by Rhett Smith | Jun 3, 2014 | Marriage, Restoration Therapy
“Somehow, even though we know that certain thoughts and behaviors are bad for us and are rooted in our own self-reactivity [negative patterns of coping], we return to those behaviors and usually find that these actions further assault our identities as human...
by Rhett Smith | Jun 2, 2014 | Marriage
It’s not unusual that I hear men in therapy say to their wife in session, “Stop nagging me.” I even came across this study and news story this month — Study: Nagging By A Spouse Could Shorten Your Life — The study states: But now a new...
by Rhett Smith | May 30, 2014 | Marriage
I think David Schnarch’s work on marriage and the concept of differentiation in relationships is life transforming. The idea of differentiation is not his, nor is it new. But his work Passionate Marriage has transformed my life in many ways, and continues to...
by Rhett Smith | May 29, 2014 | Anxiety
“The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s.” (Dr. Richard Leahy — quoted by Mick Ukleja in the article 7 Thinking Patterns That Contribute to Anxiety) Many of you know that I believe...
by Rhett Smith | May 27, 2014 | Therapy Practice
[This is my fourth post in a series about building a thriving therapy practice. Check out the earlier posts here, here and here]. I have always loved helping people. It is something that I feel passionate about. I heard early on that it was a “calling” of...
by Rhett Smith | May 23, 2014 | Anxiety
“Looking back at our families of origin and remembering these details can be a scary process for many people. Sometimes we are not quite sure what we will discover or remember, and that can leave us feeling anxious. That is normal. When we look back, and really...
by Rhett Smith | May 22, 2014 | Therapy Practice
One of the things that my colleagues and I are constantly joking…and sometimes lamenting about — is that most graduate programs in therapy and counseling don’t teach you anything about the actual business application of what you have just spent the...
by Rhett Smith | May 21, 2014 | Anxiety
“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for...
by Rhett Smith | May 20, 2014 | Therapy Practice
Last week I started a new blog series on Building a Thriving Therapy Practice. I will be completely honest with you. I don’t consider myself the expert on this topic. No surprise there. I haven’t written any books on it. If that’s what you want, Lynn...
by Rhett Smith | May 19, 2014 | Anxiety
I firmly believe as I have stated in many places, that our anxiety is a great opportunity for our growth. One of the first chapters in my book is about this idea of “embracing anxiety.” I know that anxiety can come in many forms and whatever you are...
by Rhett Smith | May 16, 2014 | Therapy Practice
It is not unusual for me to get about 5-6 messages a month from people who want to meet up either in person, or on the phone, to talk about building a therapy practice. For whatever reason these people have found what I’m doing as a therapist in private practice...
by Rhett Smith | May 15, 2014 | Anxiety
I have had a long journey with anxiety. And I can honestly say that I’m thankful for the anxiety that I have wrestled with. I don’t think I could, or would have said that while in the midst of my journey. But at times I can step back from it, gain some...
by Rhett Smith | May 14, 2014 | Anxiety
“Learning to know anxiety is an adventure which every man has to affront if he would not go to perdition either by not having known anxiety or by sinking under it. He therefore who has leaned rightly to be in anxiety has learned the most important thing.”...
by Rhett Smith | May 13, 2014 | Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health
Since Mental Health month is this month, I want to encourage you in two ways: If you find yourself feeling anxious or depressed, I really encourage you to reach out and get the help that you need. If you know someone who is feeling anxious or depressed, I encourage...
by Rhett Smith | May 12, 2014 | Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health
Unless you have either experienced anxiety and depression yourself, or have sat present with those who have, then it’s pretty easy for us to make trite comments or give cliche answers to those around us. This is probably the single reason why I wrote The Anxious...
by Rhett Smith | Sep 17, 2013 | Parenting
“It’s very important that kids learn about and understand their feelings. But it’s also true that feelings need to be recognized for what they are: temporary, changing conditions. They are states, not traits…… So we have to help them...
by Rhett Smith | Aug 29, 2013 | Parenting
Have you ever noticed how much your children love telling stories? My daughter and son love telling me stories about their adventures each day, whether it be an activity my daughter did during P.E., or my son talking to me about a crash he had on his scooter. It seems...
by Rhett Smith | Aug 28, 2013 | Parenting
“Daddy, I want to run!” That was the phrase that came out of my son’s mouth before we played the above game of chase on the beach…and this has been his repeated phrase of the last couple of months. It began on our 15.5 hour road trip to...
by Rhett Smith | Aug 27, 2013 | Parenting
This last week we talked about the importance of integrating the upstairs brain with the downstairs brain, and strategy #4 continues with along this same theme. I love the idea in The Whole-Brain Child that “The upstairs brain is like a muscle; when it gets...
by Rhett Smith | Aug 23, 2013 | Parenting
I’ve been talking a lot about the brain in my blog series on The Whole-Brain Child, so I thought it would be helpful to see a simple presentation by Dr. Dan Siegel where he presents a hand model of the brain. I think this will be especially helpful in light of...
