Blog Articles
Additional resources written by our PCS therapists.
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“Frenemies”
Series Two; Blog Sixty-Six A “frenemy” is an oxymoron that refers to a person who is a friend but at the same time can be an enemy. Sigmund Freud once said that “an intimate friend and a hated enemy have always been indispensable to my emotional life…not infrequently, friend and… -
Nine Thoughts that Shape Recovery
Series Two; Blog Sixty-Five I have been in recovery from addiction for 31 years. I have been reflecting on the 9 thoughts that have shaped and governed my recovery life. I want to share them in hopes that perhaps I can offer hope and strength to those who struggle with… -
The Power of Reframe
Series Two; Blog Sixty-Four “Deprivation Always Fuels Entitlement”—KW Being deprived of what you want or need triggers entitlement. Extreme economic deprivation is a significant factor that ignites war. Martin Luther King proclaimed that extreme economic deprivation fuels riots which are the voices of the unheard. Deprivation is an important factor… -
You Never Leave the Cult
Series Two; Blog Sixty-Three “Here’s an easy way to figure out if you’re in a cult: If you’re wondering whether you’re in a cult, the answer is yes.” ― Stephen Colbert Throughout my lifetime there have been infamous and abominable cults that have gained worldwide attention. Cults like Heaven’s Gate… -
Series Within A Series: After The Session #2 | Doug Withrow, LMFT, MSC, MDiv, S-PSB | Shame
Elijah and Doug discuss carrying shame. -
Trapped in Negative Thinking
Series Two; Blog Sixty-Two “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Addicts are plagued with stinking thinking. They are not the only ones. Addicts learn to stop acting out with their drug of choice. However, many who have… -
Vilomah
I went looking for a word that describes a part of who I am. This aspect is so integrated into my being that not having a word to describe it felt like I had to have a script in place at all times in order to explain it to others…. -
The Best Worst Group: Healing from Partner Sexual Betrayal
“Welcome to the Best Worst Group!” Quite the oxymoron, right? This is often the greeting that is offered to new members of our Betrayed Partner Support Group. The group includes women who have all experienced some form of sexual betrayal by their partner. There are wives whose husbands have been… -
Closing the Door on Yesterday
Series Two; Blog Sixty-One Fond memories of past experiences are sentimental ways of avoiding the present moment. Addicts struggle to live in the present. They often reminisce about how much better past experiences were compared to the present day. As an addict, wistful recall of childhood days tempt me to… -
Detaching from the Illusion of Control
Series Two; Blog Sixty Recovery from addiction requires detachment. The word means to separate, dis-engage, or disunite. Step 3 of the 12-step program admonishes that “we make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Sounds serene and beautiful…. -
Time Can Heal or Harm: Depending How It Is Handled
Series Two; Blog Fifty-Nine No one heals overnight from a deep relational hurt such as betrayal. We are not robots! In therapy when I experience a couple dealing with betrayal who seem too quick to forgive and forget, I always try to slow the process to help them embrace the… -
Lost in the Woods
Series Two; Blog Fifty-Eight Have you ever been lost in the woods? There have been a couple of times that I have been lost in the woods. Suddenly you recognize that you are not where you thought you were. It dawns on you that nothing looks familiar. You begin to… -
The Problem of Fantasy
Series Two; Blog Fifty-Seven “Though we do not wholly believe it yet, the interior life is a real life, and the intangible dreams of people have a tangible effect on the world.”—James Baldwin When I was a kid, I had a problem that any place other than where I am… -
The Banality of Boredom in the Life of an Addict
Series Two; Blog Fifty-Five “I think boredom is the beginning of every authentic act . . . Boredom opens up the space, for new engagements. Without boredom, no creativity. If you are not bored, you just stupidly enjoy the situation in which you are.” —Slavoj Žižek Boredom is a fearful… -
Step 3–The Task of Turning It Over To God
Series Two: Blog Fifty-Four Step 3 is not only difficult, but it is daily. This morning I woke up groggy from a restless night of sleep. I wiped the blur from my cataract-covered eyes and contemplated the day. There’s a long list of stuff that once it is done, I… -
Spirituality and Recovery
What image comes to mind when you think, “Spirituality?” Religion? Incense? Meditation? Family? Judgment? Abuse? Ridiculous? When spirituality is mentioned as a core component of 12-step work, it can be incredibly uplifting resource, or a monumental obstruction. Having a basic understanding of spirituality can be helpful in gaining new insights… -
Setting Boundaries with The News
Much like having too much sugar can lead to diabetes or too much sunlight can increase the risk of skin cancer, consuming too much news can be harmful to mental health and overall well-being. Studies have linked news consumption to increased anxiety, reduction in sleep quality, and variety of other… -
Series Within A Series: After The Session #1 | Suzanne Berndt, MC, LPC, MHSA | Somatic Experience
Elijah and Suzanne discuss the somatic experience. -
Tolerance—An Energy That Heals and Unites
Series Two; Blog Fifty-Three It’s been a year and one half since the world changed with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As much as we would like to think we are in control, COVID tells us differently. By now many of us either know someone or have a dear… -
Ten Things to Cultivate and Cherish in the Presence of Relational Betrayal
Series Two; Blog Fifty-One Cherish is a dynamic in relationship life that adds richness and protects the integrity of love between two people. Cherish promotes protecting and caring for something or someone in a very loving way. You hear about athletes who cherish an old coach who has long since…
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