Dawn Altman Psychotherapy and Wellness

Fear keeps us chattering, fear that wells up from the past, fear of repercussions, fear of blurting out what we really fear. Healing needs listening with the inner ear, stopping the incessant blather, listening.... -Marion Woodman So, what would you do if you were not afraid?? #fear #nofear #facefear #facefears#grief#divorce #therapy #counseling #counselingpsychology #anxiety#depression##selfcare #support #wellbeing #healing #positivepsychology #positivemindset

Healing needs listening with the inner ear, stopping the incessant blather, listening. Marion Woodman Coming Home to Myself Www.dawnaltman.com... #healingquotes #silence #depressionhelp #depression #anxiety #womenshealth #mentalhealth #mindfulness #soul

When we think of hard work, we often think in terms of school, career, fitness, parenting, or other tangible areas where the fruits of our efforts are obvious.Putting in the effort to exercise and eat wisely pays off with a healthy and strong body.Working hard in school pays off with an entrance into a good college, and a rewarding career.Doing the hard work of parenting will hopefully pay off in children who are well adjusted and able to develop into their own unique ...selves.But what about the hard work of maintaining our emotional well-being?Let’s face it-looking at our patterns of behavior that are not serving us well, and facing our own inner demons is the hardest work of all.I believe it is the reason that so many people avoid it.What usually brings a person into therapy is difficulty with something in the present; say a problem with alcohol, food, or difficulties with relationships.Maybe it is a life transition, such as divorce, death of a spouse, or a child leaving for college.Most often, what we are struggling with in the present has some roots that lead us to our past, and this is where it becomes sticky.We want solutions for the present (of course, and we can work with that) but if we don’t work to understand the impact of the past on our current feelings, then we are putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.Let’s look at alcoholism as an example.A person who struggles with alcohol can stop drinking by going to rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous. The behavior that is problematic can be controlled.But if the issue that is driving them to use alcohol (or food, drugs, sex, shopping, internet, etc.) is not addressed, then the behavior will simply be substituted with something else.We call this symptoms substitution.This is the same in terms of problematic relationship patterns.If you find yourself attracting the same type of relationship over and over, we can be sure it is not something out there that is causing the problem, but rather something in your own inner world.I understand how difficult looking at our own life with clear eyes can be.But hard work pays off.Do the work.#emotionalwellbeing #mentalhealth #addiction See more

What is Depth Psychology?I like to call it Psychology of the Soul.Harnessing all the courage that we have within us to embrace and accept all parts of ourselves, so that we can live our true purpose.What is soul?It is the essence of who you are, without your mask, without your persona, without your defenses and projections.Soul often gets buried within our psyche-trauma, old emotional pain, perfectionism, unexpressed anger, sorrow and grief can make one feel dista...nt from soul, but the soul can never ever die.How do you know if you’ve gotten distance from your soul?Maybe you feel a loss of vitality, a lack of energy.Maybe you feel irritable all the time.Or maybe there is a nagging sense that you are not living your purpose.Whatever it is, commit to yourself right now to come back to your essence, to come home to yourself.There are many ways that can lead one back to soul, and I have found most often that some form of creativity is the best way to find one’s way home.Writing is certainly a profoundly impactful way to remove layers of pain and grief and give voice to your inner experience.If you can’t write it, paint it.Draw it.Sing it.You may want to garden your way into the quiet place in your soul where you can actually hear.Spend time in nature without headphones, listening with your inner ear to all that you cannot hear with the external noise.The most important thing in calling yourself back home is to begin, and to continue. #vibrantliving #therapy #vitality #healingjourney #soul #soulful #creativity #depression #anxiety #lifetransitions www.dawnaltman.com See more

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So much of addiction treatment focuses on stopping the behaviors that one is using to mask pain.If we focus just on behaviors, we miss out on the biggest piece of the puzzle-namely, just what it is that we are trying to avoid.Oftentimes it is trauma or emotional pain that occurred in early life, but it can also be the desire to drown out the sounds of our inner voice urging us in a new direction.We may feel bored with our lives, so we shop, or scroll endlessly through s...ocial media.We may feel empty through loss of some type, so we overeat.Maybe we use drugs, alcohol, or sex to mask emotional pain, grief, or fear.True healing involves not just stopping the behavior, but slowing down, and facing whatever it is inside that is screaming for your attention.True healing means having the courage to come into relationship with all aspects of ourselves, including those aspects that are scary.When we can face the feelings, we can release them, and only then can we be free. Www.dawnaltman.com. #addiction#addictionrecovery#healingjourney #selfcare #soul #soulful #therapy #therapy#brynmawr#dawnaltman See more

Coming into true self means becoming wildly interested in your own inner life.Not in a narcissitic or self-involved way, but a true, deep interest in healing what needs to be healed, discovering what is in your shadow, and committing yourself to the hard work of coming into relationship with ALL aspects of yourself, even those aspects you are not particularly fond of.When we are authentic and accepting of all of our different parts, we then are more authentic and accepting of others.Accepting and loving ourselves makes it is easier to accept and love others. #healingselfcare#jungquote#mentalhealth#wellbeing#dawnaltman#brynmawr#selfcare#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth#dawnaltmanpsychotherapyandwellness