Mike (a client of mine, not his real name) comes into my office. I can see he’s not doing well. I ask him what I ask everyone when I see him. “How’ve you been?” He barely makes eye contact. Something is obviously bothering him. “No”, I say, “how ARE YOU doing?” He gets emotional as… Read More »
The benefit of being “inauthentic”
You’ve probably heard this before. Fake it till you make it. But what does it mean? Should I pretend to like doing something that I don’t really like for the sake of doing it? How long do I have to fake it? Will I ever not have to fake it? Does this make me “unauthentic”?… Read More »
Why Don’t Men Talk About Their Depression?
We know men experience depression. We know that it’s one of the most common mental health issues men experience. According to research data from the American Psychological Association, around 30% of men have experienced at least one significant episode of depression in their lives. I would argue that number is even higher given that many… Read More »
Feelings. What’s the point?
Therapeutically speaking, nothing hits home like the question “So what’s the point of talking about our emotions?” Obviously, they’re uncomfortable. They cause us to feel some level of pain and can be tied to wounding, past memories, or even trauma. But this question is at the heart of any self growth process. Why would we… Read More »
Calm is contagious
The Navy Seals have a mantra that “calm is contagious”. Just the same that fear and anger are contagious. The vast majority of us are not Navy Seals, and for good reason. The training these service members have to go through and the sacrifices they endure push them to their mental and physical limits in… Read More »