Schemas

In the field of Psychology, Schemas have been defined in various ways over the years. Aaron Beck, founder of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy used the term schema to define a collection of negative beliefs, and other researchers and authors (i.e. Piaget) have introduced the idea that individuals experience a mix of adaptive and maladaptive schemas whichContinue reading “Schemas”

Communicating Compassionately

All too often, relationships of all kinds can be coloured by disconnection, alienation, and hurt. Loved ones, children, parents, friends, and colleagues can and do fall into negative patterns of communication that cause conflict. A few years ago, I was thankful to discover Non-Violent Communication (NVC) which helped scaffold my understanding of how to thinkContinue reading “Communicating Compassionately”

Human Strengths

At times we can easily become fixated on what is wrong with ourselves and others, and can forget about what is right with us. With some 300 disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the study of Psychology and Psychiatry are not immune to this phenomenon of negativity, tending to focusContinue reading “Human Strengths”

Personal Values

Our personal values (i.e. honesty, fitness, intimacy) and for some of us our faith, spirituality or religion are important sources of strength and meaning. They are powerful motivators which can help us to tolerate uncomfortable experiences and act in a valued way. When acting in a valued way, our lives become meaningful. When acting inContinue reading “Personal Values”

Traps

What are traps anyway? I first learned the term “life trap” when discovering Schema Therapy (Jeffrey Young) which was a user friendly term to describe Schema’s. A schema is a pattern of thought and behaviour (typically learned early in life) that organises information and generally makes processing that information a lot quicker, and often moreContinue reading “Traps”

3 Songs to Express Sadness, Sorrow, and Melancholy

“But feelings can’t be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem” – Anne Frank Some songs touch us so deeply that they evoke strong feelings of sadness, sorrow, and melancholy. At once, one can also sense an eruption of heavenly magic. Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, coined the term ‘peak experience’ to describeContinue reading “3 Songs to Express Sadness, Sorrow, and Melancholy”

5 songs to spark joy, excitement, and reflection

“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!” — J. K. Rowling The five songs featured here embody the structure of a happy and uplifting piece of music. They all have a moderate to fast tempo (>76 BPM) and a major tonality, that is, a happy, joyful feel. SoContinue reading “5 songs to spark joy, excitement, and reflection”