Psychotherapy can be very helpful—and, in some cases, essential—for success, self-fulfillment, and future happiness. But it can also be a waste of time and money if you don’t have a good therapist. Regretfully, a majority of psychotherapists practice superficial methods that … [Read more...] about How to Recognize Good Psychotherapy
resistance
Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
Were we born to suffer? William Wordsworth seemed to think so when he wrote: “Suffering is permanent, obscure and dark. And shares the nature of infinity.” Indeed, ignorance in centuries past doomed many people to perpetual suffering. Much physical suffering has been … [Read more...] about Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
The Futile Dialogue in Our Head
Our mind is often the stage for the acting out of a recurring dialogue between two conflicting parts of our psyche. In people with mental disorders, one of these voices—inner aggression—can take over or “possess” the consciousness of these individuals and command them to commit … [Read more...] about The Futile Dialogue in Our Head
Why We Dither on Climate Change
I’ve been trying for some time to fathom the psychology of educated and supposedly sophisticated people who, in paralysis and resistance, are unwilling to respond rationally to the perils of global warming. We need to look deeply into the heart of this issue. Why haven’t … [Read more...] about Why We Dither on Climate Change
Mark Twain’s Mysterious Misery-Machine
We all like to think we’re motivated by self-interest, self-protection, and self-love. Consciously, we are. Unconsciously, though, we operate a misery-machine inside us that churns up self-defeat, self-damage, and self-rejection. A reference to a misery-machine is made by … [Read more...] about Mark Twain’s Mysterious Misery-Machine