Jose and Tina were at it again. She saw Jose looking at his phone and turning his back to her. Tina thought the worst, “He is texting other women, he is planning to leave me.” As soon as he put his phone back on the charger and walked away, Tina
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 1, 2019
Healthy human bodies produce all sorts of physical symptoms that might be uncomfortable, unexpected, and unwanted. With health anxiety there is a misinterpretation of discomfort and normal bodily sensations as dangerous. This typically leads to excessive checking behaviors that are uncontrollable, physically draining, and significantly impacts our quality of life.
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 1, 2019
Anger is an instinctual emotional response from a real or imagined threat. Anger is painful and we need to get relief. We almost always feel something else first before we get angry: afraid, hopeless, hurt, disrespected, disappointed, or guilty. We use anger to protect/cover up these other vulnerable feelings. We
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 1, 2019
Mindfulness is a state of awareness. It is cultivated by systematically focusing attention on bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, or the surrounding environment. Mindfulness can help you detach from emotional pain (e.g., anxiety, anger, sadness, self-harm). It is basically a way to distract yourself by focusing on something other than the
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger February 15, 2019
We all have a running inner dialogue of thoughts. Sometime this inner self talk is pessimistic, critical or blaming. By attending to your inner self talk, you will notice critical thoughts intruding, and that’s ok. The aim of a mindful activity is to continually bring your attention back to the
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger February 15, 2019
Mike and Joan were fighting about the mess in the kitchen. Mike perceived his wife’s criticisms as if they were attacks and he was defending himself against her. Joan felt threatened and was protecting herself against his defenses. She was feeling unappreciated and unloved. They were both repeating the behavior
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger February 15, 2019
Think of the last time you felt caught up in a distressing emotion. Your body may have felt tense, your mind may have been dwelling on the past or anticipating problems in the future and there is an intensity or urgency in the moment . Many have developed unhealthy strategies
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger February 15, 2019
I’m proud to announce that the Anger Management Workbook has now sold over 10,000 copies on Amazon. Are you ready to take control of your anger? The Anger Management Workbook for Men goes beyond why men get angry and helps you get to the root of your anger by including: Invaluable information
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger January 22, 2019
Some of my clients will say to me: “Why do I always end up drinking more than I wanted? I just don’t know.” “I wish I could change how I talk to my partner. We always seem to end up fighting. I just don’t know what to do.” “I can’t
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger January 16, 2019
Humans are learning machines. From the day we are born and even before, our brains capture and encode our experiences. The mind is a web of connections with over a hundred billion cells that are crammed into three pounds of the most complex tissue in the universe. Our behavior can
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger January 16, 2019