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When we talk about pain, we are talking about a subject that is misunderstood by many who are involved in the treatment of pain. Often these people have very little, or in some cases, no training at all in dealing with pain. The teaching of pain in medical school is so minimal that it makes it very difficult to understand and treat pain. When clients are referred to my office to help them deal with pain, they have no understanding about pain. They only know that their body hurts, and they want it to get better. Many of them

In my 20+ years of counseling experience I have worked with many clients who have emotional issues. Some of these clients are emotionally murdered every day by people that are close to them; this could be from their spouse, family members or friends, but unfortunately no one punishes the culprit. What does it mean when I say someone is being emotionally murdered? This occurs when someone day after day is told that they are not good enough, not smart enough, or not worthy enough. They are sometimes told that their life is just a waste, and they do not deserve

We all have the power to create the images that will guide our feelings and ultimately create a stress-free life. Regardless of circumstances, we can always control our feelings in this simple way. It is important to begin practicing this technique as often as possible, and over time there will be a great difference in your feelings and in an overall sense of contentment. The reason the change occurs gradually is simple. It is all in how we learn. The conscious mind gathers information and makes judgments, which it gives to the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is designed to

For several weeks now, my editor has been asking me to write on the topic of “worry.” “Everyone is always worrying so much, and you could help so many people deal with their constant worrying,” she said. “People worry about their children, their jobs, their health, their finances; they worry about what other people think… the worrying people do is ongoing.” I would think about the topic, but nothing would come up. I had a difficult time grasping “worry.” Every week she would ask me, and every week I would say I would think about what to write. So this

Last month we addressed the topic of grief, and I made reference to a client who had buried “a part of herself” with her husband when he passed. I have done my own clinical research with hundreds of clients on the concept of “giving away parts of one’s self,” and I would like to share with you some of my conclusions and discoveries. I would like to elaborate on the topic of “taking back parts” of one’s self that are given away and how this concept helps clients who may be grieving or “stuck.” I believe that at birth we

Grieving the loss of a loved one, whether the loss was through death, divorce, or a lost relationship can cause great emotional sadness. Over the years in my clinical experience, I have had many clients who told me that they felt fragmented, empty, or “not whole” after losing either a loved one through death or a relationship break-up. Although we worked on different negative emotions, the deep sadness created by this loss did not go away… they still felt a deep emptiness inside. Through our life, we have been told that in order to love someone, we must give that

The intention of these monthly articles is to take complex events that happen within our mind and body and try to explain them in a simple manner. The purpose of this is so that you, the reader, can have a better understanding as to why you are either proactive or reactive to what is happening inside you and around you. For this issue, we will discuss how to better communicate with your emotions in order to have a happier life. Understanding the way our bodies function on a chemical level is very important because it demonstrates clearly the essential bond

At this present moment we are living under a dark cloud which I call FEAR. When we speak of fear it means there is an absence of courage, and what fuels courage is FAITH. With faith we can focus and believe that all is possible – health, love, peace and joy, without worrying about how these things are going to come to us. Fear is brought on by focusing on what is bad, what can go wrong, and what can bring sadness, loss, sickness or death. The way this pandemic is being handled actually has created a new pandemic that

In the beginning, when I started to do therapy, clients were coming to my office and complaining about stress. It was difficult to work with them, as the comment “I’m stressed” did not tell me what the actual problem was. First of all we have to understand that everything we do or don’t do is because we want to have a feeling – either we want to feel good, or we want to prevent ourselves from feeling bad. Understanding this, I began to ask my clients what emotions they were feeling during the time that they felt stressed. Their response

Our everyday lives are already so busy as we juggle many responsibilities—work, school, family, friends, children, chores, bills, our homes, social engagements, and appointments. Throw in a million more tasks and events in our already jam-packed schedules to prepare for the holiday season and it is no wonder people get stressed. On top of all the extra time that is needed as we try to do too much as the festive season approaches, there are the high expectations that are aligned to the holidays—making sure the home is neat and perfectly decorated for guests, the hunt for the perfect gifts

An understanding of what stress really is – a response a person feels when experiencing one or more negative emotions at one time – is important in order to recognize the types, misconceptions and signs of stress. There are three different types of stress – eustress, acute stress, and chronic stress. Eustress is a harmless type of stress. It comes from doing things that are exciting. Eustress makes a person feel vital and energized. People experience this type of stress from things like competing in a race, preparing excitedly for an event, meeting a deadline, getting ready for a first

Flavio Iammarino holds a Ph.D in Behavioural Science and practices Clinical Hypnosis. He is a published author, motivational speaker and clinical counselor with more than 30 years of experience in the field of personal development and mental enhancement performance. A cancer survivor or, as he likes to state, cancer conqueror, Flavio has worked with Olympic caliber and professional athletes spanning three continents. He has trained and instructed in the martial arts for over thirty years,  involving Zen meditation techniques, and holds a 5th degree black belt in karate. He is world renowned for his amazing ability to effect profound changes