Another article about authentic self

Several famous psychologists have written about the existence of an 'authentic self'.  Notably, Carl Rogers used this term as marker for when one has achieved psychological health.  Donald Winnicott also spoke of the 'true self/false self' dilemma.  He believed that 'true self' actually produces a feeling for people-- a sense of rightness, or 'this is me'.  Something about this notion has always attracted me, both as a person and as a psychologist.  Many of my overachieving clients seem to be struggling with being themselves, in a world replete with social norms and customs that can feel impossible to meet.  In Denmark, the pressure for a couple (straight, gay or otherwise) to have a baby in their thirties, complete with a monster-pram, is something that I have noticed taking a toll on many people in my practice.  I'm sure you can think of many unspoken rules and norms in society that also pressure people to be someone other than their authentic self.

I ran across the following article that looks at modern day pressures young people face.  Enjoy.
False Self Syndrome

Predicting suicidality using technology

For a long time, researchers knocked Freud's idea of the unconscious because it could not be 'proven'.  However, today, technology makes it possibly for us to quantifiably measure response time to certain associations as a way to determine biases about which a person might not be 100 percent conscious.  A test has been created to examine just this phenomenon.  It's called the Implicit Associations Test and it was developed at Harvard.   Click here to take it and get a better understanding of how it works.

Scientists have developed similar measures to determine if one is suicidal.  Frequently, suicidal people won't admit to being suicidal and thus this kind of measure is very important.  I ran across this article today and thought I would share it, here.  Some of you know that I am an huge techno geek, and applications such as the one described in this article are one way in which technological innovation can be used with psychiatric patients.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/can-technology-help-predict-will-attempt-suicide/

The presence of dogs in the therapy office

Esther

A couple of years ago, we purchased a beagle mix from a nearby kennel.  After reading a lot of information about therapy dogs, I decided to see what kinds of programs were available in English, in Denmark.  I was unable to find anything so I read up about the mere presence of animals in the therapy session.  Not surprisingly, there is a wealth of data about the calming effects of animals.  With the goal of bringing 'Esther' to work, I began training her.  I also took here everywhere-- trains, busses, and my classroom where I teach.   My goal was to get her acclimated to many different sounds, sights, and types of people.  Today, at 2-years old, she is a surprisingly calm dog, and I have ventured into bringing her into the therapy office.  My clients have, for the most part, been appreciative.

Feel free to say how you would feel if there was a dog in your therapy!

Here is a link from someone who researcher this exact issue.  Enjoy!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/what-if-your-therapist-had-dog-in-the-office

For those suffering from anxiety...

Most people have suffered from stress and anxiety, at some point in their lives.  I ran across this article today and decided to share it.

http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/health/anxiety-facts-symptoms