A few years ago I published a simple model that described how to move through anxious or depressive states. It was useful, but lacking, especially as it didn’t account for the pervasive dissociation found in most cases. Progress in therapy is often non-linear. This post is written a bit more academically, but provides a more complete model of how to decide whether you are getting “better”.

Here is the blog post:

https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-to-measure-progress.html

I'll be making a video version on the Youtube Channel soon!

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This episode reviews some different types and symptoms of depression. The posts are:

Seasonal Depression

Caring for Grief

Procrastination Theory

Postpartum Depression

Use this link to see the Diagrams: https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-diagrams.html

Please review the post, “Depression, the Natural Process” found in Diagnosis Facts, Part 1, or here on the blog: https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2022/06/depression-natural-process.html

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This episode discusses the pervasive and critical role of Shame in mental illness and in our lives generally. The first post describes how essentially all mental illness symptoms boil down to shame. The second helps us differentiate between Grief, Guilt, and Shame. The Third helps us point out shame in common stressful situations, and the last gives specifics in how shame arises as an adaptation in children.

*To avoid confusion in the second post, recall that I posit "Guilt" as a type of Grief.

For more on Grief, see the post in the book, "Caring for Grief".

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Featuring the following posts:

Depression, the Natural Process

Social Anxiety: The Ranking System in Our Minds

ADHD, a Soapbox

Borderline, Bipolar, or Split Personality?

Do You Know a Narcissist?

Education on Narcissism:

https://clearlyclinical.com/podcast/2019/4/24/narcissism-amp-the-skilled-abuser-relational-impact-ep-51

*American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with attention-

deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc

Psychiatry. 2007;46(7):894-921.

*Biederman J, Petty CR, Evans M, Small J, Faraone SV.

How persistent is ADHD? A controlled 10-year follow-up

study of boys with ADHD. Psychiatry Res.

2010;177(3):299-304.

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The 2nd Parenting Package, where we review the following posts:

Steps Booklet, Page 5 (On Self-Care)

A Child’s Work Ethic?

"What Are You Yelling About?!"

To the Parents of Adopted, Fostered, or Otherwise Traumatized Children

Found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

and in the book 101 Therapy Talks

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This is a collection of my most recent posts on parenting, but I’ve written many posts about this, which I will turn into later Parenting Packages. Please check out the blog and look on the contents page for several more, and there is a large section in my book 101 Therapy talks filled with short and practical knowledge on effective parenting. The posts reviewed in this episode are:

For Parents Starting Therapy

 How to Put Your Kids in Residential Treatment… Sort of…

Who’s in Charge Here? Parenting in a Benevolent Monarchy

They HAVE to Go to School Right?

Did I Cause Your Outcomes?

Found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

and in the book, 101 Therapy Talks.

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The world is freaking out about mental health issues, as if they were a mysterious phenomenon with no solution. We’ve convoluted the investigation with scientifically unfounded theories about brain chemicals and DNA and arbitrary diagnostic categories. We’ve developed hundreds of research-backed therapy approaches, and are no more effective as therapists than when we started psychotherapy 100 years ago. We’ve developed many medical approaches with many more on the rise (e.g., psychedelics), and yet the rate of mental illness increases. Maybe we’re missing something?

Text found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

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In this episode, we challenge common ideas about mental health to show how, in a way, people are less healthy than we thought, or in a way, exactly as healthy as they should be.

Is Anyone Actually Healthy? Parts 1+2

Are We Raising Weak Kids?

The Gap Between Knowing What to Do, and Actually Doing It

Posts found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

Email at boonerc@protonmail.com

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The last of the 3-part series, where we talk about treating original sources of symptoms. I review a few selection from the Trauma section of the book, discussing how to identify trauma, the science of processing, what isn't processing, and what is.

*Be aware that this episode discusses potentially triggering material, including sexual assault.

How To Process Trauma:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je5nUUEPLSI

Text found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

and in the book, 101 Therapy Talks.

Feel free to email me with feedback or episode ideas!:

boonerc@protonmail.com

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Part 2 of the series, where we talk about how to change your environment to make it more conducive to healing and growing, mostly by setting (and holding) new boundaries and improving interaction skills. All posts reviewed are in the book 101 Therapy Talks, but you can see more about boundaries on the Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/therapy_with_boone_lmft/

Look for "Boundaries Miniseries"

The post in here called "Setting Emotional Boundaries" is also the general sequence for coming to really forgive someone.

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Not just another list of tips and tricks. This reviews the posts, "Coping or Numbing?", "Levels of Coping," "Body Language," and "Suppressing and Compartmentalizing" to help us understand what coping really is, what it is not, and what will work short-term, and what will last. Sorry about the sound editing. Still learning :)

Found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

and in the book, 101 Therapy Talks.

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Though most of the people listening to this episode will be college students, this is for anyone at any age seeking a committed partner, or anyone trying to court their current partner more effectively.

Posts found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

-Paper Dolls

-Decisions, Decisions

-The Psychology of BYU Breakups

-Where Did We Go Wrong?

Brene Brown Vulnerability:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o&t=2s

Communication Skills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L849OKODT88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HBX1wK7AQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBPnSl_KPKg&t=1s

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In today’s episode, I talk about how those of the rising generation are adapting proportionally to their circumstances. It makes a lot of sense what’s happening with psychotropic prescriptions being dealt out to children and suicide rates increasing. As we shall discuss.

The posts I’ll be reviewing are:

Mental Illness Needs Context

Covert Depression And Other Undiagnosable Illnesses

Is There Really More Mental Illness Nowadays, parts 1 and 2.

Found at https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/

Link to Vsauce episode "Juvenoia":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD0x7ho_IYc

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In this episode we review some basics of the sources and treatments of mental illness. I review Evolutionary Theory, then read through 3 chapters that explain basic concepts.

Link to 'The Brain and The Bucket" post and diagrams:

https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2021/03/tx-brain-and-bucket-why-am-i-anxious-or.html

5 min video on the role of Genetics and Chemical Imbalance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boo58-su26E

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The second half of the read-through of the Steps Booklet, including the addition on Complex Disorders, final footnotes, and sources of inspiration.

The Complete Steps Diagram:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10OWFOBAeWTfXFPvIyD5mnRbyL5nqwqvt/view?usp=sharing

3 Step, 6 Step, and Split Brain Diagrams:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17EFUAQR5eF3gpFtT4rv4NSFi5zYKQklY/view?usp=sharing

The Steps Booklet and blog post:

https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2022/08/steps-booklet.html

Did I Cause Your Outcomes?: https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2021/11/did-i-cause-your-outcomes.html

Why Is It Shame? https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2021/12/why-is-it-shame.html

Covert Depression: https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2022/06/covert-depression-and-other.html

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This first episode will kick off a read through of the Steps Booklet, which I began publicizing a few months back. Along with the text, I’ll also be adding some extra examples and more in-depth explanations.

3 Step, 6 Step, and Split Brain Diagrams:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17EFUAQR5eF3gpFtT4rv4NSFi5zYKQklY/view?usp=sharing

The Steps Booklet and blog post:

https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2022/08/steps-booklet.html

The Brain and the Bucket: https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2021/03/tx-brain-and-bucket-why-am-i-anxious-or.html

Against Reassurance:https://stepsfamilytherapy.blogspot.com/2022/06/against-reassurance.html

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