Tag Archives: therapy

Identifying Key Challenges in Everyday Life:

Identifying Key Challenges in Everyday Life:
When we talk about key challenges in life, we’re usually referring to recurring obstacles or difficulties that most people face at some point. These challenges can be personal, relational, professional, or existential. Here’s a clear breakdown:

  1. Personal Growth & Self-Understanding
    Identity & Purpose: Figuring out “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” can feel overwhelming.
    Self-esteem & Confidence: Struggling with self-worth or constantly seeking external validation.
    Habits & Discipline: Breaking bad habits or building productive routines can be a long-term challenge.
  2. Relationships & Social Life
    Family Dynamics: Conflicts with parents, siblings, or partners.
    Romantic Relationships: Trust issues, compatibility struggles, or loss.
    Friendship & Community: Feeling isolated or struggling to connect meaningfully with others.
  3. Health & Well-being
    Physical Health: Maintaining fitness, managing illness, or coping with disabilities.
    Mental Health: Anxiety, depression, stress, or burnout.
    Work-Life Balance: Overcommitment leading to exhaustion.
  4. Career & Financial Stability
    Job Satisfaction: Finding meaningful work or dealing with a difficult work environment.
    Financial Security: Debt, insufficient savings, or unpredictable income.
    Career Growth: Facing obstacles in achieving goals, promotions, or recognition.
  5. Decision-Making & Life Transitions
    Major Choices: Education, relocation, marriage, or career shifts.
    Coping with Change: Adapting to unexpected events, loss, or failures.
    Risk & Uncertainty: Fear of failure or the unknown.
  6. Existential & Spiritual Concerns
    Meaning & Fulfillment: Searching for purpose beyond material success.
    Mortality & Impermanence: Facing fears about death or aging.
    Belief Systems: Struggling with doubts, ethics, or personal values.
    Practical Tip:
    A helpful way to approach these challenges is to identify them early, break them into manageable steps, and seek support - through mentors, therapy, or trusted friends. Life’s challenges are less about “avoiding problems” and more about learning resilience and adaptability.

Here’s a practical Life Challenge Checklist you can use to quickly assess which areas in your life may need attention. You can mark each item as “Low,” “Moderate,” or “High” challenge to see patterns.


Life Challenge Checklist

  1. Personal Growth & Self-Understanding
    ☐ Understanding my purpose and life goals
    ☐ Feeling confident and worthy
    ☐ Managing habits, discipline, and self-control
    ☐ Coping with fear, self-doubt, or procrastination
  2. Relationships & Social Life
    ☐ Quality of family relationships
    ☐ Romantic or partner relationships
    ☐ Friendships and social support
    ☐ Feeling lonely or isolated
  3. Health & Well-being
    ☐ Physical health and fitness
    ☐ Mental health (stress, anxiety, depression)
    ☐ Sleep and energy levels
    ☐ Maintaining work-life balance
  4. Career & Finances
    ☐ Job satisfaction and purpose
    ☐ Career growth and skill development
    ☐ Financial stability and planning
    ☐ Coping with work-related stress
  5. Decision-Making & Life Transitions
    ☐ Managing major life decisions
    ☐ Adapting to change and uncertainty
    ☐ Coping with failures or setbacks
    ☐ Taking calculated risks confidently
  6. Existential & Spiritual Concerns
    ☐ Finding meaning beyond material success
    ☐ Aligning life with personal values
    ☐ Coping with fear of death or impermanence
    ☐ Sense of inner peace and fulfillment

How to Use It
Rate each item as Low / Moderate / High challenge.
Identify the areas where challenges are High - these are priority areas.
Break each high-challenge area into small, actionable steps.
Review every few months to track progress.
Shervan K Shahhian

Understanding and Recognizing Problematic Behavior:

Understanding Identifying the Problematic Behavior:

Identifying the Problematic Behavior:
Mental Health/Psychological/Therapeutic Sense:
Got it. In a psychological or therapeutic sense, identifying problematic behavior involves observing patterns that cause distress, dysfunction, or harm to oneself or others. Here’s a structured approach:

  1. Look for patterns of distress or dysfunction

Does the behavior consistently lead to emotional pain (e.g., anxiety, guilt, shame)?
Does it interfere with daily functioning (work, school, relationships, self-care)?

Examples:
Avoiding responsibilities due to procrastination or fear
Compulsive behaviors like overeating, gambling, or excessive checking

  1. Check for harm or risk

Is the behavior physically, emotionally, or socially harmful to the person or others?
Does it put the person in unsafe situations?

Examples:
Self-harm, substance abuse, or aggression toward others
Lying or stealing that creates significant consequences

  1. Examine rigidity and lack of control

Does the person feel unable to stop or control the behavior despite negative consequences?
Is the behavior inflexible across situations or contexts?

Examples:
Compulsive hand-washing, chronic avoidance of social situations, or persistent anger outbursts

  1. Identify interference with goals or values

Does the behavior conflict with the person’s long-term goals or moral/ethical values?
Does it prevent meaningful relationships or personal growth?

Examples:
Repeatedly prioritizing short-term relief over long-term health
Engaging in destructive coping mechanisms instead of seeking support

  1. Consider cognitive and emotional patterns

Are there distorted thoughts, irrational beliefs, or emotional triggers tied to the behavior?
Is there excessive anxiety, guilt, shame, or anger around the behavior?

Examples:
“If I fail, I’m worthless,” leading to avoidance or perfectionism
Magical thinking, superstition, or intrusive thoughts that drive behavior

Practical Approach in Therapy:
Observation & self-report: Ask the client to track behavior, triggers, and consequences.
Functional analysis: Identify antecedents (triggers), behaviors, and consequences (ABC model).
Pattern recognition: Look for repetitive cycles and their emotional or social impact.
Collaborative discussion: Help the client see connections between behavior and negative outcomes without judgment.

Here’s a practical, concise checklist therapists can use to identify problematic behaviors in clients:


Checklist for Identifying Problematic Behaviors

  1. Distress
    Does the behavior cause emotional pain (anxiety, guilt, shame, sadness)?
    Does the client report frustration or dissatisfaction with this behavior?
  2. Dysfunction
    Does it interfere with daily life (work, school, home, relationships)?
    Does it limit the client’s ability to pursue goals or self-care?
  3. Harm
    Could the behavior cause physical, emotional, or social harm?
    Does it put the client or others at risk (e.g., aggression, self-harm, substance abuse)?
  4. Loss of Control
    Does the client feel unable to stop or regulate the behavior?
    Is the behavior repetitive or compulsive despite negative consequences?
  5. Rigidity / Inflexibility
    Does the behavior persist across different situations or contexts?
    Does the client have difficulty adapting or finding alternatives?
  6. Conflict with Values or Goals
    Does the behavior contradict the client’s personal, moral, or ethical values?
    Does it prevent long-term progress or meaningful relationships?
  7. Cognitive & Emotional Patterns
    Are distorted thoughts, irrational beliefs, or excessive worry linked to the behavior?
    Are there strong emotional triggers that predict or maintain the behavior?
  8. Frequency & Intensity
    How often does the behavior occur?
    How severe is the impact when it occurs?
  9. Client Awareness
    Is the client aware of the behavior and its consequences?
    Are they motivated to change or explore alternatives?

Shervan K Shahhian

Understanding Superstitions and Magical Thinking:

Superstitions and Magical Thinking:

Superstitions and Magical Thinking refer to beliefs or behaviors that involve assuming a cause-and-effect relationship between actions, symbols, or rituals and outcomes, despite lacking scientific or logical evidence.

1. Superstitions

Superstitions are culturally or personally held beliefs that specific actions, objects, or rituals can bring good luck, ward off bad luck, or influence outcomes.

Examples:

  • Carrying a lucky charm (e.g., rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clover).
  • Avoiding walking under ladders.
  • Believing breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.

Psychological Functions:

  • Control in uncertainty: Provides a sense of agency in unpredictable situations (sports, exams, illness).
  • Cultural identity: Reinforces group traditions and shared meaning.
  • Anxiety reduction: Rituals can soothe fears in high-stress environments.

2. Magical Thinking

Magical thinking is the belief that thoughts, words, or actions can directly cause events to happen in the physical world, without a clear causal link.

Examples:

  • Believing that thinking about an accident will make it happen.
  • Performing a ritual to ensure success (e.g., tapping a surface three times for good luck).
  • Associating unrelated events as having hidden connections (e.g., wearing a specific shirt makes a team win).

Developmental & Clinical Contexts:

  • Childhood: Common in early cognitive development (Piaget’s preoperational stage, ages 2–7).
  • Religion & Spirituality: Rituals and prayers can have elements of magical thinking.
  • Mental Health: Excessive or rigid magical thinking can be seen in OCD, psychosis, or certain anxiety disorders.

Differences Between the Two

  • Superstitions are often externalized, learned from culture, and repeated behaviors.
  • Magical thinking is more internalized, often personal beliefs about one’s own mental influence over reality.

Psychological Perspectives

  • Cognitive-behavioral: Views them as cognitive distortions or coping mechanisms.
  • Anthropological: Sees them as adaptive cultural practices that historically reduced uncertainty.
  • Neuroscientific: Links to pattern recognition and the brain’s tendency to find connections, even when none exist.

Therapeutic techniques to address Excessive Magical Thinking:

Here are evidence-based therapeutic techniques commonly used to address excessive magical thinking (especially when it leads to distress, dysfunction, or is part of conditions like OCD, anxiety, or psychosis):

1. Psychoeducation

  • Goal: Help clients understand what magical thinking is and how it operates.
  • Method:
  • Explain the difference between correlation and causation.
  • Normalize occasional magical thinking while highlighting when it becomes problematic.
  • Use examples relevant to the client’s experience (e.g., “Wearing a certain shirt doesn’t actually influence a sports game’s outcome”).

2. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Cognitive Restructuring:
  • Identify irrational beliefs (“If I don’t knock on wood, something bad will happen”).
  • Challenge them with evidence (“What proof do you have that not knocking on wood caused harm before?”).
  • Replace with rational alternatives (“Accidents happen regardless of this ritual”).
  • Behavioral Experiments:
  • Test beliefs in a controlled way (“Let’s see what happens if you skip the ritual once”).
  • Gather real-life evidence to weaken the perceived link between thought/action and outcome.

3. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) (for OCD-like magical thinking)

  • Process:
  • Gradual exposure to feared situations (e.g., not performing a ritual).
  • Preventing the compensatory behavior (not “undoing” the supposed bad luck).
  • Over time, anxiety decreases, and the client learns feared outcomes do not occur.

4. Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)

  • Focus: Changing beliefs about thinking itself (“If I think it, it will happen”).
  • Techniques:
  • Detached mindfulness — viewing thoughts as mental events, not threats.
  • Challenging “thought-action fusion” (the belief that thinking something makes it more likely).

5. Mindfulness-Based Interventions

  • Purpose: Reduce over-identification with thoughts.
  • Practice:
  • Labeling thoughts as “just thoughts” (e.g., “I’m having the thought that…”).
  • Present-moment awareness to reduce compulsive rituals driven by imagined futures.

6. Reality Testing & Socratic Questioning

  • Examples:
  • “Has this ritual ever guaranteed safety before?”
  • “What happened the last time you didn’t do it?”
  • Encourages rational evaluation rather than blind belief.

7. Addressing Underlying Emotional Needs

  • Insight: Magical thinking often arises to manage anxiety, uncertainty, or lack of control.
  • Approach:
  • Teach emotional regulation skills (breathing, grounding techniques).
  • Strengthen tolerance for uncertainty (“I can handle not knowing”).

8. Pharmacological Support

  • CONSULT A PSYCHIATRIST

Shervan K Shahhian

Money and Trauma, the connection:

Money and Trauma:

The connection between money and trauma is complex and deeply psychological. Money often carries emotional, cultural, and symbolic weight beyond its practical function. Trauma can significantly shape how people think about, handle, and relate to money.

Here’s a thorough breakdown:

1. Early Life Experiences

  • Childhood experiences with scarcity, neglect, or instability can create lasting financial anxieties.
  • Examples:
  • Growing up in poverty hyper-vigilance around spending and saving.
  • Witnessing parental financial conflict money may trigger fear, guilt, or shame.
  • These patterns can persist into adulthood, often unconsciously influencing financial behavior.

2. Money as a Trauma Trigger

  • Certain money-related situations can reactivate past trauma:
  • Receiving bills or debt notifications may trigger panic or shame.
  • Discussions about salary, inheritance, or financial decisions can evoke childhood fears or feelings of inadequacy.
  • Trauma survivors may associate money with control, danger, or powerlessness.

3. Financial Coping Mechanisms

Trauma can lead to specific money-related behaviors:

Behavior Possible Trauma Link Hoarding / Over-saving Fear of scarcity or loss from past deprivation Impulsive spending Attempt to self-soothe, regulate emotions, or seek immediate relief financial avoidance Anxiety so intense that one avoids bills, budgeting, or money discussions Debt accumulation / gambling Attempt to regain control or escape feelings of inadequacy

4. Money and Self-Worth

  • Trauma can make financial status tightly linked to identity and self-esteem:
  • “If I have money, I am safe.”
  • “If I lose money, I am a failure.”
  • Chronic trauma may lead to shame or guilt around financial success, even if objectively achieved.

5. Intergenerational Trauma

  • Money habits and attitudes can be transmitted across generations:
  • Families affected by war, migration, or poverty may pass down beliefs like “money is dangerous” or “rich people are bad.”
  • Children internalize these messages, shaping their financial behavior and emotional response.

6. Healing and Integration

Trauma-informed approaches to money can help break cycles:

  • Awareness: Identifying emotional triggers and patterns related to money.
  • Reframing: Redefining money as a tool rather than a source of shame or fear.
  • Mindfulness & Emotion Regulation: Learning to tolerate financial anxiety without reacting impulsively.
  • Therapeutic Support: Trauma-informed therapy, such as EMDR or somatic approaches, can address the root emotional wounds tied to money.

Key Insight:
Money isn’t inherently stressful, but trauma can make it a symbolic battlefield — representing safety, control, identity, and self-worth. Healing the financial relationship often involves addressing the underlying emotional trauma, not just the budget.

Here’s a detailed list of common money-trauma patterns along with practical ways to work through them. I’ll organize it so it’s easy to apply personally or in therapy:

1. Financial Hoarding / Over-Saving

Pattern:

  • Extreme fear of running out of money.
  • Reluctance to spend even on necessary items.
  • Viewing money as the only form of safety.

Trauma Link:

  • Childhood scarcity, poverty, or unpredictable finances.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Budget with Intention: Allocate money for essentials and some “joy spending” to normalize spending.
  • Gradual Exposure: Start with small, intentional expenditures to retrain emotional responses.
  • Therapy: Explore underlying scarcity beliefs and reframe money as a tool, not a survival anchor.

2. Impulsive Spending / Retail Therapy

Pattern:

  • Buying things to cope with anxiety, sadness, or boredom.
  • Accumulation of unnecessary items or debt.

Trauma Link:

  • Early emotional neglect, abandonment, or unmet needs leading to self-soothing behaviors.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Track Triggers: Note emotional states before spending.
  • Alternative Coping: Replace spending with healthier self-soothing (journaling, walking, connecting with supportive friends).
  • Set Boundaries: Use cash-only or spending limits for non-essential purchases.

3. Financial Avoidance

Pattern:

  • Ignoring bills, bank statements, or budget planning.
  • Procrastination and anxiety around money discussions.

Trauma Link:

  • Feeling powerless or unsafe in childhood financial matters.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Structured Approach: Schedule a short, consistent time weekly to review finances.
  • Emotional Check-In: Pair financial tasks with grounding exercises (breathing, mindfulness).
  • Professional Support: Financial counseling combined with trauma-informed therapy can reduce overwhelm.

4. Debt Accumulation / Gambling

Pattern:

  • Repeated borrowing or risky financial behaviors despite negative consequences.
  • Seeking quick fixes for emotional relief or control.

Trauma Link:

  • Early experiences of instability, lack of control, or inconsistent rewards.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Immediate Accountability: Work with a financial coach or trusted partner.
  • Identify Emotional Drivers: Use journaling to uncover feelings driving risky behaviors.
  • Therapy for Impulse Control: CBT, DBT, or trauma-informed therapy to build healthy coping.

5. Money-Linked Self-Worth Issues

Pattern:

  • Self-esteem tied to earning, spending, or saving money.
  • Shame around financial status, whether high or low.

Trauma Link:

  • Family messages linking worth to financial success or failure.
  • Experiences of judgment or criticism around money.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Internal Validation: Practice self-compassion independent of finances.
  • Cognitive Reframing: Challenge “I am my money” thoughts with evidence of intrinsic value.
  • Affirmations & Gratitude: Focus on non-financial achievements and relationships.

6. Intergenerational Money Anxiety

Pattern:

  • Fear or distrust of money inherited from family beliefs (e.g., “rich people are greedy”).
  • Repeating parents’ money mistakes unconsciously.

Trauma Link:

  • Historical family poverty, war, or financial instability.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Awareness: Identify inherited beliefs versus personal values.
  • Create New Patterns: Intentionally practice healthy financial habits.
  • Ritual or Symbolic Acts: Writing letters to ancestors or creating “financial affirmations” can reframe inherited trauma.

7. Avoiding Financial Conversations

Pattern:

  • Fear of discussing money with partners, family, or advisors.
  • Leads to secrecy, conflict, or passive financial patterns.

Trauma Link:

  • Childhood experiences where money talk caused conflict or shame.

Ways to Work Through It:

  • Safe Communication Practice: Start with neutral topics or shared goals.
  • Therapeutic Coaching: Practice assertive financial communication in therapy.
  • Joint Planning: Use tools or systems to make money discussions objective rather than emotional.

Key Insight:
All of these patterns are adaptive responses to past trauma. Healing involves awareness, emotional regulation, gradual exposure, and reframing beliefs about money as a neutral tool rather than a threat or measure of worth.

Shervan K Shahhian

Financial Therapy, what is it:

Financial Therapy:

Financial Therapy is an emerging field at the intersection of psychology and finance. It focuses on the emotional, behavioral, and psychological aspects of money—how people think about, feel about, and interact with money—rather than just the numbers.

Here’s a detailed overview:

1. Definition

Financial therapy is a collaborative process that helps individuals and couples understand the connection between their financial decisions and their emotional and psychological well-being. It aims to address underlying emotional issues that influence financial behavior, such as anxiety, guilt, shame, or compulsive spending.

2. Goals of Financial Therapy

  • Identify Emotional Triggers: Understanding the feelings that drive financial behaviors (e.g., stress leading to impulsive buying).
  • Improve Financial Behaviors: Developing healthier habits around saving, spending, investing, and budgeting.
  • Resolve Money Conflicts: Addressing money-related conflicts within couples or families.
  • Enhance Financial Well-being: Building confidence and reducing stress related to money.
  • Integrate Psychological and Financial Health: Creating a holistic approach to financial decision-making.

3. Who Can Benefit

  • Individuals with money anxiety or stress
  • People struggling with overspending, hoarding, or debt
  • Couples experiencing money-related conflict
  • People with financial trauma or past financial setbacks
  • Anyone seeking a better relationship with money

4. Methods and Approaches

Financial therapists use a combination of psychological and financial tools:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Techniques: To change unhealthy money beliefs and behaviors.
  • Emotion-Focused Therapy: To process emotional responses related to finances.
  • Couples Therapy Approaches: To manage shared financial decisions and conflicts.
  • Psychoeducation: Teaching about money management, financial planning, and emotional awareness.
  • Behavioral Interventions: Creating practical plans for budgeting, saving, and debt reduction.

5. Difference from Financial Advising

  • Financial advisors focus on numbers, investments, and planning.
  • Financial therapists focus on the emotional and behavioral side, though they may collaborate with financial advisors for a holistic approach.

6. Examples of Financial Therapy Work

  • Helping a client understand why they overspend when stressed.
  • Coaching a couple to navigate conflicting financial priorities.
  • Assisting someone with financial trauma (e.g., loss of a home or job) to rebuild confidence.
  • Addressing feelings of shame or guilt around debt.

Essentially, financial therapy treats money problems as human problems, not just numeric ones, helping people make conscious, aligned financial decisions without being driven solely by fear, habit, or emotion.

Shervan K Shahhian

Most famous Hypnosis techniques of Milton H. Erickson’s:

Most famous Hypnosis techniques:

Milton H. Erickson’s most famous hypnosis techniques were very different from the old stage-style hypnosis — they were subtle, conversational, and often disguised inside everyday interactions.


 Here are his hallmark methods:

1. Indirect Suggestions

Instead of commanding, Erickson made suggestions in a casual, permissive way.

  • Example: Instead of saying “Close your eyes,” he might say, “You may notice that your eyes are getting heavier… and you might feel comfortable letting them close whenever you wish.”
  • Why it works: It bypasses resistance because the client feels they have choice.

2. Embedded Commands

Placing a subtle directive inside a larger sentence or story.

  • Example: While telling a story, he might say, “…and as you sit there, you might begin to feel more relaxed…”
  • Why it works: The unconscious picks up on the command hidden inside natural speech.

3. Metaphors and Storytelling

Erickson told elaborate stories or anecdotes that paralleled the client’s problem and hinted at solutions.

  • Example: To help someone gain confidence, he might tell a story about a stubborn plant that learned to grow toward the light despite obstacles.
  • Why it works: Stories bypass conscious resistance and deliver change ideas indirectly.

4. Utilization

He used whatever the client brought to the session — their mood, environment, body language — as part of the trance process.

  • Example: If a client was fidgeting, he might say, “You can let those little movements remind you that change is already happening inside…”
  • Why it works: Instead of fighting distractions, he incorporated them, making every experience part of the hypnosis.

5. Confusion Technique

Using paradox, vague language, or unexpected shifts to overwhelm conscious thought, allowing the unconscious to take over.

  • Example: “You can think about not thinking, and notice how that thought changes while you’re not thinking it…”
  • Why it works: The conscious mind gets tied in knots, opening the door for suggestions.

6. Pacing and Leading

First match the client’s current experience (pacing), then gradually guide them to a new state (leading).

  • Example: “You’re sitting here, hearing my voice, feeling the chair… and you might also begin to notice a sense of calm spreading…”
  • Why it works: Builds rapport and creates a smooth bridge from the familiar to the desired change.

7. Double Binds

Offering two choices, both leading to the desired outcome.

  • Example: “Would you prefer to go into trance with your eyes open for a moment, or closed right away?”
  • Why it works: Gives the illusion of choice while moving toward the therapeutic goal.

Erickson often blended several of these techniques seamlessly — for example, telling a metaphorical story (metaphor) in a relaxed conversation (indirect suggestion), pacing the client’s mood, and embedding commands along the way.

Shervan K Shahhian

Understanding Therapeutic Philosophy:

Therapeutic Philosophy:

A therapeutic philosophy is the guiding set of beliefs, principles, and values that shape how a therapist understands human nature, emotional distress, and the process of healing.

It’s not just a treatment method — it’s the “why” behind the therapist’s approach, influencing what techniques they choose, how they relate to clients, and what outcomes they prioritize.

Here’s a structured breakdown:

1. Core Assumptions About Human Nature

Every therapeutic philosophy starts with a view of what people are fundamentally like.

  • Humanistic — People are inherently good and capable of growth.
  • Psychodynamic — Unconscious forces and early experiences shape personality and behavior.
  • Behavioral — Behavior is learned and can be changed through conditioning.
  • Existential — People seek meaning, authenticity, and must face the reality of mortality.

2. Understanding of Distress

Therapists differ in how they believe psychological suffering arises:

  • Trauma-oriented — Distress comes from unresolved emotional wounds.
  • Cognitive-behavioral — Distress is maintained by faulty thinking patterns and behaviors.
  • Systemic — Problems arise within relationship and family systems, not just the individual.

3. Role of the Therapist

Philosophies define how active, directive, or collaborative the therapist should be:

  • Guide and facilitator — Helps clients discover their own solutions (humanistic).
  • Expert and interpreter — Offers insight into unconscious processes (psychoanalytic).
  • Coach and strategist — Teaches skills and assigns structured exercises (CBT).

4. Goals of Therapy

The philosophy shapes what “healing” means:

  • Symptom reduction — Relief from depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms.
  • Personal growth — Greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, purpose.
  • Relational change — Healthier communication and connection with others.

5. Values and Ethics

Therapeutic philosophies also include moral commitments:

  • Respect for autonomy — Clients direct their own healing.
  • Non-judgment — All experiences are valid in the healing space.
  • Empowerment — Helping clients reclaim agency.

Examples of Therapeutic Philosophies:

Here are examples of therapeutic philosophies from well-known therapists and schools of thought, showing how each one’s core beliefs shape their approach:

1. Carl Rogers — Person-Centered Therapy

Philosophy:

  • People have an innate drive toward growth, self-understanding, and fulfillment.
  • Healing happens in a non-judgmental, accepting environment.
  • The therapist is a facilitator, not a fixer.

Core values:

  • Unconditional positive regard — accepting clients without conditions.
  • Empathy — deeply understanding the client’s perspective.
  • Congruence — therapist authenticity and transparency.

2. Viktor Frankl — Logotherapy

Philosophy:

  • The primary human drive is the search for meaning.
  • Even in suffering, people can find purpose.
  • Meaning is discovered, not invented, through choices and attitudes.

Core values:

  • Freedom to choose one’s response to life’s challenges.
  • Suffering can be transformed into growth.
  • Responsibility toward oneself and others.

3. Aaron Beck — Cognitive Therapy

Philosophy:

  • Distress is maintained by distorted thoughts and beliefs.
  • Changing thoughts changes feelings and behavior.
  • Clients can learn to challenge and reframe their thinking.

Core values:

  • Collaboration between therapist and client.
  • Practical, skills-based interventions.
  • Empowering clients with tools they can use independently.

4. Irvin Yalom — Existential Therapy

Philosophy:

  • Psychological distress often stems from avoiding life’s givens: death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness.
  • Facing these truths openly leads to authentic living.
  • The therapeutic relationship is a real, mutual encounter.

Core values:

  • Radical honesty in the therapy room.
  • Encouraging personal responsibility.
  • Helping clients create a meaningful life.

5. Salvador Minuchin — Structural Family Therapy

Philosophy:

  • Problems often arise from dysfunctional family structures and boundaries.
  • Change happens by reorganizing how the family interacts.
  • The therapist joins the family system to promote healthier patterns.

Core values:

  • Focus on relationships rather than only the individual.
  • Flexible boundaries are healthier than rigid or enmeshed ones.
  • Lasting change comes from shifting interactional patterns.

Shervan K Shahhian

Understanding Traumatic Fragmentation:

Traumatic Fragmentation:

Traumatic fragmentation refers to a disruption in the integration of a person’s sense of self, memory, identity, or emotions as a result of trauma. It’s a psychological process often observed in individuals who have experienced overwhelming or chronic trauma, particularly during early development.

Key Features of Traumatic Fragmentation:

Disintegration of the Self:

  • Trauma can cause a person’s identity or sense of self to break into disconnected parts. This may result in feeling like different “selves” exist within them (e.g., child self, angry self, protector self).
  • These parts can become compartmentalized, leading to dissociative symptoms.

Dissociation:

  • A hallmark of fragmentation. Individuals may feel detached from their thoughts, emotions, body, or surroundings.
  • Can manifest as memory gaps (amnesia), depersonalization, or derealization.

Emotional Dysregulation:

  • Fragmentation interferes with the ability to process and regulate emotions, often leading to sudden mood swings, outbursts, or emotional numbness.

Trauma-Related Disorders:

  • Common in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Complex PTSD, and Borderline Personality Disorder, though not limited to these.
  • In DID, the fragmentation can be so extreme that distinct personality states (alters) form.

Symptoms:

  • Flashbacks or intrusive memories that feel like they are happening in the present.
  • Difficulty integrating past experiences with the present self.
  • Feelings of being “shattered,” “broken,” or “not whole.”

Healing Traumatic Fragmentation:

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy: Approaches like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Somatic Experiencing work to reintegrate fragmented parts.
  • Safe Relationship: A stable, therapeutic relationship provides the safety needed to explore and integrate these parts.
  • Mindfulness and Grounding: Help individuals stay present and reduce dissociation.
  • Narrative Integration: Rebuilding a coherent sense of self and story over time.

Traumatic fragmentation often shows up subtly or confusingly in daily life. It may not look like obvious trauma symptoms but rather as difficulties in relationships, memory, mood, identity, or behavior that seem inconsistent or out of proportion. Here’s how it can manifest:

 Emotional and Behavioral Inconsistencies

  • Sudden emotional shifts without clear triggers (e.g., feeling fine, then overwhelmed by anger, fear, or sadness).
  • Feeling like a different person in different situations — almost as if you’re switching roles or identities without meaning to.
  • Difficulty managing impulses or reacting with intensity (e.g., rage, withdrawal, panic) that surprises even the person themselves.

 Memory and Attention Problems

  • Memory gaps (e.g., not remembering parts of conversations, actions, or even whole days).
  • Forgetting skills, facts, or steps you know well (“I knew how to do this yesterday, why can’t I now?”).
  • Zoning out or “losing time” during everyday tasks.

Disconnection in Relationships

  • Feeling emotionally distant or numb even around loved ones.
  • Inability to trust, fear of being hurt, or intense dependency that flips to withdrawal.
  • Experiencing others as threats or saviors in ways that don’t match the reality of the relationship.

 Sense of Self Distortion

  • Feeling fragmented or like you don’t know who you are.
  • Speaking or thinking in terms of parts of the self (e.g., “A part of me wants to disappear, another part wants to fight”).
  • Feeling like you’re watching yourself from the outside (depersonalization), or that the world feels unreal (derealization).

 Dissociation in Daily Tasks

  • Driving somewhere and not remembering how you got there.
  • Being present physically but mentally detached (e.g., at work, during conversations).
  • Feeling like life is happening “through a fog” or on autopilot.

 Inner Conflict

  • Arguing with yourself internally or feeling torn in extreme ways (e.g., “I want to go out” vs. “I want to hide forever”).
  • Feeling stuck between different internal “voices” or drives that pull you in opposite directions.
  • Not being able to explain your actions or feelings clearly to others — or even to yourself.

Example:

Someone with traumatic fragmentation might appear high-functioning and social at work, but collapse emotionally at home and not understand why. They might describe feeling like a child sometimes, have trouble recalling conversations, or shift from warm to distant without knowing why.

Shervan K Shahhian

Motivational Interviewing (MI), what is it:

Motivational Interviewing (MI):

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, directive counseling style used to help people explore and resolve ambivalence about behavior change. It was originally developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, primarily in the context of addiction treatment, but it’s now widely used in various healthcare, mental health, and social work settings.

Core Principles of Motivational Interviewing

Express Empathy

  • Use reflective listening to convey understanding of the client’s experience.
  • Avoid judgment or confrontation.

Develop Discrepancy

  • Help clients recognize the gap between their current behavior and their personal goals or values.
  • This creates motivation for change without pressure.

Roll with Resistance

  • Avoid arguing or opposing resistance.
  • Resistance is seen as a signal to change strategies, not confront the client.

Support Self-Efficacy

  • Emphasize the client’s ability and power to make changes.
  • Highlight past successes and strengths.

Key Techniques (OARS)

Technique Description Open-ended Questions Encourage clients to explore their thoughts and feelings in depth. Affirmations Recognize client strengths and efforts. Reflective Listening Mirror back what the client says to show understanding and prompt deeper reflection. Summarizing Reinforce what has been discussed, especially change talk, to consolidate motivation.

 Stages of Change Model (Transtheoretical Model)

MI is often used to help people move through the stages:

Precontemplation — Not considering change.

Contemplation — Ambivalent about change.

Preparation — Planning to change soon.

Action — Taking active steps.

Maintenance — Sustaining the new behavior.

 Example in Practice (Addiction Context)

Therapist: “It sounds like a part of you really wants to cut back on drinking, but another part is worried about losing your social life. That’s a tough place to be.”

Client: “Yeah… I know it’s a problem, but I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Therapist: “You’ve been thinking about this a lot. What would be different in your life if you did make that change?”

Common Applications

  • Substance use treatment
  • Health behavior change (diet, exercise, medication adherence)
  • Smoking cessation
  • Criminal justice settings
  • Mental health therapy

Shervan K Shahhian

Group Therapy Facilitators, who are they:

Group Therapy Facilitators:

Group therapy facilitators are trained professionals who lead and manage group therapy sessions to promote healing, growth, and psychological well-being among participants. They may be:

1. Licensed Mental Health Professionals

These are the most common facilitators and include:

  • Psychologists (PhD, PsyD)
  • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
  • Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)

They are trained in group dynamics, psychological assessment, and therapeutic techniques.

2. Counselors-in-Training or Interns

  • Often facilitate under supervision in clinical or educational settings.
  • Gain hands-on experience as part of graduate training in psychology, counseling, or social work programs.

3. Peer Facilitators

  • Individuals with lived experience who are trained to lead support groups (e.g., 12-step groups, grief support, trauma survivor groups).
  • While not licensed clinicians, they play a valuable role in mutual aid groups.

4. Specialists in a Specific Therapy Type

Some facilitators are specifically trained in:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Groups
  • Process-Oriented Groups
  • Trauma-Informed Group Therapy
  • Psychoeducational Groups

Key Skills of Effective Group Facilitators:

  • Creating a safe and inclusive environment
  • Managing group dynamics and conflict
  • Encouraging participation without pressure
  • Setting clear boundaries and confidentiality rules
  • Applying clinical insight to guide the group process

In addiction treatment, group therapy facilitators play a central role in supporting recovery, fostering accountability, and helping individuals develop healthier coping strategies. Here’s how they function in that context:

Who Facilitates Addiction Group Therapy?

Licensed Addiction Counselors (LAC/CADC/LCADC)

  • Specialize in substance use disorders.
  • Often certified with additional training in addiction science and recovery models.

Licensed Mental Health Professionals

  • Psychologists, social workers, or counselors with addiction expertise.
  • May integrate trauma, family, or co-occurring mental health treatments.

Peer Support Specialists / Recovery Coaches

  • Have lived experience with addiction and are trained to lead peer support groups.
  • May co-facilitate alongside clinicians in a treatment program.

 Types of Group Therapy in Addiction Treatment

Psychoeducational Groups

  • Teach about addiction, relapse prevention, brain chemistry, and coping strategies.
  • Facilitators use structured content to increase awareness and insight.

Process-Oriented Groups

  • Focus on sharing personal experiences and emotional processing.
  • Facilitators manage interpersonal dynamics and promote honest expression.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Groups

  • Help identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
  • Facilitators guide structured exercises and group discussion.

Relapse Prevention Groups

  • Target high-risk situations and triggers.
  • Facilitators support members in developing personalized plans.

Motivational Enhancement Groups

  • Increase motivation and resolve ambivalence about change.
  • Facilitators use techniques from Motivational Interviewing (MI).

12-Step Oriented Groups

  • May follow the model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
  • Facilitators encourage participation in a shared spiritual or moral framework.

 Core Responsibilities of Facilitators in Addiction Recovery:

  • Set clear ground rules for confidentiality, respect, and participation.
  • Normalize struggles to reduce shame and isolation.
  • Encourage accountability while showing empathy.
  • Identify group themes, emotional undercurrents, or signs of relapse.
  • Link group insights to personal recovery goals.

Shervan K Shahhian