Tag: anxiety

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Client-centered Therapy Counseling How to Psychology Work

That NYT Amazon Post

Editorial Note: It is extremely rare that I write about real stories as they happen. Confidentiality must be maintained in my work at all costs. However, the aftermath of an article in the New York Times in August 2015 demands a response.  In this post, all stories have been generalized; only the original post is referenced. I will not confirm the presence of employees from any one company in the Seattle area as clients. I was not approached by Amazon nor any other company to write this post. These are my own words.  – imei

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What do you do with workplace stress? What happens when you’re not sure you can “make it” in your workplace? We’re exploring these questions, and more!

On Sunday morning August 16, 2015, New York Times writers Jodi Kantor and David Streitfelt published an article about workplace ethics and conditions at Amazon.com. The article’s description from former employees who cried at their desks and were encouraged to tear each other’s ideas apart through use of internal communications sparked a firestorm of comments, including ones from current Amazon employees defending the company’s practices and attacking the veracity of the journalists. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos responded quickly with a letter to his employees, asking them to share whether they had experienced the stories found in the article.

How does any of this relate to a private practice in mental health a few miles down the road from Amazon’s headquarters? Why would I devote a lengthy post to what is being hailed by some as a classic example of media spin?

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Anxiety How to Stress

Attack Anxiety With Breathing

Breathing Exercises for Anxiety

by B. Imei Hsu, RN, LMHC, Artist

Anxiety is a common feature of modern life.  Anxiety is more often a fear of something that has not happened – and may not even happen at all. Contrast the difference between the real fear of receiving an eviction notice on one’s door after failing to pay the mortgage for four consecutive months (cause and effect fear), and the anxiety of that same situation, only you actually possess enough money to pay the mortgage. Generally, Anxiety is a problem when your responses exceed what one would expect in the circumstances you face. In other words, you have an over-response.  Anxieties can show up as a complex and chronic repetition of responses to the unknown, or they can take on the shape of specific phobia so powerful that you develop palpitations, diaphoresis, dysphoria, dizziness, and nausea just thinking about the phobia.  Anxiety attacks and panic attacks can leave one feeling paralyzed, unable to tap one’s usual cognitive and physical skills to get oneself back to a place of safety and security. Other than using narcotics and sleep medication, are there other ways help people encounter their feelings of anxiety? The answer may lie in attacking anxiety with breathing.

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Client-centered Therapy Counseling Seattle Therapy

Props in Movement: Scarves Are More Than Just Fashion

Props in Movement: Scarves Are More Than Just For Fashion
by Allie Bulliman

I had an open house at the office here in Pioneer Square over a month ago as an opportunity for people to get a more in depth explanation and demonstration of “what I do.” Dance movement therapists do just what any other therapist does: listen. We create a safe space. We work with you to create your best life. I like to say I am just a regular therapist/counselor/psychotherapist (whatever you prefer) with an extra tool in my toolbox.

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