The Official Blog for www.tinkerpsychotherapy.com
Published and Edited by: Gail-Elaine Tinker, M.S., RM
What is Forgiveness?
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 08/23/2011 at 12:14 PM
We teach our children to say, “I’m sorry” when they are wrong and “to forgive” playmates for their slights and oversights. This is our earliest introduction to forgiveness. However sometimes life, only steps beyond the playground, leads to a world where forgiveness comes into question. Forgiveness is a concept to stump the most stalwart of theologians and philosophers.
Autism in the last Twenty Years
How it Shaped My Life and Career
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 04/11/2011 at 9:24 AM
There are few things which have affected me more personally than my study of Asperger syndrome. It was powerfully numbing to consult experts on behalf of our precocious toddler and learn that his frustrations and our confusion were due to a life-long condition. There were no books for lay people in print in 1992 that I could find at the mall. The road felt uncharted, although I knew it couldn’t possibly be so.
Outlook for Poor Women and the Way Out of Poverty
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 04/11/2011 at 9:12 AM
According to UN estimates, women represent 70 percent of the world’s poor. Women are paid less than men for their work, with the average wage gap in 2008 being 17 percent. Women face persistent discrimination when they apply for credit for business or self-employment and are often concentrated in insecure, unsafe and low-wage work.
Women in America are more likely to be poor than men. Over half of the 37 million Americans living in poverty today are women. And women in America are further behind than women in other countries—the gap in poverty rates between men and women is wider in America than anywhere else in the Western World.
The Modern Plagues of Stress & Anxiety
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 01/14/2011 at 12:39 PM
Even by the experts the terms stress and anxiety are often used interchangeably, to describe overlapping physical and emotional perception. Although they go hand-in-hand, it may be helpful to understand these ideas individually.
Why Pay for Therapy in Cash
Rather Than in Insurance?
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 11/30/2010 at 11:29 AM
There are enormous personal benefits to paying for your own mental health care directly to the therapy provider if they do not participate with health care panels due to the way the health care system is currently structured.
The Fountain of Youth is Yours!
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 11/25/2010 at 10:04 AM
Aging is a fact of life. We are born, we develop, we mature, we age, and we die. However, science is exploring the notion that the time clock for this process is far more under our control then previously imagined. The Fountain of Youth refers to legendary waters that in 1513 Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon came to the Americas in search of. It was said that anyone who drinks of these waters would have their youth restored.
Web of Narcissism
Definition, Facts, & Practical Suggestions
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 11/25/2010 at 8:44 AM
Living or dealing with a person with Narcissist Personality Disorder (NPD) can be highly traumatic. The pervasive emotional abuse caused by NPD often takes a good deal of time and effort to heal. Fortunately, there is support available to assist in recovery from narcissistic abuse when you find a counselor trained in trauma or women’s issues.
About Alcohol & “Control”
Hard Drugs Are Worse, Right?
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 11/05/2010 at 11:17 AM
Rightfully, there is huge concern about the impact of alcohol use, abuse and addiction upon the lives of individuals, families and cultures. We care about the phenomenon of drinking and driving and we fund many a prevention program. We care about drinking by pregnant women and in the last 35 years we’ve culturally tabooed the practice. We care about binge drinking and alcohol poisoning for young drinkers. We care about the role of alcohol in domestic violence. I’m glad these issues have come to light; however, there is a silent epidemic happening to voiceless constituents; the family members of active alcohol abusers and addicts.
The Connection Between Reiki and Psychotherapy
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 11/05/2010 at 11:12 AM
In addition and adjacent to my practice of Psychotherapy, I practice a 100 year old healing art from Japan called Reiki {pronounced-ray-kee}. Sounds exotic and mysterious but it isn’t; it is as main stream as Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Reflexology. Reiki Practioners are trained to use a benign hands-off energy as an acupressurist uses touch to follow energy patterns in the client’s body, where blockages are released, muscles relaxed, and sometimes nerve/emotional irritation are alleviated [see Reiki tab on this website].
Understanding Grief Myths
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 10/28/2010 at 11:27 AM
When someone in your life has died, you are faced with the critical, life-changing task of grieving. Mourning the death of someone impacts every area of one’s life. Society has some ‘interesting’ customs, myths, and wisdoms which can be comforting or frustrating to people with grief. I would like to address a few of these ideas to assist both the grieving and those who care about them.
What I Did This Summer
A Professional Woman’s Conference
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 10/26/2010 at 2:29 PM
Remember that yearly back-to-school essay we had to write and read aloud to the class? Mine have never been exotic, however this summer I did something worth sharing. This summer I boarded a plane and flew to Dallas, TX to attend a women’s business conference. I wasn’t sure what I expected to learn there; my question going in was, “Am I heading for the right place?”
Fibromyalgia Isn’t For Sissies
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 10/25/2010 at 4:52 PM
If there is a topic for which I am expert, it is that of the disease called Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia [fie-broe-miy-al-ja] refers to a condition with a constellation of symptoms that include widespread aching, stiffness, fatigue, and the presence of specific body tender points. The presence of pain in Fibromyalgia originates in the muscles and connective tissues of the body. The exact physiological process behind Fibromyalgia has not been determined, but it is likely many factors, including those beyond the muscles and fibrous tissues, which play a role.
I No Longer Support Tolerance
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 10/25/2010 at 4:46 PM
I used to be fond of a so-called witty saying, “The only thing I cannot tolerate is intolerance!” The news is my heart has changed. Tolerance is no longer enough for me. Flat-out I believe it is barely a half-measure of our human potential.
What’s The Use of Psychology
for My Chronic Backache?
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 06/09/2010 at 1:58 PM
My entire life I have known all sorts of people who cope with chronic pain of one type or another. From an early age I witnessed many approaches to living life with pain, from those who take a faith-based comfort, to the stiff-upper-lip &white-knuckles technique, to masking with rage, hiding pain with addiction, and the cycle of dependency and anxiety of so called hypochondriacs.
Romantic Boundaries Blurred
“I lose you, I lose me”
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 06/09/2010 at 1:57 PM
I remember as a child, listening intently to the lyrics of pop love songs, thinking that since every couple seemed to ‘have’ a song, music must be an accurate description of what grown-up relationships would be. So as songs of this era described love as “I Won’t Last A Day Without You,” I believed this was real. Apparently I wasn’t the only sucker out there.
CRIMINAL CHARGES
Hilarious TV Therapists Create Lack of Trust for Real-Life Therapy
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 06/09/2010 at 1:30 PM
A few therapist friends and I were having coffee to discuss advertising ideas for our practices. The topic sort of rotated, as we queried, “Why is it so hard for people to seek counseling when things are tough with the economy and all the related issues this causes?”
Using Social Networking for Better Health
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 06/09/2010 at 1:26 PM
Thought Face book and MySpace were only for finding long lost friends? There are also practical uses for social networking in your wellness routine.
Intention Used for Making Life’s Road Maps
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 06/09/2010 at 1:20 PM
Welcome to the launch of the first blog for Tinker Psychotherapy. As we visualize smashing champagne bottle over its bow for good luck, please permit me to tell you more about the intentions of this blog.
Mission Statement
Posted by Gail-Elaine on 04/15/2010 at 9:19 AM
The Bell is The Official Blog of the Website, Tinkerpsychotherapy.com, and Gail-Elaine Tinker, M.S., Psychotherapist. It is the primary news, information and education arm of Tinker’s Psychotherapy’s Life Coaching, Reiki, Advocacy, Teaching and Writing enterprise.
Copyright © 2009-2010 - Gail-Elaine Tinker
Tinker psychotherapy and Gail-Elaine Tinker, M.S. does not discriminate against anyone because of age, sex, marital/family status, race, color, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, place of residence, veteran status, physical disability, health status, sexual orientation, or criminal record unrelated to present dangerousness. This is a personal, ethical commitment, as well as required by federal law. I will always take steps to advance and support the values of equal opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic/cultural diversity. If you believe you have been discriminated against, please bring this matter to my attention immediately.
Due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) we are required to keep your private health information secure and to give you notice about our legal duties and our privacy practices. We are required to remind you that email correspondence and phone discussion between us contains confidential, privileged, nonpublic information intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). Any unauthorized use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this information, including attachments, is prohibited. If you are not an intended recipient of protected information, please destroy the attachments, and reply to sender.