Writings On Individual Therapy
by Jonathan Bartlett
This is Goodbye: Ending Therapy with Intention and Meaning
As therapy concludes, both therapists and the people they serve struggle with some of the same feelings prompted by other losses. We are faced, perhaps for the first time, with an opportunity to construct a mutual and intentional ending to a caring relationship. When you say goodbye to your therapist, parts of you stay behind, rooted in a relationship unlike any other. What meaning will you find in therapeutic closure?
Rediscovering Sadness: finding depth in sorrow
As men we come to recognize that we have been hardwired and programmed for action. It may not appear like a choice to bypass our deeper emotional responses when bad things happen. We just do. Lets be clear at the outset: It is no act of cowardice or ignorance to curtail our sad emotions.
Ideally though, we can still find the way to a place and time where the tears can flow. Read More...
Finding Integrity of Self—Alone and with Others
Human beings yearn for connection from the moment they are born, but there is no greater window into the true self than solitude. Read More...
How Do I Choose the Right Therapist For Me?
Sometimes choosing a therapist is more about a gut feeling than thorough research about therapy methods. Still there's no harm in learning more to help clarify your search. Read More....
Adjusting to Uncertain Times: Shame, Dread, and Doubt
It was getting dark and the trail was obviously leading nowhere. After shimmying over one more felled redwood tree obstructing my way, I found my precious trail had now evaporated into nothing more than a few trampled patches of earth. Three miles in and my shortcut was at a dead end. What a twisted blessing to be on my own this evening. Instead of blaming a partner or defending my right to be wrong, I cut straight to the facts: I was lost. Read More...
Rewiring Your Brain: When Genomes Meet Connectomes
Imagine yourself housed in a box. Although you did not choose this box (it is a gift to you from others), the environment of this box has become so familiar and deeply personal that it becomes difficult at times to tell the difference between yourself and the box you are in.
Reworking Moments of Love and Suffering
Consider the following brief moment in time:
Mother sets child to rest and turns her attention away.
Child reaches to reestablish touch but mother misses the cue.
Child whimpers softly and redirects gaze elsewhere.