by Bryan Bushman, Ph.D. | Oct 8, 2025 | News Letter
In last month’s newsletter, we discussed how we can tell ourselves either contamination stories or growth stories about our past. Contamination stories suggest things are fixed. We label ourselves as being “losers”, “broken” or...
by Design | Sep 17, 2025 | News Letter
Without a doubt, the past influences the present, but how do we prevent it from defining us? Yes; the past influences our perceptions and reactions, but it doesn’t have to be our destiny. It doesn’t have to define...
by Bryan Bushman, Ph.D. | Aug 1, 2025 | News Letter
In the previous newsletter, we discussed how trauma cannot be defined objectively: it is an eye-of-the-beholder experience. We also discussed the major symptoms of PTSD, such as re-experiencing (symptom #1), hyperarousal (symptom #2), avoidance (symptom #3), and...
by Bryan Bushman, Ph.D. | Jun 13, 2025 | News Letter
Problems like depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common among those who have been traumatized – especially if those traumas happened to the person early and repetitively in his or her life. But first, it’s important to know what...
by Bryan Bushman, Ph.D. | May 28, 2025 | News Letter
In the last newsletter, we discussed how to set limits or say “no” effectively. In this newsletter, we will discuss effective ways to communicate what you need using a technique from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT uses the DEAR acronym, which...
by Bryan Bushman, Ph.D. | Apr 24, 2025 | News Letter
Saying “yes” to everything (and everyone) has a cost. Before we talk about the fine art of saying “no”, let’s count the costs of saying “yes” indiscriminately…(1) A person with an inability to say “no” will soon find herself psychologically depleted. Saying yes...
