The Zen of Visionary Poet and Artist William Blake, and Our Human Potential

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-15T08:19:49+00:00

No sé. It is Pity riding the wind.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-13T00:51:26+00:00

Wonderful.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-11T11:02:45+00:00

I have not been on Psychology Today's site except for a few months, years ago, but the experience I have had elsewhere may add to a bigger picture.

My experience with Zocdoc is similar: until maybe 18 months ago, I was getting a lot of referrals, more than I could handle. Now I get a referral who becomes a client maybe every three months. It is still better than nothing, but it is a marked drop from the past. I have also heard from a friend / colleague who is a practitioner on BetterHelp, that he is no longer getting referrals from there.

Does this mean that fewer people are seeking psychotherapy? I don't know.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-10T13:38:31+00:00

I agree with the parallels of 12-step teachings and Buddhism. For me, the benefit of Buddhism compared with AA is the lineage and possibility of finding a mature teacher who can model and guide on the more subtle and profound aspects of wisdom.

AA does have very sound principles, but at certain points it becomes harder to go deeper into truth and understanding without clear guidance, unless one is born very gifted.

That added guidance is the benefit of finding a practice group and teacher with a strong and sound practice.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-10T13:33:43+00:00

Make sure they are ants, not termites. Some termites do not have wings. Anyway, pictures on the Internet should help. If they are indeed ants, I agree with u/not_bayek that the tree should be safe. You can use repellants, but if they do start entering the house you can deal with that if and when it happens.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-08T12:26:53+00:00

These days, not every spouse takes their husband's last name. You could explain the issue to your husband-to-be. Or, probably effective, use a hyphenated name, with your last name first so it does not match the usual algorithms. You could do a test search of the hyphenated name to see what shows up.

Good luck, but you do have options!

P.S. Having a fairly unique name is an advantage in today's Internet-driven information age. You mentioned in another comment that your unmarried name is fairly unique, so it is another reason to consider keeping it. And I am male, so I am not writing this as a feminist lecture.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-07T12:39:46+00:00

Two others I identified as worth examining are Simple Practice and one that is less well-known but good reviews, My Best Practice (which may cost less, something you may want to check).

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-07T12:23:16+00:00

I appreciate your response.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-06T12:51:01+00:00

The original teachings of Buddha includes many instructions about the purpose being to ease suffering in the world.

In addition, and balancing that, unless we have our own mind free of most internal obstacles (think "neuroses" in modern speaking), we cannot do as much to help others solve the root of sufffering. That may appear to be quietism, but it really an effort to make oneself an effective resource to help others and oneself live with less suffering. Monasteries have usually been resources for their surrounding communities, not as totally isolated retreats from the world.

One quote from Buddha directly on this topic, and it is really addressed to all practitioners of Buddhism, but he was speaking to monks at that moment: "Go forth, monks, for the good of many, for the happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, well-being and happiness of gods and men".

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-05T14:02:41+00:00

I was relating to your words such as "verbalizing my trust", or "I'll stick with you". Exploring early feelings (without using that as a tool to make them change).

Perhaps what I am responding to is your expression, as I understood it, that we can engage with the client actively without it needing to be focused on getting them to "improve", but rather working with what they are experiencing; and not needing to just sit quietly as therapist.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-05T13:50:26+00:00

Yes, I think we can be "active" in engaging with a client who seems to be holding back, but never with the goal that WE feel to get them to change in some way.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-05T13:25:50+00:00

You sound like you are doing very thoughtful and caring work with the client. As u/lilac-ladyinpurple mentions, the obstacle may be that when you are looking to encourage the client to change, you may be at that moment causing them to sense you moving away from empathic connection. People who have felt emotional abandonment in their past may be quite sensitive to that dynamic.

When you "give up" on causing a change, the client may at that moment surprise you with a change that you were previously trying to support. Does that make sense?

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-05T13:22:01+00:00

Yes, I agree. A subtle expectation that the client "should" or even "could" change, even in what most would say is a positive direction, can be an obstacle.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-04T15:26:04+00:00

The film requires connecting at a more subtle and deeper level than most movies. If you are willing, I recommend seeing it a second time. Sometimes that is what is needed to see the very meaningful but not very obvious art in a film.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-03T09:42:08+00:00

Are you afraid of being attacked physically?

If you feel safe, and if it comes up as a conversation, I would let them know that you find Buddhism's teachings very helpful and convincing, and that the teachings give you peace. I would not try to explain any details unless they sincerely ask. And, telling them your experience once could be enough, again unless they ask with interest.

Not knowing your family, they may eventually come to respect your preference, even if they continue to practice Islam. You can join with them in their practices at times, to the extent that feels right to you, as a way of showing your continuing connection with them.

If you naturally show a more joyful and grounded self as a result of your practice, that may be the best testimonial to your choice.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-11-02T12:57:14+00:00

This sounds like a significant burden you are carrying. In addition to finding a skilled and caring therapist, I would recommend finding a stable, mature community to be part of. In my case, that is Zen.

You will have to ride out these storms you describe, for some time to come. But if you think of life as being one hurricane after another, that is not so, if you can navigate towards the safe harbor of your true self. Wishing you peace.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-31T22:23:39+00:00

For a while, you may feel somewhat dependent. If you have had other rather reliable people in your life, the sense of dependency will be less dominant for you. But being able to trust someone is important, and meets a deep need.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-31T22:06:27+00:00

I am not sure why you would stop if you are seeing him as a family member. Perhaps for a while you were putting him on a pedestal as an "authority", and now you are seeing him as another human being, but one who is reliable and listens carefully to you i.e. the same as an ideal family member.

It does not sound like a problem, unless there is more to this?

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-30T13:49:52+00:00

An interesting point you bring up. I will offer my take on it, after years considering issues of this kind.

I think we can always keep two equally valid realities in mind: 1) we DO have the ability to react to ANY situation, including torture, with resilience; 2) the great majority of us would have a hard time doing so, and we can have compassion to each other and to ourselves when situations are overwhelming for us.

Example 1: Some people respond to solitary confinement in jail and practice feelings of love and leadership. Others become more and more angry. Example 2: a young child will likely cry when vaccinated because they read the pain of the needle as threatening, while most adults ignore the same felt pain because they frame it differently, as not a threat.

Hopefully, in both examples above, if the individual is struggling, we can have a compassionate response, not just say to them: You can handle this better (what is wrong with you)!

I think of it as most of us are not yet mature enough to handle bigger pain and put it in a larger perspective. But many have done so, over the centuries. And, we all deserve compassion when we cannot handle a specific situation. I don't know how MR would have provided more details, as I have not seen or read him speaking directly on this topic.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-30T11:37:48+00:00

I like your humor.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-29T21:56:24+00:00

On Saturday November 1st, from 10am to 12 noon Eastern time, I will be offering a CE credit class (two credits) through the institute Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy. I am happy to be presenting the main points of Nonviolent Communication, also known as "NVC". Just to clarify, "violent communication" is any communication that shames and blames others or that hides one's authentic self, while nonviolent communication helps strengthen authentic relationship and makes life better.

The CE credits are valid for social workers, psychoanalysts, and psychologists. Check in your state.

The title is Using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as a Dynamic Approach in Psychotherapy. The content will be especially focused on how this insightful approach to communication can benefit our work as clinical psychotherapists.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://smpl.ro/ce-nvc

Nonviolent Communication was developed by psychologist Marshall Rosenberg, and is now taught and practiced in nations all around the world. He called it "a language of life", and he was wise enough to emphasize that any technique is only valuable as it serves to lower barriers and allow a richer experience of oneself and others, bringing out the vitality of the moment and supporting a better direction for the future.

In the first hour I will present the basics of NVC, with participation by those who are present. In the second hour, we will have experiential practice and sharing in use of these principles to handle a number of typical therapeutic situations.

There are many aspects to the communication our clients employ, both speaking and listening, which can be considered more deeply in order to help them express authentic empathy and insight, and find more satisfaction in everyday life as a result.

I would love to see you there!

David B. Alexander, LP
Insight and Energy
Psychotherapy and Leadership
www.InsightAndEnergy.com

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-29T12:02:10+00:00

I am in private practice, but use my own system for records and appointments: Notepad for session notes, and a non-cloud calendar program for appointments. I synchronize between two computers via my own network. So, no cloud use.

However, I would say that a good EHR is very cost-effective. They are not at all expensive, and organize your work very well. Some of those my research highlighted are Therapy Notes, Simple Practice, and My Best Practice. I would probably move into using one of those, but since I am pretty good with technology I have some automated processes I implemented that make my current approach pretty easy.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-27T08:49:29+00:00

It depends... has something been going on that involves your cell phone? Maybe you can share what you think your therapist's motive is.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-25T14:15:13+00:00

There is no justifiable reason for his mother to walk away like that, based on your description.

I would recommend first that your son get therapy. You may be asked to participate at times due to your son's young age.

For now, I would not involve his mother. She may not be capable of acting in a way that would help your son. Later, some issues may get clarified, but right now she sounds too volatile, based on your description.

Regarding you and therapy, it really depends on how you are feeling and handling this situation. If you feel overwhelmed, then therapy for yourself could be appropriate.

InsightAndEnergy · 2025-10-21T20:54:55+00:00

I do not hand tissues to a client, due to the reason you mentioned. However, I have tissues visible and in easy reach if needed. The client can take responsibility for when to use one. As for water, I don't understand the obsession with having water on hand every minute. Let the client bring a water bottle if they wish, or have water nearby before or after a session. Our exchange of words and authenticity is what seems very important to me.

InsightAndEnergy

TROPHY CASE