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I Know____, but I Feel_____.
The Dichotomy of Mind Caused by Trauma By Kristy Cobillas, MEd, LPC Feelings can be tricky. Feelings can reflect perceived reality, but they certainly do not dictate what reality is. Sometimes the two do not line up! Why does this happen? What is this dichotomy of mind that takes place between what one thinks and what one feels? The answer, in part, is biological. Different parts of the brain have different functions. For example, the prefrontal cortex is the area that is known for the processing of a person’s executive functions, such as reasoning, impulse control, decision making, planning, and anticipating a negative outcome. It is a part of the…
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Holidays with an Eating Disorder
The holiday season is here! Almost all holiday parties and gatherings revolve around food and drink. Although this can be fun for many, it can be frightening for those with disordered eating. Creating a sense of safety around food and meal planning is essential experiencing a joyful season with family and friends. Evidence-based research has shown that if you are someone who struggles with an eating disorder, it is beneficial to navigate the holidays with the help of your treatment team. A treatment team for an eating disorder patient would include a dietitian, a therapist, and a physician. Your dietitian can cater your meal plan specifically for the holidays. Your…
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The Only Way Out Is Through: Understanding and Embracing Relationship Fears
Many of our Agape articles embody a theme of embracing our core relationship fears and learning how to tolerate the undesirable emotions that come with them. In order to move from self-judgment toward self-compassion, it’s important to understand our core fears, their origin, and how they impact our thoughts, feelings and relationships. This means we have to move toward the fear rather than avoid it. Once we acknowledge a relationship fear and move towards it, the fear begins to lose the power that it has over us. Poet Robert Frost has quoted “The only way out is through.” This is so true! A great resource to understanding core fears is…
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Lessons Taught by Trauma
By Kristy Cobillas, MEd, LPC “What good does it do to talk about it, if it’s not going to change anything?” When it comes to trauma, there are those who will attempt to mentally and emotionally bury the experience. It is true that simply talking about the past does not change it. Recounting the memory of a horrendous experience may do little more than cause one to re-experience the emotional pain. In therapy, victims of trauma can process the event(s) with the help of a professional, who uses techniques conducive to the healing process. Many people who have experienced trauma continue to suffer long after the event is over. The…
Marriage Family & Individual Counseling | St Louis MO
