Anthony Smith, LMHC

I agree. But also, in my experience, very few therapists seem to be good at everything. Does calling it all “psychotherapy” not have downsides too? One issue is you can risk hinging it all on a hope that for many is incredibly difficult: finding one amazing therapist who can do it all, is available, and you can afford. Another is that when choosing a therapist, it helps to have names for different kinds of work. This might help you ask and have a conversation with them to understand how they approach therapy in general or how they might do it with you.

A note on exercise. depression, and why recommending exercise for depression is not always helpful.

We must be prepared to assume the existence in us of not only a second consciousness, but of a third, fourth, perhaps of an unlimited number of states of consciousness, all unknown to our everyday self. --Freud

"By enacting frightening scenarios, the unconsciously anxious person turns passive into active, transforming a sense of helplessness and vulnerability into an experience of agency and power, no matter how negative the drama that is played out." - Nancy McWilliams

Folks seem to have found the post on splitting below helpful. Well, we can't consider really understand splitting without understanding projective identification So, here's my take on projective identification, arguably the most interesting and complex 'defence': 🧵

Important message for our modern political world from Frank Yeomans, MD Everyone can regress to splitting... It can even be fun... Idealization/devaluation, tribal thinking -> not taking responsibility, only blaming others... Share with me an example that comes to your mind...