Announcing a recent podcast featuring Dr. Patricia Gianotti on the Earth and Spirit Podcast: NPR. Patricia Gianotti works with clients around issues related to trauma, shame, and narcissism and is the founder of the Center for Spiritual Integration.

The gathering of the family during the holidays has long been a celebrated tradition rooted in both social and emotional factors. Nevertheless, the expectation for family members to reconnect, strengthen, and/or renew bonds is a strong force that often creates internal pressure – feelings of hope and anticipation coupled with anxiety, ambivalence, guilt, and fear of disappointment.

Shyness, introversion, and social anxiety are terms that have long been confused.  While social anxiety is a clinical diagnosis, introversion is actually a personality trait, an aspect of one’s temperament.

October heralds a change of seasons and new beginnings as we complete the final in-person, three-day residency of our yearlong certificate program at The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago.

The Institute is in the process of creating the Jack Danielian IAP Scholarship Fund. The goal is to provide increased accessibility for advanced clinical training to qualified applicants.

It’s little things that come up in casual conversation that often surprise you and catch you off guard. Changing your opinion about someone can make you realize that the assumptions you made may have been too dismissive.

During those times in life when disappointment makes us feel helpless and vulnerable, drawing upon early memories of having a safe, secure connection to family helps us weather the storms of life.

How does someone break free of an internalized system of beliefs, feelings, reactions, and expectations that were created and deeply rooted in early parent-child interactions?

The PBS program entitled “Sages of Aging,” features 12 experts in the field of aging coming together to discuss the state of aging in America and discuss the state of aging in America and how we perceive aging.

Examining the idea of loyalty and framing that understanding through the lens of, “Loyalty Contracts.”

In Patricia Gianotti’s third book, Embracing Therapeutic Complexity, she talks about the powerful grip that unfair loyalty contracts have on people throughout their life span.

A working definition of narcissism begins by inviting people to pause, and think about narcissism as a condition of vulnerability or injury, rather than thinking about narcissism as a “diagnosis.”

What do we think will eventually happen when the increasing disparity between the haves and the have-nots creates a greater divide around what it is that we think we’re owed?

It’s every single person’s wish, and every divorced person’s regret that they didn’t hold out for Mr./Mrs. Right. When it comes to relationships, the American Dream offers the promise that it’s possible to find the love of your life.

As a psychologist who is in the business of helping people understand their feelings, you might be surprised by my answer to this question. Should you always trust your feelings? My answer is…

Have you noticed that the word narcissist has morphed into a term of derision and contempt that is easily thrown around at will? But how many people really understand where the term comes from or what it means?

Disappointments happen in life. If we’re smart, we can learn from them. With enough distance, disappointments that initially feel crushing often turn out to be life lessons.

As we begin another new year, a time when most of us pledge to make efforts in hopes of improving our lives, it might make sense to consider some of the important external factors that have a direct influence on our personal satisfaction and well-being.

What do you do to ground yourself in ways that you can be truly present – in the present moment?

It’s no small challenge to remain optimistic and purposeful in the face of aging and loss. How do we gradually accept the inevitable reality of death?