I Ain’t Got no Satisfaction

What is the correlation between satisfaction and expectations? Often we create expectations that are impossible to meet and then feel dissatisfied when these expectations aren’t met. Sometimes the expectation we create in our mind is so exaggerated that reality can never quite meet the same level of intensity that our mind has created. Other times, we lower our expectations and then enjoy the surprise when the event exceeds what we thought it would be. However, some feel that altering your expectations is the equivalent of settling. Others fool themselves and pretend to be satisfied when they truly aren’t.

What are the expectations you set for yourself verses those you set for others? Why is it that we are willing to give other’s the benefit of the doubt, yet when it comes to ourselves, we immediately judge?

What does being satisfied mean to you? Is it possible that being “good enough” is enough?

The Importance of Self-Care

What does self-care mean to you? How hard to you push yourself before you take a break? No matter what your profession may be, it’s very important to take some time to take care of yourself and recharge your batteries. This includes being more compassionate to oneself and not being overly critical. New research indicates that people don’t take the time for self-care in our society for fear of becoming self-indulgent. An article in the New York Times, quotes Dr. Kristin  Neff, an associate professor of human development at the University of Texas at Austin who states, that people “believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.”

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/go-easy-on-yourself-a-new-wave-of-research-urges/ 

What motivates you to change?

For more information on Los Angeles Family Therapy

http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/index.html 

Reunions: Who Were You in High School?

How far have we really come from who we were in high school? No matter what we achieve in life, it can still be very hard to get away from the people we were in our youth. For many of us, the emotions and insecurities that we thought we had left behind follow us. These feelings can resurface when we are faced with high school reunions or family reunions. Some people have an overwhelming desire to prove something or to show how far they have come. Others just feel an anxiety over the prospect of having their lives judged by the people they once knew. People who had traumatic experiences in their youth may even become re-traumatized on revisiting those emotions.

Instead of pretending we are not affected by these emotions, there can be value in acknowledging them and facing our fears. By examining the roots of these emotions, we can gain the insight needed to embrace the people we once were instead of trying to compensate for who we were not.

For more information on Los Angeles Family Therapy please visit http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/

What Does Your Personality Say About You?

In today’s competitive work environment, many businesses and some schools now require their candidates to take personality assessments and/ or career assessments as a part of their interviewing process. These results can help or harm a candidate’s chance of getting the job however they may never know what came between them and their dream job. Knowing what you get and how you score it might even help in choosing an appropriate career fit.

Some examples of their tests include but are not limited to Kolby Career Inventory, Myers-Briggs Test, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory also commonly known as the MMPI.

For more articles on personality tests check out

Myers-Briggs and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Tests Are Used in Family Therapy - WSJ.com

For more information on where to take personality tests and/or career assessments contact Los Angeles Family Therapy by visiting  http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/

Music for your Mood

Music can be such a major part of our lives. It can grab our attention, affect our moods, trigger memories, and be a companion to us for many of our daily activities. I was recently introduced to a website called Stereo Mood. This website gives you playlists for a variety of moods and emotional states. It got me thinking of the power of music. But these days, with our increasingly busy lives, how we listen to music has changed. When was the last time you sat down and really listened to your music and not just had it on in the background while doing something else? Take the time for yourself to stop, put on your favorite song or album, and listen! It might even be good for your mood.

http://www.stereomood.com/

Check out http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/ for more information on Los Angeles Family Therapy!

Four-legged Therapy

Many of us smile or laugh when we see the adorable Youtube videos of animals doing funny or unusual things. Some of us even cringe when we see the ASPCA commercials on TV, where we see helpless animals paired with sad, melodic music. How is it that these creatures evoke such strong emotions out of us by merely looking at them. It’s interesting to think of the impact their psychical presence they can have on our mental health.

An article by Liz Lipton in the magazine, Psychiatric News, outlines the benefits of using specially trained animals to help their patients overcome mental illness when traditional interventions have failed. Some of the benefits talked about in the article are:

• Depressed patients had increased socialization and decreased depression.

• Children with severe ADHD and conduct disorder had decreased aggressive behavior and improved attention.

• Patients with autism or developmental disabilities had increased socialization and improved attention.

• Patients with Alzheimer’s disease had improved attention and decreased aggression and anger.

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/36/3/17.1.full

Some therapists even encourage their clients to bring in their pets, when clients feel they need extra support or comfort.

For more information on Los Angeles Family Therapy visit 

http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/index.html

Facebook and Twitter and Rumors… Oh My!

While many people still rely on television and radio for their news, today a lot of people seem to get their updates through social media such as Facebook or Twitter on their computers or phones. This can become complicated when the news turns out to be a rumor or a hoax. Recently, a rumor was going around stating that the state of California issued an earthquake warning. While we don’t have the technology or ability to predict earthquakes, this still scared many individuals who did not research the source of the information. The hoax started on Twitter and continued to rapidly spread through text messages. It’s scary to think about our reliance on social media and on how we can be so easily influenced. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-caltech-quake-hoax,0,677478.story. If it’s so difficult for those of us who have not grown up with these social media influences to separate reality from fiction, it’s interesting to think about how difficult this separation is on children now.

For information on Los Angeles Family Therapy visit http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/

Effects of Natural Disasters in the Media and Children

In the aftermath of the horrific earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan in the past couple days, we’ve all seen the media coverage including videos and images in the news and on the internet. It’s important to keep in mind how this coverage affects children. In my experience working with children, often watching traumatic images on TV such as natural disasters can stir up a sense of insecurity or fear. Right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, some of the children I worked had to deal with the fear that the same might happen to them, even though they lived in California, miles from where the devastation hit. It is important to realize that children may deal with such events and process the information differently than most adults do. In some cases when children are having trouble dealing with their emotions therapy can be a useful tool in helping them gain perspective and expressing their fears.

Here are some helpful links with more information on talking to your children

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/news.html#

http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Key-Facts-Children-and-the-News.pdf

http://ptsd.about.com/od/causesanddevelopment/a/EffectofKatrina.htm

For more information on how to find a therapist please visit the Los Angeles Family Therapy website

http://www.losangelesfamilytherapy.com/

Resolving Resolutions

Some of us need a fresh start at the beginning of each year to reset our lives. For some this includes coming up with New Year’s resolutions. Others shudder at the idea of coming up with a resolution and feel it is a set up for failure. Whatever your perspective is on the resolution debate, it doesn’t hurt to take time to look at your life and assess areas to improve, whether this be at the beginning of the year, end or somewhere in between. What does it take to stop and reflect?

About Me

I offer therapy and counseling to individuals, couples and families in an environment where my clients feel respected and safe. In addition, I feel that working with individuals, it is important to take many factors into consideration, not only psychological, but cultural, familial, medical and financial.


Some of my specialties include...
Art Therapy
Play Therapy
Hypnotherapy
School Issues (Elementary, Middle and High School)
Eating Disorders
Anxiety
Depression