Unfairness arises in situations of powerlessness, disrespect and a lack of reciprocity in your most intimate relationships. Often in relationships you want something or someone to change, but you cannot make it happen, which fuels your desire to defend against this feeling of impotence. Sometimes you cannot even get your
Read More
Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger May 31, 2019
Anger is a message from the body. It’s the body’s response to something it perceives as threatening. You may not even be consciously aware of the threat, but your body alerts you to the danger it perceives, and it does this so you can step in and take urgent action
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger April 30, 2019
4 ways Trump’s presidency has evoked a sense of powerlessness: 1) Marginalization – when an individual or group minimizes or disavows the legitimacy, rights or privileges of others who are believed to be somehow different from the mainstream. 2) Internalizing external reality- themes of loss related to reduced importance, influence,
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger April 30, 2019
Once when I was watching the news, I saw a story about a man in southern California whose house had been destroyed by a mudslide. He was crying, and he told a reporter that he wanted the federal government to step in and help. Down the street, the reporter found
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger April 30, 2019
Try looking at anger in terms of the following 5 reasons for angry behaviors: 1 Seeking revenge. You feel hurt, so you want to get even and make things fair. 2 Preventing disaster. You feel helpless, so you want to take control. 3 Pushing others away. You feel discouraged, so
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger April 30, 2019
Guest blogger Aimee Daramus asked to share her post to promote awareness of suicide prevention resources. In the wake of the recent suicide of Sydney Aiello, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stone Douglas High School, another student of the school, so far unnamed in the press, has killed himself in
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 25, 2019
How often do you find yourself wondering if you may have simply misunderstood the context or meaning of a text message? Most people are pretty adept at transmitting factual information – names, dates, numbers – to one another. But how about your feelings, wishes, understanding, concerns and decisions? That’s when
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 21, 2019
To sustain an intimate relationship, we must be able to communicate with one another. Our communication needs to go beyond the events of the day to truthful, heartfelt conversation that explores feelings and issues within and affecting the relationship. Much of what passes for communication in daily life is far
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019
Healthy communication about a difficult subject doesn’t have to end in agreement. In fact, one benefit of regular conversation with someone who doesn’t agree with you is the discovery that your disagreement can actually be stimulating to both of you. But open-mindedness is essential. Each of you must be willing to
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019
When you take someone’s anger-provoking behavior personally, you feel offended and disrespected. Your reaction to your uncomfortable feelings is either to defend yourself or to submit passively to what the other person seems to think of you. Either way, you view the other person’s behavior as a literal, serious, personal
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019