Tag Archives: psychology

The “Patel Pause”: building capacity for trust after trauma

A brief, simple protocol of granting and withdrawing consent can help restore patient trust after medical or other trauma. An increased sense of safety and agency in your practice will help traumatized patients return instead of postponing care. The Patel … Continue reading

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Alienated from shadows, butterflies, and waving ferns

  This feels strange. I’m still not used to living with so many windows. My nervous system is not yet familiar enough with the world outside them to be fully comfortable. For instance, I frequently turn expecting a threat at … Continue reading

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Psychology’s pathologizing terms, evidence of a shame-based paradigm

Psychology’s pathologizing terms hint at the underlying toxic paradigm, which says the therapist is the Great Healer and the client/patient is the Broken Thing That Needs Fixing. Some of the worst pathologizing and shaming terms: “Disorder” presumes there’s something wrong … Continue reading

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I asked for help and they gave me hell

Five years ago today I walked into a satellite office of the mega-hospital here in Upper Delaware and asked for help with severe Developmental Trauma from extreme Adverse Childhood Experiences. The embedded psychologist must have thought I said I wanted … Continue reading

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The importance of safe environments

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment that encourages connection. That’s our human birthright, what we’re designed for, and what we need in order to reach our potential. Too many kids experience a lack of safety and … Continue reading

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Psychology is a domination system

The mainstream / domination psychology system pathologizes normal human responses to abnormal experiences. It also presses us to fit its definition of humanity and valid human experience. Not to mention, it completely denies oue neurobiology. For instance, it uses the … Continue reading

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Public Safety Meeting Presentation: “The Intersection of Public Safety and Mental Health”

Last night, for the first time in many years, I spoke in public. This was at a local public safety meeting coordinated by my State Representative, Larry Lambert, a fine human being. Also present were representatives of our local first … Continue reading

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Cuckoo’s Nest, Day 4

“I told Dr. Silman the suicidal ideations were completely gone. She tried to convince me that the relief from suicidal ideations was not from being off the drug, but from ‘being in a supportive environment.’ I bit my tongue because … Continue reading

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America’s “standard treatment” for childhood trauma: more abuse and neglect

If you had “good enough” parents you were blessed with a fairly regulated nervous system, integrated brain, and secure attachment style. These contribute greatly to a sense of well-being from which health arises and a good life can unfold. If  … Continue reading

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WARNING: Cognative Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can harm!

WARNING: If you have Developmental Trauma, PTSD, or Complex PTSD, or even chronic stress, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) may be contraindicated because it does not work when access to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is limited, as it is with those … Continue reading

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