We thank our colleague, Natalie A. Hock, LCSW, for her thoughtful synthesis of the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for her clients. We thought it was worth sharing more broadly and with her permission are doing so, here. Hi [CLIENT NAME]: I know that the level of worry and fear is high right now […] Read more “Subject COVID-19: A Message from Natalie”
Subject COVID-19: A Message from Natalie
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Estimated: 3 minutes to read
Welcome Green House Cohort 5!
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Estimated: 4 minutes to read
Each January, LifeWorks welcomes a cohort of graduate therapists into its Green House training program. These therapists spend 12 months on staff at LifeWorks, work with clients and focus on: Developing cultural competence and knowledge related to LGB, trans and genderqueer, non-monogamy and kink/BDSM Strengthening their identities as therapists and learning how to use their unique strengths in clinical relationships […] Read more “Welcome Green House Cohort 5!”
Podcasts & Blogs
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Estimated: 5 minutes to read
This month’s Staff Favorites will feature a collection of blogs and podcasts that we follow that have inspired or transformed us in some way. Some of these podcasts are specific to therapy and mental health, while others are simply about being human and living in the world. As always, we look forward to hearing what […] Read more “Podcasts & Blogs”
Approaches to Fear
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Estimated: 4 minutes to read
Staff Favorites is a monthly installation featuring the mental health and self care picks of LifeWorker staff. Posts in 2019 will highlight books, self-soothing items, blogs/instagrams, places to move your body around Chicago, and more. We look forward to sharing our favorites with you! This month we are focusing on the ways LifeWorks’ staff approach […] Read more “Approaches to Fear”
Infidelity as a Growth Opportunity
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Estimated: 5 minutes to read
Santiago Delboy is a colleague and friend to LifeWorks who brings insight and thoughtfulness to his work, writing and collaboration. We are pleased to share some of his thougths about infidelity. This post appears in Santiago’s blog, which can be found here. This afternoon, I watched a TED talk by therapist and author Esther Perel about infidelity. I read her book Mating […] Read more “Infidelity as a Growth Opportunity”
Green House Experiences & Insights
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Estimated: 7 minutes to read
We are now accepting applications for the Green House 2019 Cohort. Launched in 2016, the Green House is LifeWorks’ postgraduate psychotherapy training program. Participants join us here in Chicago for 12 months of tuition-free learning and real-world clinical experience centered on self-development, individual supervision, and cultural competence. Wondering if the Green House is right for […] Read more “Green House Experiences & Insights”
Dreaming Our Way Into the Future
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Estimated: 7 minutes to read
At this time in our world, we may need the power to dream and the ability to understand one another’s dreams more than ever. Our colleague, David Bedrick, J.D., Dipl. PW has been writing about dreams and other psychological and social issues for many years now. In the blog below, originally published by Psychology Today, David […] Read more “Dreaming Our Way Into the Future”
Understanding Your Dreams: Doorways to the Self
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Estimated: 6 minutes to read
This post was originally published in Psychology Today. I have been simply, truly, and totally amazed by dreams for the past 40 years. In 1992, it led me to study with Jungian analyst, Dr. Arnold Mindell, which meant leaving my career as a management consultant, moving across the country, and studying full time for over five […] Read more “Understanding Your Dreams: Doorways to the Self”
Cultural Competence and Bias
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Estimated: 8 minutes to read
As therapists, we recognize our ethical obligations to know and acknowledge the limits of our training and skills. We know that our expertise grows over time with experience and supervision, training, reading, dialogue and further training. These activities contribute to our mastery of specialized areas, methods or skills. But what about cultural competence? How do […] Read more “Cultural Competence and Bias”
Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism
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Estimated: 2 minutes to read
An inner critic can be thought of as an aspect of ourselves that holds the criticisms, disapproval, injunctions and complaints that we have internalized over time. When our inner critic is active, we get low and feel “less than”. Sometimes the voice of the inner critic is so convincing that we jump to the conclusion […] Read more “Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism”
Power: A User’s Guide
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Estimated: 5 minutes to read
We are excited and pleased to announce that our friend and colleague, Julie Diamond, Ph.D., has a new book out — Power: A User’s Guide. Power corrupts. The question is: how? What are the traps of power and how we can avoid falling into them? From bosses to parents, politicians to protesters, power rests in […] Read more “Power: A User’s Guide”
Returning to Therapy — A Profound Act of Self-care
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Estimated: 6 minutes to read
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D., Dipl. PW & Rami Henrich, LCSW, Dipl. PW “I can’t believe I’m here… again.” Some people returning to therapy for the second, third, or fifth time often wonder “why do I need to go back to therapy?” “was there something I should have handled the last time around?” “maybe I am […] Read more “Returning to Therapy — A Profound Act of Self-care”
Everyone Has Bias
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Estimated: 1 minute to read
No one is immune from bias, not even us therapists! Everyone has bias. Therapist bias takes many forms, especially with regards to clients’ sexuality, gender, erotic orientation, etc… Bias ranges from misinformed opinions about BDSM to confusing polyamory with infidelity to other subtle perceptions, beliefs and attitudes. Bias is a part of us all and […] Read more “Everyone Has Bias”
Unconditional
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Estimated: 3 minutes to read
One of our readers was inspired to send us the poem below, Unconditional, by Jennifer Welwood. Her website offers an insight into her work, “Jennifer was propelled onto the spiritual path at the age of 15 by the sudden and unexpected death of a close friend, which catalyzed a profound recognition of impermanence and a yearning […] Read more “Unconditional”
Meeting Difference – Our Conflict with Contact
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“Otherness, taken seriously, always invites transformation, calling us not only to new facts and theories and values but also to new ways of living our lives – and that is the most daunting threat of all.” Today, I came across this quote about the quintessential dilemma that difference and diversity pose, from sociologist and renowned […] Read more “Meeting Difference – Our Conflict with Contact”