12 results for tag: Disconnection


What Are We Fighting For?

What are we fighting for or about? We all need to ask ourselves this question when we conflict with another person, especially a partner or spouse. As a couples and relationship counselor, whenever a couple shares with me about a "fight" they had recently, I often ask them after they have spoken in great detail how their partner was at fault and what they did wrong, "What was the fight about?". Both people start repeating what the other person said and did wrong and how they did it right. The focus is generally on the content rather than what the fight was about....

Are you really being accountable?

In the last handful of years, there has been an increased focus on being accountable and taking responsibility for our actions. I have really appreciated seeing the energy and attention towards wanting to do and be better, primarily birthed by GenZ and Millennials. It’s about time! But are we truly being accountable, or are we just telling people what we’ve done wrong and why we did it?   I invite you to read the full article on being accountable including the steps to cleaning up mistakes here: Are you really being accountable?   Being responsible and accountable is about changing our behaviors, and the patterns that ...

Porn Addiction, Loneliness and Connection

Porn addiction is increasing at a rapid pace. We know that access to online porn continues to create loneliness, disconnection and porn addiction. But is porn the actual problem? Again, we come back to the findings of Johann Hari. His research and personal experiences, as well as my own, support the theory that addictions are often a lack meaningful connection(s). This applies to porn addiction as well. The work we do in recovery from porn addiction includes focusing on creating new connections, and strengthening those already existing. These connections, and forming new habits can begin the process of feeling safe and a sense of belonging, all foundations of a sustainable recovery....

As Friendships Grow Closer – Jeff Brown

I have been reflecting on this Jeff Brown quote on friendships lately. We tend to focus our efforts towards relationships on our romantic/intimate partnerships and family. But what about friendships? What if we carried the same intention and effort with our main friendships, or, "friendship pods"? I am incredibly grateful for my core group of friends, and how impactful our love, support and collective commitment, is and has been in my life, especially during the height of the pandemic. I am inspired continuously by the willingness of us as individuals and as a group to walk towards challenges, not away.     "As friendships ...

Addiction Is Not The Drugs, It’s The ACEs

Addiction Is Not The Drugs, It's The ACEs. As we learn more and more about addiction, its causes, and recovery, it is not what we thought it was, or at least it is not only what we thought it was. We now know that many addicts experienced trauma(s) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), adolescent trauma, or multiple traumas resulting in PTSD or complex PTSD (cPTSD). Thanks to the research and work by Johann Hari, we discovered another clue to the cause of addiction, a lack of connection. We will continue to learn and develop better and more holistic treatment and recovery for addicts and alcoholics. This particular article focuses predominantly on addiction to drugs and alcohol, but it mostly definitely applies to the full spectrum of addictions. Many of us have experienced ACEs and much has been documented about the repercussions throughout life. But what about the relationship between ACEs and addiction?Is was what we call addiction just a way of creating comfort, and the illusion of safety through repeated actions to relieve the symptoms of ACEs?What if you felt safe and comfortable in your mind, body and spirit?Do you think you would still need to chase the feeling of numbness/comfort through obsessive behaviors?What if we learned that we have been "treating a stomach ache with an aspirin" all these years?What if we knew definitively that addiction is not the drugs, but something deep inside us, what would shift in you?...

This Sculpture Shows The Inner Child In Us – Love

We all have a little boy or little girl inside us, or both. Many people refer to this part of ourselves as the Inner Child. The term Inner Child gets used a lot these days, but what is the Inner Child? I like the description below. "The inner child lives in all of us; it is who we were before life happened to us. When the negative experiences of life happen in childhood, our inner child becomes fragmented. We disconnect from that vital aspect of ourselves and shove that part of our psyche down into the dark. As we grow up, the inner child is still very much alive, often dictating our responses to life. Those traumas that you experi...

How Sobriety Strategies Can Help Anxious People Reenter Society After The Pandemic

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