We’ve previously looked at the concept of introversion and extraversion as two basic ways people relate to the world. Jung also distinguished four typological functions: feeling, thinking, sensation and intuition. These functions represent the way we perceive and process internal and external information. Thus, when paired with extraversion/introversion, there exist eight distinct personality types: introverted […]
The Intra-Uterine Experience Does Matter
We are familiar with the knowledge that the quality of nutrition and exposure to pollutants, drugs and infections during gestation affect fetal development and influence child and adult health. However, how does the psychological and emotional prenatal environment affect the fetus? Increasing evidence suggests that intrauterine experience has persisting influences on health and development across […]
Moving towards a Trauma-Informed Society
Studies show that 51% of the general North American population have experienced trauma in childhood and that 98% of users of services in the public mental health system have trauma histories (e.g., car accidents, deaths, abuse, etc.). Unresolved or untreated trauma leads to symptoms such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, alcohol and drug dependency, reliance […]
Childhood Trauma Shatters the Soul
On May 23, 2013, former NHLer Theo Fleury, who was sexually abused by his hockey coach in the 1980’s, completed a 10-day “Victor Walk” aimed at raising awareness about childhood sex abuse and the need for healing. Yet, what exactly needs to be healed? A ‘Little Warriors’ ad cited that “60% of women with panic […]
The Role of Humour
Often listed as a quality we appreciate in others, humour has a double-edged effect. On one hand, humour, defined as the noticing of the amusing or ironic truth of a situation, results in laughter which has psychological, emotional and physiological benefits. Laugher stimulates chemical changes in the brain that help buffer our bodies against the […]
Codependency
Henry Thoreau stated, “There is nothing so rare as an act of your own.” However, why would acting upon one’s own thoughts and feelings be so rare or difficult to do? According to John Bradshaw, “co-dependency is the most common family illness.” Co-dependence is a set of maladaptive, compulsive behaviors learned by a person in […]
