without intention. Triggers…
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Overcoming feelings of Shame | Shame avoided will stay quite the same…
Guilt is mixture of melancholic anxiety that steps from a remorse held for an action engaged in… shame is a deeper depression accompanied by a degree of restless self-hatred which arrives when we cannot accept and forgive our self – when we essentially feel uncomfortable with who we are as opposed to feeling unrest for…
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy simplified
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that emotions affect behaviors and thoughts, thoughts affect emotions and behaviors, and behaviors affect emotions and thoughts. To resolve a problem, CBT therapists generally try and promote a change in behavior and thinking patterns with the goals of increasing positive emotions.
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Relationship Help | “My partner says that I don’t listen” | how to meet the emotional needs of your partner
I am going to talk to you about what you should be paying attention to and what you should not be paying attention to while trying to become a better listener in your relationship.
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The Sex vs. Emotional Intimacy debate | how to make both partners feel loved in a relationship
Whether a person feels loved by receiving sex or by receiving emotional availability the simple truth is that these are simply activities that require very little time and effort if done with consistency, open-mindedness, humility, unconditional love, and complete undivided attention to your partner in the moment of engagement.
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Authenticity and Stress | you are healthiest when you are your real self | “don’t plant corn in the sand”
You are the you that you are supposed to be… allow yourself to have the humility to let yourself be as you truly are.