therapy

Palm Springs

By Elisabeth LaMotte / August 4, 2020

With schools across the country and throughout the DMV announcing that they will remain virtual for several more months, life in quarantine is affirmed as our new normal. When DC and the surrounding area shut down in March, it was hard to imagine that in July we would be bracing for distance learning and stay…

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WHY IS IT SO HARD TO READ RIGHT NOW AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / May 5, 2020

Since the stay at home orders began, many of my friends and therapy clients are expressing frustration because they notice difficulty reading literature. Their frustration is fueled by the irony that the quarantine is – in theory — the perfect time to catch up on a pile of bedside books. Unfortunately, concentration is wandering easily…

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The Great Believers

By Elisabeth LaMotte / April 30, 2020

It feels like an appropriate time to read about a pandemic. Many describe how attention can wander during the quarantine, despite circumstances creating an optimal time for reading. Hours and hours of reading. Hours that are better spent reading quality fiction and non-fiction than overdosing on the news. The clever trick is to discover a…

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Listen

By Spencer Northey / April 21, 2020

Listen by Beyonce Listen to the song here in my heart A melody I start but can’t complete Listen to the sound from deep within It’s only beginning to find release Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard They will not be pushed aside and turned Into your own All ’cause…

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Next to Normal

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 18, 2020

“Is that normal?” People in therapy commonly describe a particular thought, feeling or behavior in vivid detail, and then ask whether what they are describing is “normal”. Is it “normal” to scroll through photo after photo of your ex even if you broke up months ago? Is it “normal” to have so many dreams about…

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American Utopia

By Elisabeth LaMotte / March 3, 2020

David Byrne began his uplifting performance in American Utopia by musing with his audience about the human brain and its capacity for change. Of course, this is a concept explored by therapists and human behavior experts. The brain’s capacity for psychological change is also a central focus for clients in therapy. What unfolded on stage…

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Parasite

By Elisabeth LaMotte / January 10, 2020

Therapy is about discovering hidden truths lingering beneath the surface. Clients engaged in the therapeutic process excavate complicated or adverse circumstances and ideally discover new insights and perspectives that help them improve their current relationships or choose new ones if necessary. Many schools of therapy gently (or directly) ask strategic questions to challenge false impressions…

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What’s the Difference between Talking with a Shrink and Talking with a Friend?

By Elisabeth LaMotte / October 11, 2019

Atlantic Monthly reporter Olga Khazan reached out last month to discuss what it is like to practice therapy in Washington, DC. She was curious about what it means to work in a city where so many professionals have top secret security clearance or work in fields like politics and reporting where it can be complicated…

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Samantha

By Spencer Northey / September 12, 2019

Backstroke Raptor by The Story Pirates Lyric Excerpt (for full lyrics click here) NARRATOR IT WAS DINNER TIME FOR THE FAMILY OF MONSTERS SAMANTHA HAD SOMETHING ON HER MIND AFTER A THREE COURSE MEAL SHE FINALLY FOUND THE COURAGE TO TELL HER MONSTER PARENTS WHAT SHE FELT INSIDE SHE SAID (As SAMANTHA) MOM AND DAD…

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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

By Elisabeth LaMotte / August 16, 2019

Lori Gottlieb took a circuitous route to becoming a therapist. A stint as a production assistant in Hollywood led her to become a script reviewer who developed a love for storytelling. To enhance her editorial understanding of a promising new show she was editing, (ER!) she began shadowing doctors in a local emergency room and…

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