Relationships • Shrink Wrap

How to survive working with your family Critical knowledge for thriving in a family business

28 July 201729 October 2017 by Stephanie C Thompson

Working with family can be hard. Dysfunctional dynamics transfer from home to the workplace, making life more stressful than it needs to be and threatening the success of the business. This post is the ultimate guide to understanding what’s up with your sibling relationships and what to do about it.

(HINT: This is really for anyone who has difficulty with their adult brothers or sisters – you don’t have to be working with them.) Read more…

You should just let your anger out (or not) Self-help Hooey topic #2 - myths from pop psychology

12 June 201729 October 2017 by Stephanie C Thompson

If you are prone to angry feelings, which is the better strategy? Let it out, or hold it in?

The answer is neither, because there’s a far superior option. It’s much more effective than that old favourite “You must releeeease your anger” – usually by pummelling a pillow, taking a boxing class, or sealing your doors and windows and yelling at the top of your lungs.

Welcome to the second post in the Self-help Hooey series that myth-busts some of the more damaging beliefs of popular psychology. Read more…

No, you don’t have to ‘love yourself’ before being in a relationship Self-help Hooey topic #1 - myths from pop psychology

02 April 201712 June 2017 by Stephanie C Thompson

I’m not against self-help literature. I’m a shrink, so I’m all for it. There are a few fashionable self-help myths, though, that drive me up the wall because they are not only nonsensical, but it’s actually cruel to lead others to believe in them.

So I’m creating a series of Self-help Hooey posts that expose and put right some of this silliness. I hope to make you feel a whole heap better about yourself along the way, and equip you with much better strategies.

We’re going to start with these two doozies… Read more…

Can dating give you Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Is Dating-Induced PTSD really a thing?

16 January 201704 July 2017 by Stephanie C Thompson

My last article about Donald Trump drew an interesting response from a reader. She was experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after a nasty romantic run-in with a narcissist, and subsequently witnessing Trump’s behaviour was triggering her symptoms…

I’ve often suspected that romantic catastrophes can produce the gamut of PTSD-like symptoms. I’ve seen it in my clients, and I’ve experienced it myself. Yet we don’t seem to talk about it in those terms. Why not? Read more…