Existential joy is the moment of exaltation in which we are at one with the world and conscious of our being in a kind of illumination that carries a deep conviction with it. This is a state of being that many people seek to experience in their lives. If we cannot have it all of… Read more »
Photo by Tholly (Creative Commons License) This may seem hard to believe but, there can be beauty in uncertainty. I came across this story that I was given during a training I attended late last year. The Tug A child takes the kite to a distant hill and sets it flying high in the sky…. Read more »
We all grieve in different ways. Grief can hollow out a soul and pull someone down the depths of despair that can be all consuming. It is not something to ignore or to treat lightly, but grief is an inevitable in life as there are as many endings as there are beginnings. Can grief be… Read more »
“Walking Back to Happiness” by Ron Almog רון אלמוג Not long ago I reviewed a piece written by Emory Cowan on existential aloneness. It was a hopeful piece dealing with a Cowan’s subject matter that is usually seen as being by some as being dark and bleak. It may seem that existential psychology focuses just… Read more »
Photo by Portland Prevention (Creative Commons licence) Recovery is: “A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” This is the new working definition of recovery that was co-created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the… Read more »
This is not the myth you are looking for From, Dr. Louis Hoffman, in “Gordo’s Ghost: An Introduction to Existential Perspectives in Myth,” published in Existential Psychology: East West Psychology. “A myth is a collection of related symbols that create a worldview or meaning system. It serves as a reference for the way we see… Read more »
Photo by Steve Hopson (Creative Commons License) The holidays are here, as if you have not noticed the cheery songs singing of happiness, joy, presents and Santa Claus. This is time when many people are planning trips to visit family and putting together plans for some food and drink filled celebrations. Even during this time… Read more »
Photo by P.G. Champion Does the fear of death, your death, whether physical, emotional or spiritual, influence your political and community decisions? It may, according to a theory that has renewed interest in our very uncertain times. Terror management theory was introduced in 1973 by anthropologist Ernest Becker. In his book The Denial of Death,… Read more »
Occupy Oakland November 2, 2011 This is the date of the first general strike in Oakland since 1946 and the world was watching as 1000’s of people headed out to the plaza then marched on the Port in four separate waves. Much of the day was peaceful. The day was filled with speakers, sharing, networking,… Read more »
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Allen The western body of psychotherapy takes little consideration of how culture is a part of the human psyche. The DSM IV has been rightly charged with being culturally unconscious of the fact that psychological suffering is unique to the individual’s cultural identity. This fact was driven home to me during… Read more »
