Blog Articles

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (NEDA), "eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder." As such, eating disorders are very serious and have a wide range of emotional, behavioral and psychological health risks.

S = P (r)

The equation S = P (r) translates to "suffering equals pain multiplied by resistance."

Here is a list of functional differences between BPD and Bipolar Disorder. BPD is a personality disorder and is listed diagnostically on its own axis ("Axis II"), while BD is a mood disorder and is listed on axis I. BD is a mood disorder and has two distinct forms.

Borderline personality and bipolar disorder are very different, but because some of the symptoms of the two disorders are similar, they can be very difficult to tell apart. This is true even for many psychologists and medical doctors, and so the disorders are often misdiagnosed by those lacking the appropriate training and experience.

"My Friends, it is through the establishment of the lovely clarity of mindfulness that you can let go of grasping after past and future, overcome attachment and grief, abandon all clinging and anxiety, and awaken an unshakable freedom of heart, here and now." - from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha.

Therapist Misha Grodt, and Theo

Two years ago my husband and I adopted a sweet and loving Golden Retriever named Theo. As I became very curious about some of his behavior, I realized that it resonated deeply with my clinical work, and how both dogs and humans possess the innate ability to naturally create our own internal wellness.

I am a trauma specialist, trained in an innovative technique called Somatic Experiencing®. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-centered method of healing trauma by teaching the nervous system how to regulate itself.

I'm no dog expert, but Theo has shown me three specific things that have given me tremendous insight into the fundamentals of treating trauma.

Most people are unsure of how to evaluate a potential therapist. Since you've paid for a consultation, you should use the time wisely, and ask the right questions. This will ultimately help make sure the therapist offers the best, empirically verified treatment available.

There are two major areas to be explored with any perspective psychotherapist: training and experience, and clinical trust and rapport.

While the majority of people in the United States are raised in relatively healthy, solid homes, many of us grow up exposed to some form of abuse.

According to recent federal data released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in five women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. 80% of the time, this abuse takes place before the age of 25, thus, sexual abuse most often takes place in childhood and adolescence.

The practice of mindful meditation (also called "calm abiding" and "single point of focus") is an ancient one. Despite being the basis for modern mindfulness based stress reduction techniques, mindful meditation dates back over 2,500 years.

Beginning as a spiritual meditation (but now used as a scientific cognitive technique), mindfulness meditation allows a practitioner to develop (among other things) a profound awareness of the nature of his/her thoughts, emotions, and other mental phenomena. Because this is true, modern mindfulness meditation is not necessarily a spiritual practice. Mindfulness is a mental skill that can be taught, cultivated, and honed. It is a cognitive technology available to anyone.

"To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness." - Dr. Erich Fromm

Underneath a deep and subtle belief that we are in control of our lives, there lives the groundless reality of impermanence. To a large extent, we are not in control of what happens to us, we only control how we react to what happens.

But we don't like to admit this reality, do we? And what if our dislike for this reality is really the basic problem with our lives? When we function as though we are somehow immune from life's suffering (aging, sickness, death, unfortunate circumstances, etc) we just make our pain that much worse.

Most Denver psychologists do not specialize in anxiety and impulse disorders. Moreover, many Denver therapists who do treat anxiety disorders do so without having the requisite training and experience necessary to effectively work with these difficult problems. When choosing a Denver therapist, then, you must be diligent.

AMI's therapists are highly experienced anxiety and impulse disorder therapists. AMI hires only the finest, most highly trained therapists in the latest and most effective cognitive therapies proven to effectively treat anxiety and impulse disorders. AMI's clinical effectiveness rate (inclusive of all cases, and whether medication is or is not used) is over 85%.

Doctor Parker Wilson, Spiritual Advisor, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, and Director of The Awakened Mind Institute, Denver Psychotherapy Center

Depression and anger often walk hand in hand in the sense that they frequently co-create each other.

So how does this actually look, this process of depression and anger co-creating each other? Just as a species, we tend to be a little uncomfortable with our emotions and mood states. Often we have developed an unhealthy relationship with our own emotions (sometimes because of abuse, trauma, neglect, crime, death, and other unfortunate circumstances), and we feel overwhelmed.

When we can not tolerate our own emotions and mood states, we begin to become perpetually and increasingly afraid and anxious. This just increases the sense of overwhelm that we had originally, and so now we really freak out, and  we begin looking for the nearest exit door.

Sidebar: Please review AMI's fees for service. Therapy can be scheduled every week or every other week, depending on the circumstances of the particular clients. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Parker Wilson.