by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jan 2, 2026 | Psychology
You know your triggers. Most of us do. The sharp tone of voice that makes your stomach clench. The email notification that spikes your heart rate. The family gathering that leaves you exhausted for days. But do you know your glimmers? If you’ve spent any time in...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 28, 2025 | Mental Health and Psychotherapy Resources in Alabama, Mental Health and Trauma Therapy in Alabama, Therapy Resources for Alabama, Uncategorized
The Biology of Safety: A Somatic Guide to Polyvagal Theory For most of the history of psychology, we treated the nervous system like a simple toggle switch. We believed we were either stressed or calm, in “fight or flight” or “rest and digest.”...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 28, 2025 | Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health, Discover + Heal + Grow: Taproot Therapy Collective Podcast Episodes, Jungian Therapy and Depth Psychology, Lifespan integration in Alabama, Symbolism and Meaning in Psychotherapy
For decades, mental health has been dominated by a “maintenance” model. We treat symptoms like mechanical failures: fix the serotonin levels, reframe the negative thought, smooth out the behavioral glitch. But for many clients, this approach feels like...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 28, 2025 | Psychotherapy Biographies: Historical Figures in the History of Psychology, Therapeutic Approaches and Techniques for Therapists, Therapy and Crisis Intervention for College Students in Alabama
In 1981, Judith Lewis Herman published a book that would be called “a landmark study” and “one of the most important works of the decade”: Father-Daughter Incest. Based on extensive research including interviews with forty incest survivors and...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health, Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing
In our culture, anger has a terrible reputation. We are taught that it is dangerous, destructive, and “low vibration.” We are told to “let it go,” to be “nice,” and to forgive. For trauma survivors—especially those who grew up in...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health, Birmingham, Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Evidence Based Practice in Therapy, Mental Health and Trauma Therapy in Alabama
There is a specific, frustrating narrative we hear constantly at our clinic in Birmingham. A client comes in, exhausted and defeated, and says: “I’ve been in therapy for ten years. I can explain exactly why I have these panic attacks. I know it stems from my...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
For the last forty years, the gold standard of mental health care has been Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The premise of CBT is elegant and logical: your thoughts create your feelings. Therefore, if you can catch your negative thoughts (cognitive distortions) and...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
For decades, popular psychology has focused almost exclusively on the “Fight or Flight” response. We are taught that when we encounter stress—whether it’s a tiger in the wild or a deadline at work—our bodies flood with adrenaline, our hearts race, and we...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Oct 23, 2025 | Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Mental Health and Trauma Therapy in Alabama, Therapy Resources for Alabama
When Trauma Is Not a Single Event For many, the word “trauma” conjures images of a single, devastating event: a car accident, a natural disaster, a combat experience. While these are undoubtedly traumatic, there is another form of suffering, one that is...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Oct 2, 2025 | Psychology Topics and Articles
Therapists across all modalities have observed a puzzling phenomenon that challenges our understanding of therapeutic progress: given similar presentations, symptom severity, and treatment approaches, some clients demonstrate remarkable improvement while others remain...
