How to Improve Your Relationships by Understanding Empathy

In a recent episode, Brett and I talked about ethics in the practice of counseling. A corollary topic is that of boundaries. Helping clients find their own boundaries is a fundamental task in therapy. However, therapists need good boundaries themselves to create a healthy therapeutic environment as well as model boundaries for the client. In this episode, Brett and I will explore how to help clients find their own boundaries.

How are ethics different from statutes and/or laws? Why do ethics matter? How do you know if your interpretation of ethics is correct? This episode will answer all those questions and more!

Adolescence has only been considered a stage of human development for about 125 years. H Stanley Hall is credited with defining this stage of development in 1904. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most societies viewed individuals as adults when they were able to procreate (were going through puberty. In what ways is the adolescent brain different from that of a child or an adult?

Death and dying is difficult for most people to talk about or even think about, even though it is the only experience other than birth that every human is guaranteed to experience. In this episode, Brett and I share our thoughts about having an empathic conversation about this difficult topic. We also share our views on how to treat/work with those who have experienced loss.

Empathy is defined as the ability to feel the emotions of another as if they were your own. It is a powerful tool for understanding and improving our relationships. It is also an essential quality in the therapist-client relationship. 

Emotional Intelligence is a concept in psychology that describes the capability to regulate one's own emotions and to accurately interpret the emotions of others. The four pillars of Emotional Intelligence are: Perceiving emotions 2. Reasoning/labeling emotions 3. Understanding emotions 4. Managing emotions

Attachment and bonding are essential to the health of our relationships and play a vital role in the development of emotional regulation. To find out more, check out this episode. 

As psychotherapists, Brett and I have had literally thousands of conversations with clients about guilt. It is one of the most common issues that people deal with. But what do you know about guilt and its cousin, remorse? In this episode, Brett and I will break =down the difference between guilt and remorse and common sense ways to cope with both.

It is now universally accepted that trauma (both acute and chronic) has real biological impacts on the brain. Today Brett and I discuss how to treat and even heal trauma.

Rollo May (1909-1994) is one of the true greats in the annals of psychology. Even though he was integral in the evolution of existential and humanistic psychology, he remain a grounded and modest man. This may be why his name is so well known but his achievements may not be. He routinely brushed shoulders with men like Maslow, Rogers, and Frankl, true legends of psychology. His writings, especially the book, "Love and Will" sound like they were written today and not in the mid-1960s. Enjoy. https://www.rollomay.net/