People frequently play painful games with one another—and they don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Psychological insight can help avoid such clueless behavior. One such game involves the readiness to devalue another person—and then to identify with what that person is likely … [Read more...] about A Painful Game People Play (Part I)
Depth Psychology
Prisoners of Guilt
Do guilt trips lock you up in an emotional prison? What do you need to know to deflect or neutralize guilt trips? Let’s look at Tom’s encounter with guilt. He was concerned this past Christmas about picking out presents that his nieces and nephews would need or like. So he … [Read more...] about Prisoners of Guilt
Neurosis Unbound
One of the obstacles to human progress is the widespread extent of neurosis. It’s important that we clearly see the nature of this psychological impairment—this common virus of the psyche—in order to overcome it. Amid the world’s turmoil, we need signposts for orientation and … [Read more...] about Neurosis Unbound
The Lingering Pain of Old Shame
We have all experienced, like a punch to the gut, old feelings of shame for things that happened long ago. Of course, everyone has committed past blunders or acts of negligence, cowardice, or foolishness. A lot of people hold on to these memories, and they continue to be … [Read more...] about The Lingering Pain of Old Shame
Emerging from Shyness
Shyness is a remarkably common affliction. Experts believe the incidence of shyness in the United States is close to 50 percent—and rising. Most shy individuals are not experiencing the problem at the acute level in which it becomes a social anxiety disorder. Yet even “gentle … [Read more...] about Emerging from Shyness