Uncategorized

Are you a sensitive soul? Do you know someone who is? Did you know there is a trait characterized by sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), which identifies a highly sensitive person/personality (HSP)? The term HSP was first coined by the psychologist Elaine Aron (1996), who is herself an HSP. She and her husband devised the Highly […]

Jean Piaget’s theories of cognitive development remain hugely influential in both the popular and academic understanding of how our knowledge of the world is shaped by developmental forces. Piagetian approaches to learning as a process of actively constructing knowledge have been particularly effective in education, where they challenged traditional methods of teaching that overlooked the

In the helping professions, working effectively with clients depends on understanding them well. Such understanding can be developed by reading relevant records, meeting with clients face to face, and using assessments such as a mental status examination. As you proceed, you are forming a guiding concept of who this client is, how they became who

Feeling stressed? Take a few moments to focus on your breath rising and falling while sitting comfortably with a straight back in a quiet place. This summarizes the mindfulness of breathing meditation practice that was promoted in the West by John Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the Center for Mindfulness at the University

How much control do we really have over our lives? Many psychological theories have attempted to answer this question. One such explanation is the locus of control. Locus of control is a concept created by psychologist Julian Rotter (1954). Rotter was interested in social learning and why some behaviors stick while others languish. Locus of

Procrastination is an interesting concept in our culture. Perceptions of procrastination range from being the topic of jokes to being associated with mental illness (Svartdal, Granmo, & Farevaag, 2018). But what is the truth about this ubiquitous behavior? As a college instructor, I deal with student procrastination every semester, often resulting in end-of-term complications. I’ve

Unconditional positive regard describes an essential attitude that person-centered therapists adopt toward their clients, promoting growth and personal change (Wilkins, 2000). As mental health professionals, therapists recognize that they must deeply value their client’s humanity while being undeterred by any particular client behaviors for a successful outcome (Mearns & Thorne, 1988). Typically, the client experiences

At one time or another, haven’t we all sought perfection? A perfect score on a test, a flawless presentation, or the ultimate date. While aiming for the best can be helpful, perfectionism as a trait can be damaging, putting us at risk of mental and physical illness (Thomson, 2019). Perfectionism is a complex characteristic that

For years, researchers have pondered the factors that influence how people make judgments about their wellbeing. However, until the late ‘80s, much of what we knew about wellbeing was based on a poor definition of the construct. This left much of the scientific community scratching its head and asking the same question: What is wellbeing

Wabi sabi and kintsugi have their historical origins in the aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony that upholds the Zen Buddhist values of purity, harmony, and tranquility. Both wabi sabi and kintsugi value the acceptance of imperfection. This article introduces the Japanese concepts of wabi sabi and kintsugi and explains how to apply them in