The Bucks County Psychotherapy Group

01/19/2023

Recently, somebody asked me about the topic of parental alienation. This is when one parent prevents the other parent from having a relationship with the child. Many times this can be very destructive to the children. They can feel sadness, anger, confusion, and they can feel torn between the love they have for both parents. Here is an article about some of the impacts that this has on children which can carry into adulthood.

This study qualitatively investigated the mental health of adults exposed to parental alienating behaviours in childhood. Research suggests that exposure to parental alienating behaviours in childhood can have a profound impact on the mental health of ...

01/08/2022

https://www.insider.com/emotional-abuse
If do you have any questions or are looking for therapy for abuse please don’t hesitate to call us at the Bucks County Psychotherapy group at 215-997-1229. www.buckstherapygroup.com

Emotional abuse can take many forms — including gaslighting, jealousy, shifting the blame, and more. Here are the tell-tale signs.

12/25/2021

The holidays are a sad time for many. Reach out to family and friends who might be having a hard time.

For those who have been bereaved Christmas is a time when the sense of loss is intensified, whether that loss is recent or an absence that is still keenly felt

12/13/2020

Happy Tuesday! We're sharing a beautiful line from one of our favorite Mary poems which is featured in Devotions, a definitive and enduring collection of Mary's best work. https://bit.ly/3ehOOKS

06/30/2020

You might wonder what therapists are doing about providing psychotherapy during this pandemic. Most therapists have sought out virtual and telehealth methods of meeting with patients. I have found that Zoom and FaceTime have worked very effectively and I’ve heard this from several of my colleagues as well. There are therapists who have chosen to give up their offices for the time being as they plan on doing virtual therapy for quite a while. I plan to continue with virtual therapy for awhile but I have held onto my office until I can get back there. Some therapists are getting back to the office with several steps of procedures to keep things as sanitized as possible. My practice is running very smoothly while doing virtual therapy and I have done some further trainings on managing trauma during this stressful time. I want you to know that I’m happy to help you with all of your psychotherapy needs.

04/08/2020

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ways-older-adults-can-cope-with-the-stress-of-coronavirus-11585405569?mod=e2fb

A psychologist specializing in older people gives advice on how they can handle the threat and uncertainty—and how their adult children and others can help

03/23/2020

Stress and the Coronavirus.
Happy Monday everyone, hope you are all surviving these trying times. Anxiety is normal and can help us be more attentive to the things we must do. With COVID 19 upon us we are more aware of handwashing, social distancing, etc. These are good things.
Unfortunately when we start to experience prolonged anxiety we may notice more troubling reactions such as increased anxiety, agitation, or feelings of depression or hopelessness.
Here are 10 methods I share with patients to help them manage during these trying times.
1) Redirect your negative thoughts by making lists, writing a gratitude journal, doing mathematical equations, whatever helps you to get your mind working in a different direction
2) Get outside every single day, if it’s raining put up your umbrella and take a walk.
3) Get in you car and take a drive, there are beautiful places everywhere, find some scenery or some beautiful homes to look at, find historical sites you’ve heard of but have never seen. It can become very depressing to be in the house all day.
4) Create a schedule for yourself. Schedule when you will wake, have meal times, do daily tasks such as laundry or cleaning out a closet, when you plan to take your walk, perhaps when you clean one room every day, and what you will do in the evening.
Creating a schedule allows for a feeling of normalcy and focus. It can be very easy to sit around and become listless during these times.
5) Write a list of projects you’d like to accomplish while you’re homebound. Separate them into small half hour projects and larger several hour projects. As we talked about above, fit them into your schedule, maybe you’ll spread the big projects out over several days. Accomplishing these tasks can give you a feeling of accomplishment and help to focus your attention away from worry.
6) Take time for self-care, find a yoga video, take a run, take a long hot bath, do your nails, take turns with your spouse getting a massage, read a book, whatever you like to do for peace and relaxation.
7) Make a call to a friend or family member every day. Even if you are with your family it’s important to stay connected to the other people in your life. Think about friends or family who are alone and might enjoy a phone call.
8 ) It’s certainly OK to catch up on the news every day, we should all be aware, but please don’t watch the news all day long which includes Facebook where you will find a running commentary on today’s crisis. We are still here and have people who love us and need us.
9) For worries about things like health and income, do as much research as you can, when you’re anxious about something, take action. Research resources, Google, look at the CDC or government sites. Be a sleuth. Get that exercise and make sure you’re eating your fruits and vegetables every day. Eating well gives us a feeling of control. We feel better when we are taking action.
10) If you have children, don’t be afraid to take a break when possible. Naptime for them means a long hot bath for you. Schedule with your children what time you will be spending with them during the day and let them help you think of what activities they want to do. If you have a partner take turns hanging with the kids so that each of you gets a break. There are ideas all over Facebook about different types of activities you can do with your kids. Children might pick up the anxiety in the home and could act out a little more. Try to be patient with them but also be patient with yourself.
I hope some of these approaches make a difference in your day. Don’t forget that psychotherapists are still allowed to practice during this time. They can do telehealth both on the phone or virtually. If you need one don’t hesitate to reach out.

Ellen Faulkner PhD, NCPsyA is a psychoanalysit in the Doylestown, Bucks County area with over 30 years of experience. 215.317.3329, 530 W Butler Ave Chalfont PA 18914, faulknerInsights@aol.com

07/10/2019

https://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/the-connection-between-verbal-abuse-and-anxiety-everyone-ignores/

There is a strong link between anxiety and long-term mental abuse. Chronic stress and trauma lead to various mental disorders, one of which is anxiety. However, many people overlook the serious negative effects of mental abuse, but it is actually on the same level of harmfulness as physical abuse. P...

05/03/2019

My colleague wrote this article, it is so important in this age of dieting, weight, and kids anxiety. We are giving children terrible messages about their bodies and the importance of weight. This can create significant self-esteem issues and responses such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders to name a few. If you have children in your life you’ll be glad you read this.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbenourished.activehosted.com%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Dsocial%26chash%3D1cecc7a77928ca8133fa24680a88d2f9.1421&h=AT1cu7itiQSaLDuzpY2XasbOBUCQwqje8SAWTN276aSYOIrvVC-CAkCuKrW0VCliswaoJS1R7knn-mrJfO4FqZ5kjo1_jzHPfkkD-h8oZ8_ETmxticWFjnyFXbiXE9E&s=1

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11/20/2018

The holidays can be difficult...even sitting around the Thanksgiving table with your family can be a challenge. Here are a few tips to create a positive experience.
-If there is a family member who tends to drink too much and disrupt things, don’t serve alcohol at the dinner.
- Don’t hesitate to ask that there be no political discussions at dinner or afterwards.
- Ask that everyone state something for which they are thankful or for whom they are thankful. Hopefully this will set a positive tone.
- If discussions get heated, ask simple questions such as have you thought about going on vacation next year? Use polite conversation to distract from the tension.
-The use of humor is a godsend. If a little tension starts you can laugh and say well it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a scuffle, and then quickly change the subject.
-Holidays can also be beautiful warm experience. Go in with a positive attitude and a determination to enjoy the moments with those you love.

06/06/2018

We were faced with very sad news yesterday when we learned that Kate Spade committed su***de. She was a celebrity and extremely successful so of course we wonder how someone with everything would want to take her own life? Unfortunately depression is insidious, and impacts every aspect of your life and many people who suffer with depression go through countless cycles of trying to treat it, trying new medications, getting advice from therapists and just pushing through every day. Unfortunately for various reasons some people cannot find the help to work through it and manage it and they may take their own lives. So often the people who love the victims of su***de blame themselves but of course they are not capable of fixing that depression. We can also learn from this that anyone can suffer with depression whether their circumstances are very good or extremely difficult. If you suffer from depression please consider in-depth therapeutic work and open your mind to antidepressants which can very possibly change the quality of your life experience. Hang in there with therapy and don’t expect instant results, this is hard work sometimes requiring longer term therapy, medication, and other stress relieving modalities such as massage, yoga, or meditation. I see people in my practice every day learning to work through the issues that are creating their depression, finding medications when it is appropriate, and finally being able to enjoy their lives. Don’t be discouraged, in most cases things can get better with the proper care.