Whether you are talking to a friend, dealing with family, or buying something in a store, feedback is important. If someone has done something nice for you, feedback is a positive reinforcement. If your expectations have been disappointed, sharing your feelings can help the other person do better in the future. Even as a psychologist, it is important to have feedback. I tell all of my new clients that if they are comfortable with me, we will set goals for therapy together. But if they are … [Read more...]
Stuck in My Anxiety
June 28, 2021 By
Many people are still struggling with the anxiety that began for them with the onset of the COVICD 19 pandemic. Even though the pandemic is under much better control, masks are no longer required everywhere, and people are returning to work in person, for some folks their anxiety is lingering like an unwanted guest. Like a COVID-induced PTSD. Like a cloak of worry that won’t go away. It is hard to get back in the swing of commuting, sitting in an office, and being around a lot of people? It … [Read more...]
Breaking Through the Pandemic Blues
April 23, 2021 By
So you handled the past year pretty well. You were able to work virtually, you talked to your friends online, and you found satisfaction in things like baking, reading, and listening to virtual concerts. You even felt that you had turned a corner as the weather began to improve, and then – WHAM! – you suddenly didn’t care if you got things done. You slept more than you should, and let the bills go unpaid. You stopped returning phone calls from friends, and couldn’t concentrate enough to read a … [Read more...]
Delayed Grief
April 19, 2021 By
Recently I read an article in the New York Times by Nicole Johnson called” My Mother Died When I was 7. I’m Grieving 37 Years Later (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/well/family/delayed-grief.html ) it took me back to an experience I had many years ago. I was engaged to get married and was observing the death of my father by lighting a memorial candle. Suddenly, I was overcome with sadness and tears and felt overwhelmed with the thought that my father would never know my wonderful … [Read more...]
COPING WITH THE “WHAT IF” OF ANXIOUS THINKING (Part 2)
March 11, 2021 By
In the previous blog (https://dralisonblock.com/coping-with-the-what-if-of-anxious-thinking-part-1/), I talked about the value of Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) often used for OCD. But could E/RP be used for other diagnoses where people struggle with “what if” thinking, such as social anxiety, panic disorder, separation anxiety, and others? Some authors think that it can be a help. If life is uncertain and if our "what-if" thinking is due to that uncertainty, then it would be … [Read more...]