Cre8yourhealth's Blog

“Sarah´s Key”: how a parent’s word can instill guilt

Patricia Rotsztain — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:20:06 +0000

If you are prepared for an intense movie and have a big box of kleenex with you, go watch “Sarah’s Key” (Elle s’appelait Sarah). Besides being an excellent movie with superb acting and direction, it presents an accurate view into the devastation caused by guilt. Sarah, a little Jewish girl in Paris, 1942, is taken away with her parents by the french police collaborating with the nazis. But before being taken Sarah hides her little brother in the closet and locks him up in an attempt to protect him. Her father, realizing they are not coming back home, screams at her in tears, blaming her for the little boy’s destiny. Sarah survives but carries the load of guilt throughout her life, unable to build true connections or enjoy anything.
Would Sarah have been able to escape such painful guilt had her father acted differently? We don’t know…and yet it makes me think of how many times as parents we do not realize the weight and indelible mark of what we say. An imprint is a statement that we hear in an emotionally charged circumstance from an authority figure. Imprints are buried deep into our subconscious mind, so deep that we even forget they exist. And from that depth they can rule our actions as the threads of a puppet. That scene in the movie is a perfect example of the creation of an imprint: a little girl, terrified and shocked and a father telling her “it’s all your fault”. Had her father been able to put aside his own fear and pain and reassure her that she only tried to save her brother, and that they were all victims of the terrible circumstances Sarah’s chances of ever recovering from the trauma would have been exponentially higher. I am not “blaming” the father, he was trapped in his own human desperation…maybe in less dramatic circumstances it is possible as a parent to be mindful of the effect of our words.

When a person survives such a trauma while the rest of his or her loved ones die, there is a feeling of guilt that needs to be processed, understood, and eventually healed. There are many ways to approach that healing process: talk therapy, narrative, art, active visualization and other forms of releasing the pain and forgiving can help.
For more information on psychotherapy visit www.cre8yourhealth.com

Would you watch 100 times a movie that you didn’t like?

Patricia Rotsztain — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:47:36 +0000

According to JMVICEDO “nobody would go back 100 times to the movie theatre to watch a movie they didn’t like, and yet, millions of people insist in re-living in their mind negative or painful experiences that they have experienced in the past. They repeat the same movie day after day, and most of us do that to a certain degree because it is easier to focus on what is not working than consciously doing the work necessary to design the kind of life that would help us feel fulfilled.”

When you worry, you are just rehearsing a negative outcome. You are becoming proficient at failure or pain. Why not use all that effort to rehearse what you actually want to achieve. Instead of imagining everything that could go wrong, imagine how amazing it will be to succeed. Your subconscious will use whatever coordinates you put in to chose the direction and the outcome.

Someone may have hurt you or abused you in the past, but when you keep playing the movie of the painful experiences you are allowing the abuse to continue indefinitely. It’s time to put a stop. It’s time to design the movie you want to play. Remember that your mind can only focus on one thing at a time, so every second you waste playing the movie of what went wrong is a moment you miss to focus on the dreams you want to see coming true.

Gratitude Therapy

Patricia Rotsztain — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:13:48 +0000

Gratitude can have powerful healing effects. Focusing on what you appreciate in your life can activate certain neuro-chemicals that change your mood. The following video is a great demonstration of this modality and a good idea to implement: dancing, celebrating life, adopting a physical attitude of joy will in turn affect the way you feel. Numerous studies show that changes in the body operate changes in your emotions. Adopting a “happy posture” will improve the way you feel. For more information on psychotherapy visit www.cre8yourhealth.com or call 786-251-9513

The Simpsons-Family Therapy

Patricia Rotsztain — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 05:18:41 +0000

If you have any doubt about the efficacy of family therapy…just ask the Sympsons! A funny satira with a drop of truth: just the mere fact of attending a therapy session can produce some interesting positive changes.

Visit www.cre8yourhealth.com to learn more about individual, couples or family counseling and psychotherapy

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Reminder–Today-Taquion-Therapeutic-Games-for-Adults-first-time-in-Miami-only-4-spots-left.html?soid=1101196074883&aid=aV-MIxMeu38

Patricia Rotsztain — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:14:10 +0000

Get rid of your limiting beliefs while playing. Based on Bio-dance, Tai-Chi, NLP, Junguean Psychology and Ericksonian Hypnosis. If you can’t make it today remember we can take this to your company anywhere in the country, in English or Spanish

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Reminder–Today-Taquion-Therapeutic-Games-for-Adults-first-time-in-Miami-only-4-spots-left.html?soid=1101196074883&aid=aV-MIxMeu38.

REBT: What is Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy?

Patricia Rotsztain — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:53:40 +0000

In this video, Albert Ellis, creator of REBT, or Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy describes the basics of his theory. It is a short term form of therapy based on the premise that it is not the circumstances and events that make us depressed, angry, frustrated or anxious but our beliefs about those events. We tend to think that “A” (the activating event) causes “C” (the consequence, i.e. anxiety, depression, anger, etc) but it is really “B” (our belief) that is the cause. “A”+ “B” = “C”. Using a simple and effective series of questions to challenge those beliefs we can rapidly change the consequence, that is, the way we feel. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad when something unfortunate happens, but when the sadness turns into depression and interferes with our capacity to function it is time to do something about it. REBT was created by Albert Ellis based on the teachings of the ancient philosopher Epitectus. I had the privilege of learning REBT directly from Albert Ellis in his New York institute when he was already in his nineties, still teaching, writing books, and with an active and productive practice despite the fact that medical doctors had predicted he would die very young because of a medical condition. His determination and lifestyle carried him into an old age with intact sharpness.

If you are interested in REBT therapy contact me through www.cre8yourhealth.com or at rotsztain@gmail.com. I offer a wide variety of therapeutic approaches including cognitive, existential, solution focused, and hypnotherapy to suit each client’s individual needs.

Martin Seligman: Why is psychology good?

Patricia Rotsztain — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:44:35 +0000

In this presentation Martin Seligman, creator of Positive Psychology explains its foundations as well as the successes and shortcomings of previous models. Positive Psychology goes beyond “making the miserable less miserable” and deals with creating a more satisfying and fullfilling life. If you are interested in Positive Psychology based therapy contact www.cre8yourhealth.com

Martin Seligman: Why is psychology good?
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When the chips are down

Patricia Rotsztain — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:12:09 +0000

Helping your children build a healthy self-esteem is one of the most important things you can do for them. Self-esteem determines how they will face challenges in life. For counseling and improving self-esteem visit www.cre8yourhealth.com

When the chips are down
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Our Deepest Fear

Patricia Rotsztain — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:07:38 +0000

Beautiful poem by Marianne Williamson. Good idea to listen to this once in a while so we don’t forget…

For counseling to improve self-esteem visit www.cre8yourhealth.com

Our Deepest Fear
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Dopamine Jackpot! Robert Sapolsky on the Science of Pleasure | Open Culture

Patricia Rotsztain — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:29:40 +0000

A Standford University professor explains the mechanisms involved in addictions through dopamine circuits. Repeated behaviors as well as recurrent thoughts anticipating the reward influence the release of dopamine. Counseling and hypnosis can help re train that mechanism by changing the thought patterns. For more information contact www.cre8yourhealth.com