Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an approach to psychotherapy that recognizes each individual is comprised of subpersonalities, working together to drive your thoughts and behaviors.  In a perfect world all of these inner parts are working together efficiently to create a healthy balance.  However, when a trauma is experienced, resulting in pain and struggle for...Read More

Betrayal can have a tremendous, and lasting, impact on a person.  In this situation an individual’s trust has been violated by a person or institution that is important in their life.  While this type of betrayal trauma can be caused by anyone, in childhood this is most often caused by a parental figure or caregiver. ...Read More

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt, forming new connections and pathways to change how its circuits are wired.  The term neuroplasticity describes a change in neural activity and behavioral response.  It is often used as an umbrella term referring to brain change and adaptation that takes place over time.  This can be a...Read More

Whippets, kratom, delta8 and 9 and other synthetic substances that can give a quick high are easily accessible at smoke shops and gas stations.  The ease of finding these items can lead users to think that using them must be safe.  However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  What are Synthetic Substances and What...Read More

A social atom is comprised of the most important and significant people in our lives at a given point in time.  These people can include family members, friends, colleagues, and noteworthy acquaintances.  This is often shown through concentric circles representing how close each person is within your social network.  Therapists can use this information as...Read More

Assessing Risk with Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide Thomas Joiner, author of ‘Why People Die By Suicide’, is well-known for his Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide.  This model has been a great tool at assessing risk for those considering suicide.  The theory behind Joiner’s model is that those who kill themselves must not only have...Read More

Richard Bartle, a professor and game researcher in the multi-player online game industry, has broken down player motivation into four categories in the Bartle Test of Psychology.  These include achievers, explorers, socializers and killers.  The theory is that most video gamers fall into one of these categories.  Through careful player research using Bartle’s model, you...Read More

An intimacy disorder is when you are constantly struggling to establish a healthy bond with your partner, with past trauma often getting in the way.  Those struggling with intimacy disorders often have a fear of getting too close emotionally or physically to another person.  This fear can make it difficult, if not impossible, to move...Read More

In this blog post, we discuss identifying different communication styles. Your communication style can say a lot about who you are and how you connect to other people.  While no two people communicate exactly alike, there are four main categories of communication styles.  These include passive communication, aggressive communication, passive aggressive communication, and assertive communication. ...Read More

There are many strong and overwhelming feelings that go along with addiction recovery.  Intense feelings of grief and loss over lost time, damaged relationships, and missed opportunities during active addiction are a normal part of the healing and recovery process.  While these feelings of grief are different from what we often think of when we...Read More