Explore Alternatives | Evidence Based Psychotherapy in Seattle

A review of the psychological literature reveals that only a very small percentage of psychotherapy services in the United States are tightly linked to existing scientific knowledge. It is a really quite strange if you think of it. Would anyone want undergo medical surgery that was not based on a current scientific understanding of…

Psychological Suffering is Not Just About Pain

Clearly, suffering is a basic fact of life for humans. Yet suffering is not just about pain — psychological — or otherwise. It’s much more than that. Humans don’t just experience pain; they agonize over their painful memories, uncomfortable emotions, difficult self-evaluations. They worry and obsess about them, they dread them, they engage in all…

The Problem With Language | Acceptance Commitment Therapy

Not too long ago, perhaps a couple hundred thousand years, an obscure primate species called “human” learned a new trick. We learned to relate events arbitrarily–we learned to have one thing stand for another. We acquired symbolic thought. We’ve been bossed around ever since… The comedian Emo Philips has a saying that captures the situation…

Chaotic Family Environments Increase Depression and Aggression in Children

Children who are raised in a loving and supportive environment are more likely to behave in a loving and supportive way as adults. In the same way, children raised in a negative or hostile environment are more likely to experience similar environments as adults. Syeda Shamama-tus-Sabah tested whether or not the same principles apply to…

Turning Self Doubt Into Confidence

Not many things can halt forward movement in life like self doubt. Self doubt can rob a person of their enthusiasm by summoning fears that can dismiss all work and preparation towards a goal as not good enough to ever realize it. By then halting forward momentum, those fears are realized. In order to keep…

6 Lies Your Depression Wants You to Believe (And How to Not Fall Into the Trap)

Psychiatrist Kavetha Sundaramoorthy believes that if a person is aware that the things they tell themselves while depressed are not true, it is easier for that person to ignore those lies and replace them with a helpful truth. In that spirit, this article is dedicated to debunking several lies that may seem convincing when depressed….

Depression, Desire, Addiction: Is Meditation the Answer to Changing Your Brain?

There is no freedom in a life that is out of control. Peace may be discovered by mindful awareness practices and self-awareness that increase self-control. Brain research suggests that people can change the way they think and respond to life. According to neuropsychiatrist Daniel Amen, M.D., “You’re not stuck with the brain you’re born with….

Why Waiting to Change Your Life Can Be Dangerous

This is a cautionary article about becoming too complacent with our lives as we make plans for what we want to do in the future without putting those plans into effect. There are many reasons this tends to happen: fear, embarrassment, self-doubt. But the idea that this article’s writer, as well as many others, unfortunately…

Motor and Cognitive Difficulties Found in Suicide Attempters

Depression carries symptoms of both cognitive impairment and executive dysfunction. This means that people who are depressed often have a hard time thinking clearly, making decisions, and even remembering things. Elevated dysfunction increases the risk of suicidal behavior. This has been known for a while, but it wasn’t until recently that studies began to compare…

Why it is Good For You to Feel Negative Emotions

According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, the best thing to do when confronted with strong negative emotions, such as being let down by a friend or partner, or having an argument with a child, is to stay with the pain. We expend more energy trying to avoid pain than we would just facing those feelings. In…