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Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology: Understanding Human Nature Through Therapy

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Exploring the Ancient Roots of Modern Mental Health in Birmingham, Alabama

Welcome to Taproot Therapy Collective’s comprehensive exploration of how anthropology and evolutionary psychology inform modern therapeutic practice. As Birmingham’s leading therapy collective, we bridge ancient wisdom with cutting-edge mental health treatment to help you understand the deeper patterns that shape human behavior and healing.

What is Anthropological and Evolutionary Psychology in Therapy?

Our Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology blog category examines how millions of years of human evolution continue to influence our mental health, relationships, and healing processes today. This interdisciplinary approach helps Birmingham residents and therapy seekers worldwide understand why certain therapeutic interventions work and how our ancestral past informs present-day psychological wellness.

Through collaboration with leading researchers at institutions like the University of Alabama at Birmingham and insights from the American Psychological Association, we explore how evolutionary perspectives enhance traditional therapy approaches used at our Hoover, Alabama location.

Key Topics We Explore

Evolutionary Trauma and Healing Patterns

Discover how trauma responses that once protected our ancestors can become maladaptive in modern Birmingham life. Our articles examine:

  • Ancient survival mechanisms and contemporary anxiety disorders
  • How evolutionary mismatch contributes to depression in urban environments
  • Traditional healing practices from indigenous cultures and their relevance to modern therapy

Cross-Cultural Mental Health Perspectives

Learn from global therapeutic traditions that inform our practice at Taproot Therapy Collective:

  • Jungian archetypes and their universal presence across human societies
  • Attachment theory through an evolutionary lens
  • How different cultures approach trauma, healing, and community support

The Biology of Connection and Belonging

Explore the deep human need for community and how it impacts mental health:

  • Evolutionary basis of social anxiety and belonging needs
  • How modern isolation affects our ancestrally-wired brains
  • Building therapeutic communities that honor our evolutionary heritage

Rituals, Dreams, and Symbolic Healing

Examine how ancient practices inform contemporary therapeutic interventions:

  • The adaptive functions of dreaming and their role in trauma processing
  • Ritual and ceremony in healing from an anthropological perspective
  • Art therapy and creative expression as evolutionary adaptations

Why This Approach Matters for Birmingham Therapy Seekers

Understanding the evolutionary context of mental health helps clients at Taproot Therapy Collective develop deeper self-compassion and insight. When we recognize that many psychological struggles stem from mismatches between our ancient brains and modern environments, healing becomes more accessible and shame-reducing.

Our Birmingham-based therapists integrate these perspectives with evidence-based treatments like EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and trauma-informed care to provide holistic healing that honors both your individual story and our shared human heritage.

Research-Based Insights from Leading Institutions

We regularly feature insights from:

Connect with Our Community

For deeper exploration of these topics, check out more on the Discover + Heal + Grow Taproot Therapy Collective blog and podcast where we regularly feature expert interviews, client stories, and practical applications of evolutionary psychology in therapy.

Subscribe to our channels for weekly insights:

Who Benefits from This Perspective?

This blog category serves:

  • Mental health professionals seeking to expand their theoretical understanding
  • Therapy clients wanting to understand their struggles in a broader context
  • Academic researchers interested in applied evolutionary psychology
  • Birmingham residents looking for culturally-informed mental health resources
  • Anyone curious about the deep roots of human behavior and healing

Featured Article Categories

Our Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology blog includes:

  1. Evolutionary Trauma Theory – Understanding PTSD through an adaptive lens
  2. Cultural Healing Practices – Learning from global therapeutic traditions
  3. Attachment and Bonding – How evolution shaped our relationship patterns
  4. Modern Mismatch – Why ancient brains struggle with contemporary life
  5. Therapeutic Rituals – Incorporating ceremony and symbolism in healing
  6. Community and Belonging – The evolutionary basis of social connection
  7. Dreams and Consciousness – Exploring the adaptive functions of sleep and dreaming

Start Your Journey Today

Ready to explore how understanding your evolutionary heritage can accelerate your healing journey? Our Birmingham-based therapists at Taproot Therapy Collective are trained in these integrated approaches.

Contact Taproot Therapy Collective: 📍 2025 Shady Crest Dr. Suite 203, Hoover, AL 35216
📞 (205) 598-6471
🌐 www.GetTherapyBirmingham.com
🎧 Podcast: gettherapybirmingham.podbean.com

Somatic Reset Techniques You Can do At Home

Somatic Reset Techniques You Can do At Home

Written by the clinical team at Taproot Therapy Collective, a Birmingham psychotherapy practice specializing in somatic and trauma-focused modalities. Our clinicians are trained in body-based approaches including Brainspotting, EMDR, and somatic trauma resolution. Talk therapy changed your understanding of your trauma. But your body still holds it—the tight shoulders, the clenched jaw, the knot in your stomach that appears every time you think about that thing. That's because trauma doesn't live only in your...

The Algorithmic Mirror: How Google Became the Invisible Architect of What We Know

The Algorithmic Mirror: How Google Became the Invisible Architect of What We Know

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On the hidden physics governing digital reality, the economics of visibility, and why a psychotherapy blog in Birmingham had to learn the language of machines to fund human healing. There is a moment in Adam Curtis's documentary HyperNormalisation when he describes how governments, financiers, and technological utopians gave up on trying to shape the complex "real world" and instead established a simpler "fake world" for the benefit of those who needed stability. The term comes from the Soviet Union, where...

Why We Recommend Hardy Nutritionals: A Clinical Perspective on the Research That Changed How We Think About Treatment Resistance

Why We Recommend Hardy Nutritionals: A Clinical Perspective on the Research That Changed How We Think About Treatment Resistance

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Why Taproot Therapy Collective recommends Hardy Nutritionals Daily Essential Nutrients for treatment-resistant mood disorders, ADHD, and emotional dysregulation. Discovered not through advertising but through patients whose bipolar disorder and other conditions finally responded. Over 40 peer-reviewed studies support the NutraTek chelation technology. Use code TAPROOT at gethardy.com for 15% off for life.

The Second Brain Revolution: How Gut Science Is Rewriting Psychiatric Medicine

The Second Brain Revolution: How Gut Science Is Rewriting Psychiatric Medicine

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This 2025 strategic report details the shift from theoretical gut-brain models to clinical applications, analyzing the indole-SK2 channel mechanism in anxiety and the efficacy of oral FMT capsules for refractory depression. It evaluates the diagnostic potential of the gut mycobiome and profiles the pharmaceutical pipelines of key industry players like Kallyope and Bloom Science.

The Metabolic Mind: A 2025 Clinical Update on Nutritional Psychiatry

The Metabolic Mind: A 2025 Clinical Update on Nutritional Psychiatry

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A 2025 clinical update on nutritional psychiatry for psychotherapists. Explore the latest research on psychobiotics, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, omega-3s, amino acid therapies, and herbal interventions—including new safety warnings on ashwagandha and evidence that saffron matches SSRI efficacy for mild depression.

The Fifty Unsolved Mysteries of Being Human: What Science Still Cannot Explain About Your Mind and Body

The Fifty Unsolved Mysteries of Being Human: What Science Still Cannot Explain About Your Mind and Body

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Explore 50 fascinating unsolved mysteries of human psychology and biology—from why we dream and cry emotional tears to the uncanny valley and déjà vu. Discover competing scientific theories and the mysterious unknowns that still puzzle researchers.

Life Is a Line, Not a Point: Tim Ingold and the Anthropology of Wayfaring

Life Is a Line, Not a Point: Tim Ingold and the Anthropology of Wayfaring

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How an anthropologist's radical theory of lines, meshworks, and making can transform how we understand healing, resistance, and the craft of becoming ourselves.  The Tyranny of Destinations Consider how we typically narrate a life: born in 1985, graduated college in 2007, married in 2012, first child in 2015, promoted in 2018, divorced in 2021. A series of points. Events. Destinations reached or missed. Now consider how therapy often frames healing: identify the trauma, process the memory, achieve closure, reach...

The Anthropology of Feeling Dirty: Mary Douglas, OCD, and the Purification of the Self

The Anthropology of Feeling Dirty: Mary Douglas, OCD, and the Purification of the Self

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Why trauma survivors feel "stained" even when nothing physical happened—and how ritual can restore the symbolic order of the self. The Sensation That Won't Wash Away She scrubs her hands until they're raw. She's been doing it for months now, ever since the assault. The soap, the hot water, the endless repetition—none of it helps. She knows, intellectually, that she's not dirty. Nothing visible stains her skin. Yet the sensation persists: a feeling of contamination that no amount of washing can remove. This is one...

The Archetype’s in Brand Psychology: Building Authentic Identity Through Jung’s Timeless Wisdom

The Archetype’s in Brand Psychology: Building Authentic Identity Through Jung’s Timeless Wisdom

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Discover how Jung’s Jester archetype and the 12 archetypal patterns transform brand identity, from therapy practices to Fortune 500 companies. Learn practical strategies for authentic archetypal branding that bridges ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience.

Who is Mark Turner?

Who is Mark Turner?

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The Literary Mind: Mark Turner's Cognitive Science and Its Implications for Understanding Trauma and Consciousness in Psychotherapy In the quest to understand the complexities of human consciousness and the impact of trauma on the psyche, the work of cognitive scientist Mark Turner offers a compelling and innovative perspective. Turner's groundbreaking book, "The Literary Mind," proposes that the fundamental mechanisms of thought are essentially literary in nature. This idea has profound implications for how we...

Who is Cliford Geertz?

Who is Cliford Geertz?

Weaving the Web of Meaning: Clifford Geertz's Cultural Anthropology and Its Implications for Trauma and Consciousness in Psychotherapy In the realm of psychotherapy, understanding the intricate tapestry of human experience is paramount. To truly grasp the complexities of trauma and consciousness, we must look beyond the individual psyche and consider the cultural context in which it is embedded. This is where the work of renowned cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz becomes invaluable. Geertz's seminal concept...

The Changing Images of Man: SRI’s Vision of Human Transformation Through the Lens of Jung, Campbell, and the Metamodern Era

The Changing Images of Man: SRI’s Vision of Human Transformation Through the Lens of Jung, Campbell, and the Metamodern Era

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A Controversial Blueprint for Human Consciousness "The Changing Images of Man" emerged in 1974 from the Stanford Research Institute as one of the most provocative and influential documents in the history of futures research. This comprehensive report, later published as a book, represented an unprecedented attempt to map humanity's psychological and mythological evolution at a time of profound civilizational crisis. The document's creation involved a remarkable confluence of military industrial research,...

The Psychology of the Dragon Archetype

The Psychology of the Dragon Archetype

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"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love." - Rainer Maria Rilke Dragons have captivated the human imagination since time immemorial. These mythical beasts appear in the folklore and legends of cultures across the globe, from the fire-breathing dragons of medieval European lore to the wise and benevolent dragons revered in the...

Who was Owen Barfield?

Who was Owen Barfield?

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 Prophet of the Evolution of Consciousness Owen Barfield (1898-1997) was a British philosopher, poet, and critic whose groundbreaking work focused on the evolution of human consciousness and its relationship to language and imagination. A close friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Barfield was a core member of the Inklings literary group and widely recognized as one of the twentieth century's most original thinkers. Born in London, Barfield studied at Oxford, where he first met C.S. Lewis in 1919. Their...

The Mystical Roots and Therapeutic Fruits of Initiation Rites

The Mystical Roots and Therapeutic Fruits of Initiation Rites

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Is Psychotherapy a Type of Initiation Have you ever been part of a fraternity, sorority, or similar organization? If so, you may have experienced rituals or ceremonies that felt both challenging and transformative. Even if you haven't, you've likely encountered such rites of passage in religious services, coming-of-age celebrations, or weddings. These experiences tap into a deep human need for initiation—a symbolic death and rebirth that ushers us into a new stage of life. We see this theme in modern day rituals...

Unraveling the Mystery of the Roman Dodecahedra:

Unraveling the Mystery of the Roman Dodecahedra:

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   An In-Depth Exploration of the Orphic Cult Object Theory Among the most enigmatic artifacts from the ancient world are the so-called Roman dodecahedra - small, hollow, twelve-faced polyhedrons made of bronze or stone, each face featuring a circular hole of varying diameter. Approximately 100 such objects, dated primarily to the 2nd-4th centuries CE, have been unearthed across the expanse of the former Roman Empire, with particular concentrations in the western provinces of Gaul and Britain. Despite...

Schizophrenia, Trauma, and the Double Bind: Bridging Neurobiology, Depth Psychology, and the Spectrum of Psychosis

Schizophrenia, Trauma, and the Double Bind: Bridging Neurobiology, Depth Psychology, and the Spectrum of Psychosis

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Understanding Trauma Through Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Through Trauma The relationship between schizophrenia and trauma has long been a subject of fascination and debate in the fields of psychiatry and psychology. While early theories often focused on developmental and psychodynamic factors, recent research has shed new light on the neurological and genetic underpinnings of the disorder. However, this does not mean that environmental factors, such as trauma, have been ruled out as contributing to the onset...

Illuminating the Mind: Lessons Psychology Can Learn from Anthropology and Philosophy

Illuminating the Mind: Lessons Psychology Can Learn from Anthropology and Philosophy

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  Psychology Beyond the Individual Time moves in one direction, memory in another. We are that strange species that constructs artifacts intended to counter the natural flow of forgetting. — William Gibson, "Dead Man Sings" How Philosophy and Anthropology Enrich the Path to Mental Well-being Psychology, as the scientific study of the mind and behavior, has made tremendous strides in understanding the human experience. Through empirical rigor, it has mapped cognitive biases, decoded neural pathways, and...

PTSD and Intuition: Did Our Reptile Ancestors have a Literal Third Eye?

PTSD and Intuition: Did Our Reptile Ancestors have a Literal Third Eye?

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The Subcortical Brain and the Roots of the Unconscious The human mind is a vast and complex landscape, with conscious awareness representing only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a realm of unconscious processes, instincts, and archetypal patterns that profoundly shape our perceptions, emotions, and behaviors. In recent years, advances in neuroscience and depth psychology have begun to shed light on the evolutionary roots of the unconscious mind and its intimate connection to the subcortical brain...

From Mal’ta to Eden: Tracing the Archetypal Roots of Human Mythology

From Mal’ta to Eden: Tracing the Archetypal Roots of Human Mythology

Is the Mal'ta-Buret culture the prototyp for world religion? In the remote reaches of Siberia, archaeologists uncovered a fascinating window into the deep prehistory of human symbolic thought: the Mal'ta-Buret' culture. Dating back some 20,000-25,000 years, this Paleolithic society left behind intriguing artifacts that resonate uncannily with mythological motifs from much later periods (Bednarik, 2012). From exquisite Venus figurines to mysterious bird-man statuettes, the Mal'ta-Buret' culture offers a...

Biosemiotics: Bridging Biology, Consciousness, and the Anthropology of Self

Biosemiotics: Bridging Biology, Consciousness, and the Anthropology of Self

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What is Biosemiotics? Biosemiotics is an emerging interdisciplinary field that explores how living systems create, interpret, and communicate meaning. It offers a unique lens through which to understand the intricate relationships between biology, consciousness, and the way we construct our sense of self. By bridging these domains, biosemiotics provides valuable insights into therapy, trauma, and the anthropology of self. At its core, biosemiotics posits that life is inherently semiotic - that is, all living...

Why Consciousness Won’t Emerge from Large Language Models:

Why Consciousness Won’t Emerge from Large Language Models:

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 The Competing Elements of Human Consciousness Introduction The quest to create artificial consciousness has long captured the human imagination. From the golems of Jewish folklore to the robots of modern science fiction, we have dreamed of breathing mental life into inanimate matter. In recent years, the rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-3 and PaLM has reignited hopes that machine consciousness may be within reach. These AI systems, trained on vast corpora of human knowledge, can engage...

Consciousness and Depth Psychology: Insights from Michael Gazzaniga

Consciousness and Depth Psychology: Insights from Michael Gazzaniga

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What are the Origins of Conciousness? The nature of consciousness has long been one of the most profound and perplexing questions in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. How does subjective experience arise from the objective, physical processes of the brain? What is the relationship between mind and matter, between the inner world of thoughts and feelings and the outer world of neurons and synapses? In his groundbreaking book The Consciousness Instinct, neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga offers a compelling...

Consciousness, Emotion and the Self

Consciousness, Emotion and the Self

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Where Does Conciousness Come From? Where did conciousness come from?The nature of human consciousness has long been one of the great mysteries of science and philosophy. What is this subjective inner experience that seems to define our existence? Where does our sense of self come from? And what happens when the psyche is shattered by trauma? In recent decades, groundbreaking work by neuroscientists like Michael Gazzaniga and Antonio Damasio has shed new light on these profound questions. While approaching the...

Glossary of Blog Articles

Glossary of Blog Articles

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Our blog is designed as a resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the human psyche and its expression through culture, therapy, and history. Below, you'll find an overview of the diverse topics we cover and an invitation to explore the categories that resonate most with your interests. Jungian Innovators Dive into the foundational ideas of depth psychology with articles that celebrate the works of Jungian visionaries such as Carl Jung, James Hillman, Marie-Louise von Franz, and more. These...

Walter Ong: Orality, Literacy, and the Jesuit Worldview

Walter Ong: Orality, Literacy, and the Jesuit Worldview

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I. Who was Walter Ong Walter J. Ong (1912-2003) was an American Jesuit priest, professor of English literature, and cultural and religious historian. Ong made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of literacy studies, media ecology, and the evolution of human consciousness. His work explored the profound differences between oral and literate cultures and how the shift from orality to literacy has shaped human thought, expression, and social organization throughout history. As a Jesuit scholar, Ong's ideas...

Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker: Integrating Modernity, Postmodernity and the Therapeutic Encounter

Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker: Integrating Modernity, Postmodernity and the Therapeutic Encounter

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Who are Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker? In their seminal 2010 essay "Notes on Metamodernism", cultural theorists Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker outlined an emerging cultural paradigm they dubbed "metamodernism". Oscillating between the opposing poles of modernist sincerity and postmodern irony, the metamodern sensibility attempts to transcend the aporia of the postmodern era without regressing to the naivete of the modern. This article will explore the implications of Vermeulen and van...

The Future of Therapy: Navigating the Tensions of Our Time

The Future of Therapy: Navigating the Tensions of Our Time

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As a practicing therapist, I find myself constantly grappling with the widening gulf between the realities of clinical work and the priorities of the academic and research establishment in psychology. We are living through a time of profound cultural and epistemological transition, and the assumptions that have long undergirded the mental health field are showing serious cracks. If psychotherapy is to remain relevant and vital in the coming decades, we will need to radically re-envision both the form and content...

The Mythic Wisdom of Joseph Campbell: Insights for Anthropology and Psychotherapy

The Mythic Wisdom of Joseph Campbell: Insights for Anthropology and Psychotherapy

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 Illuminating the Hero's Journey of the Human Soul by [Author Name] | [Date] "Myth is much more important and true than history. History is just journalism and you know how reliable that is." - Joseph Campbell 1. Who was Joseph Campbell  Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and religion. His work is vast, covering many aspects of the human experience. Campbell's lifelong fascination with myth and his deep knowledge of...

The Existential Psychology of Viktor Frankl:

The Existential Psychology of Viktor Frankl:

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 Finding Meaning in the Face of Suffering "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning Viktor Emil Frankl (1905-1997) was an Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor who founded the school of logotherapy, a meaning-centered approach to psychotherapy. His harrowing experiences in Nazi concentration camps shaped...

The Bridge Between Ancient Wisdom and Modern Practice

The Bridge Between Ancient Wisdom and Modern Practice

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How Can Ancient Practices Inform Modern Therapy In today's fast-paced world, an interesting phenomenon has occurred - ancient spiritual practices that originated hundreds or thousands of years ago have undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from their roots as sacred rituals and ceremonies into secular, evidence-based therapeutic techniques and wellness trends. A closer look reveals fascinating insights into how traditional wisdom continues to shape contemporary approaches to well-being, offering a...

Ethics of Care in Psychotherapy

Ethics of Care in Psychotherapy

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Interdisciplinary Insights from Philosophy, Anthropology, and Therapy The ethics of care is a moral philosophy that emphasizes the importance of empathy, compassion, attentiveness, and responsibility in human relationships. It challenges traditional Western ethical theories that prioritize abstract principles, individual rights, and impartial reasoning. Instead, care ethics recognizes the centrality of caring relations in human life and moral development. This article delves into the interdisciplinary connections...

Psychedelic Therapy and Shamanism:

Psychedelic Therapy and Shamanism:

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What Can We Learn from Indigenous Practices? The Resurgence of Psychedelics in the Modern World In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic substances as potential tools for healing and self-discovery. After decades of stigma and criminalization, drugs like psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA are now being studied in clinical trials for their therapeutic benefits. At the same time, many people are turning to indigenous shamanic traditions that have long used plant medicines and altered states of...

Beyond the Individual: Philosophical and Anthropological Perspectives on Collective Trauma

Beyond the Individual: Philosophical and Anthropological Perspectives on Collective Trauma

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Philosophical and Anthropological Perspectives on Collective Trauma  The Cultural Embeddedness of Trauma While traditional psychotherapy focuses on healing the individual psyche, many philosophical and anthropological perspectives suggest that personal wounds are deeply embedded in larger cultural traumas. From war and oppression to displacement and genocide, shattering societal ruptures leave scars that can endure for generations, shaping both individual and collective psyches. This article examines some key...

The Philosophy of Suffering:

The Philosophy of Suffering:

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Insights from Global Cultures on the Nature of Pain and Healing What can therapy learn from ancient cultures? Suffering is a universal human experience, yet the way we make meaning of our pain is profoundly shaped by our cultural context. By examining diverse philosophical and cultural perspectives on suffering, therapists can gain a deeper understanding of their clients' lived experiences and develop more effective, empathetic approaches to treatment. Western Philosophy: Suffering as a Problem to be Solved In...

The Rituals of Healing:

The Rituals of Healing:

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Anthropological Insights into Modern Psychotherapy Throughout human history and across cultures, rituals and storytelling have played a central role in addressing psychological ailments and facilitating healing. While modern psychotherapy can seem like a far cry from the traditional practices of shamans and healers, a closer examination reveals intriguing parallels in how both employ symbols, narrative, and community to treat mental illness and restore well-being. At their core, healing rituals and psychotherapy...

Myth, Meaning, and the Self: The Role of Archetypes Across Cultures

Myth, Meaning, and the Self: The Role of Archetypes Across Cultures

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What Are Myths? How to use Mythology in Therapy? Myths are not just entertaining stories - they are powerful narratives that shape how we understand ourselves and navigate the world. At the heart of mythic tales are archetypes, the universal patterns of human behavior and experience that transcend cultures and time periods (Jung, 1980). By connecting us to something greater than our individual egos, archetypes imbue our lives with deeper meaning and purpose. This article will explore how archetypes from different...

Sacred Spaces in Therapy and Culture: Creating Environments for Healing

Sacred Spaces in Therapy and Culture: Creating Environments for Healing

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Across cultures and throughout history, humans have created sacred spaces for healing, ritual, and spiritual growth. From ancient temples to modern meditation rooms, these environments are imbued with a special quality that fosters safety, insight, and transformation. As philosopher Mircea Eliade (1959) observes, sacred spaces are "hierophanies" where the divine breaks through into the profane world, revealing a deeper order of reality. This article will explore how different cultures create sacred healing spaces...

Friedrich Kittler: Theorist of Media and Technology

Friedrich Kittler: Theorist of Media and Technology

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Friedrich Kittler: Digital Theory I. Who was Friedrich Kittler Friedrich Kittler (1943-2011) was a German literary scholar, media theorist, and cultural historian who made significant contributions to the fields of media studies, discourse analysis, and the history of technology. Kittler's work, which draws on a wide range of disciplines including literature, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and information theory, offers a provocative and influential perspective on the ways in which media technologies shape human...

The Revolutionary Life and Ideas of Guy Debord: Exploring the Situationist Critique of Modern Society

The Revolutionary Life and Ideas of Guy Debord: Exploring the Situationist Critique of Modern Society

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Guy Debord: Exploring the Situationist Critique of Modern Society I. Who was Guy Debord Guy Debord (1931-1994) was a French Marxist theorist, philosopher, filmmaker, and founding member of the Situationist International, a radical avant-garde movement that sought to transform everyday life through the fusion of art and politics. Debord's groundbreaking book "The Society of the Spectacle" (1967) presented a scathing critique of modern capitalist society, arguing that authentic social life had been replaced with...

Erich Fromm: Legacy and Relevance to Depth Psychology

Erich Fromm: Legacy and Relevance to Depth Psychology

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1. Who Was Erich Fromm? Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was a renowned psychoanalyst, sociologist, and humanistic philosopher who made significant contributions to our understanding of the human condition in the modern world. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Fromm was deeply influenced by the tumultuous events of the 20th century, including the rise of fascism, the Holocaust, and the Cold War. These experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to exploring the psychosocial roots of authoritarianism, alienation, and the...

Marcel Mauss: The Gift and the Foundations of Social Solidarity

Marcel Mauss: The Gift and the Foundations of Social Solidarity

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1. Who Was Marcel Mauss? Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) was a pioneering French sociologist and anthropologist, best known for his influential essay "The Gift" (1925) and his role in shaping the development of social theory in the early 20th century. A nephew and close collaborator of Émile Durkheim, Mauss played a key role in the establishment of sociology and anthropology as distinct academic disciplines in France, and his work had a profound impact on later thinkers such as Claude Lévi-Strauss, Pierre Bourdieu, and...

The Universe 25 Experiment and the Psychological Stress of Modern Civilization

The Universe 25 Experiment and the Psychological Stress of Modern Civilization

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What Was The Universe 25 Experiment? In the 1970s, ethologist John B. Calhoun conducted a famous experiment called Universe 25. In the study, a colony of mice was placed in a utopian enclosure called a "mouse paradise" with unlimited access to food, water, and nesting materials. The colony rapidly expanded but then exhibited increasingly dysfunctional and abnormal behaviors as overcrowding intensified. Many withdrew from social interaction, some became aggressive, mothers neglected their young, and eventually the...

How do Animals Show Up In Dreams Through Archetypes?

How do Animals Show Up In Dreams Through Archetypes?

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The Enduring Imprint of the Natural World on the Human Psyche Throughout human history, our relationship with the natural world has shaped our evolution, not only in terms of physical adaptation but also in the realm of the psyche. One of the most profound ways in which this connection manifests is through our relationship with and identification with animals. These creatures, both real and mythological, have long been woven into the fabric of our dreams, stories, and unconscious minds, serving as powerful...

The Yin and Yang of Culture: Navigating Order and Chaos

The Yin and Yang of Culture: Navigating Order and Chaos

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What is the Left Hand Path and Right Hand Path? I. In her haunting short story "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson paints a disturbing portrait of a quaint village where residents gather on a sunny summer morning to enact a brutal annual tradition - the random selection and stoning of a community member. Jackson's allegorical tale serves as a potent reminder of the perils of unthinkingly adhering to tradition and the vital necessity of critically examining cultural norms. Viewed through the lens of Jungian psychology...

The Evolutionary Roots of PTSD: The Lizard Screaming in Your Brainstem

The Evolutionary Roots of PTSD: The Lizard Screaming in Your Brainstem

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  Resolving the Conflict Between Lizard and Mammal Brains The human brain is an astonishingly complex and metabolically expensive organ. Weighing in at just three pounds, it consumes a whopping 20% of the body's total energy budget [1]. This high cost is a testament to the brain's incredible processing power, which has allowed humans to become the most intelligent and adaptable species on the planet. But the human brain is not a monolithic entity. Rather, it is a product of millions of years of evolution,...

Lessons on Acceptance from Irvin Yalom’s Existential Psychotherapy

Lessons on Acceptance from Irvin Yalom’s Existential Psychotherapy

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The Stages of Grief as Defelection from Existential Dread We all go through the stages of grief all of the time: The stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - represent common emotional reactions to loss and change (Kübler-Ross & Kessler, 2005). However, they can also be seen as ways we deflect away from reality to pretend our interior emotional spaces can control external circumstances. In the depths of grief, we rage against what is, bargain for a different outcome, and sink...

The Neuroscience and Phenomenology of Brainspotting

The Neuroscience and Phenomenology of Brainspotting

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 An In-Depth Exploration of What Brainspotting Does in the Brain Brainspotting is a relatively new psychotherapy approach that combines elements of psychodynamic, somatic, and mindfulness-based therapies to facilitate deep emotional healing and trauma resolution [1]. Developed by David Grand in 2003, brainspotting operates on the premise that "where you look affects how you feel" [2]. By guiding the client's visual focus to specific external positions (brainspots), the therapist can help access and process...

A History of the Witch Archetype, In Preperation for Haloween

A History of the Witch Archetype, In Preperation for Haloween

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What Does the Witch Represent in Psychology? As the nights grow longer and Halloween draws near, our thoughts turn to the spooky, the mystical, and the uncanny. This is the time of year when we confront the shadows - both literal and psychological. One of the most potent and pervasive archetypal images associated with this season is the witch. Reviled and revered, persecuted and empowered, the witch has haunted the human psyche for centuries. But who is the witch, really? Is she merely a Halloween caricature - a...

Graham Harvey’s Relevance to Modern Depth Psychology 

Graham Harvey’s Relevance to Modern Depth Psychology 

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Who is Dr. Graham Harvey? Breaking from Early Theorists British scholar Graham Harvey, a prominent voice in religious studies since the 1990s, has played a key role in updating the anthropology of religion for the 21st century. His work breaks from the mold of early luminaries like E.B. Tylor, James Frazer, and Mircea Eliade, who tended to view indigenous and pagan religions through a lens of "primitive" superstition and irrationality. Tylor and Frazer, writing in the late 19th century, largely saw animistic and...

James George Frazer: Pioneering Insights into Myth, Religion, and the Psyche

James George Frazer: Pioneering Insights into Myth, Religion, and the Psyche

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Who was James George Frazer? James George Frazer (1854-1941) was a groundbreaking Scottish anthropologist, folklorist, and classical scholar whose work laid the foundations for modern anthropology, psychology, and comparative religious studies. Best known for his monumental study of myth and religion, The Golden Bough, Frazer pioneered the comparative method in anthropology, seeking to unveil universal patterns and evolutionary sequences in human beliefs and practices across cultures. His ideas not only shaped...

Trauma, Ritual, and Animism: Integrating the Preconscious Mind

Trauma, Ritual, and Animism: Integrating the Preconscious Mind

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Moreover, the new animism also sheds light on the intimate connection between trauma and intuition in the human brain. Both of these experiences are deeply rooted in the paleomammalian complex and the limbic system, which are associated with emotional processing, memory, and unconscious cognition (MacLean, 1990). This suggests that the capacity for intuitive understanding and the vulnerability to traumatic stress are two sides of the same coin, and that they both reflect the fundamental importance of the unconscious mind in human experience.

Neurological Basis of Intuition, Attachment, and Trauma

Neurological Basis of Intuition, Attachment, and Trauma

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Reckoning with the Spiritual and Mystical in Neurology The Polyvagal Theory and Attachment Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized our understanding of the autonomic nervous system's role in regulating emotional states and social engagement (Porges, 2011). According to this theory, the autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in shaping our emotional experiences and attachment styles. In secure attachment, where caregivers are attuned and responsive, the ventral vagal complex promotes feelings of...

African American Resilience and Creative Expression: Combating Generational Trauma and Reconnecting with Cultural Roots

African American Resilience and Creative Expression: Combating Generational Trauma and Reconnecting with Cultural Roots

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The African American experience has been marked by a history of trauma, oppression, and displacement, resulting in a sense of rootlessness and disconnection from African myths and traditions. This phenomenon is not merely sociological but biological. Research into epigenetics suggests that the stress of trauma can modify gene expression, passing the physiological effects of oppression down through generations. However, in the face of these challenges, African Americans have demonstrated remarkable resilience and...

The Ecology of Enchantment: David Abram’s Earth-Centered Philosophy

The Ecology of Enchantment: David Abram’s Earth-Centered Philosophy

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The Philosopher of the Animate Earth For most of human history, the world was alive. Rivers spoke, mountains listened, and the wind carried messages. But in the modern West, we have silenced the world. We view nature as a collection of inert objects—resources to be used, not subjects to be met. David Abram (b. 1957) is the philosopher who is teaching us to listen again. A cultural ecologist and geophilosopher, Abram is the author of the seminal book The Spell of the Sensuous. He merges the phenomenology of...

Ken Wilber: Mapping the Integral Vision

Ken Wilber: Mapping the Integral Vision

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The Einstein of Consciousness In a fragmented world where science battles religion and psychology ignores spirituality, Ken Wilber (b. 1949) stands as a grand synthesizer. Often called the "Einstein of consciousness," he is the creator of Integral Theory—a "theory of everything" that attempts to map human potential across all cultures and disciplines. His work integrates the wisdom of the East (meditation, non-dualism) with the knowledge of the West (psychology, evolution, systems theory). Wilber is not just a...

Lionel Corbett: Exploring the Psyche, Spirituality, and the Sacred

Lionel Corbett: Exploring the Psyche, Spirituality, and the Sacred

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The Psychologist of the Sacred In a secular age, many people feel spiritually homeless. They cannot return to the dogmas of traditional religion, yet they cannot live in the cold emptiness of materialism. Lionel Corbett (b. 1945) is the Jungian analyst who speaks most directly to this condition. He argues that we do not need a priest or a church to experience the divine; the psyche itself is a "religious organ." Corbin’s work focuses on the Religious Function of the Psyche. He suggests that the "numinous" (the...

Who is Ginette Paris?

Who is Ginette Paris?

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The Psychologist of the Pagan Heart In the landscape of depth psychology, Ginette Paris (b. 1945) stands as a fierce advocate for a "polytheistic psychology." While classical psychoanalysis often seeks to unify the self under a single ego, Paris argues that the human psyche is inherently plural. We are not ruled by one God, but by a pantheon of archetypal powers—Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis, Hermes—each with their own needs, logic, and morality. A French-Canadian psychologist and core faculty member at Pacifica...

The Anthropology of Victor Turner: Ritual, Liminality, and Cultural Performance

The Anthropology of Victor Turner: Ritual, Liminality, and Cultural Performance

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Who is Victor Turner? Victor Turner (1920-1983) was a pioneering British cultural anthropologist whose innovative theories of symbols, ritual, and performance transformed the study of human society and culture. Over a prolific career spanning four decades, Turner developed a rich body of concepts and methods for interpreting the symbolic dimensions of social life, from the rites of passage of small-scale African societies to the pilgrimage traditions and countercultural movements of complex industrial nations. At...

Stanislav Grof and the Exploration of the Human Psyche: A Visionary Journey into Holotropic States and Transpersonal Realms

Stanislav Grof and the Exploration of the Human Psyche: A Visionary Journey into Holotropic States and Transpersonal Realms

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The Cartographer of the Deep Psyche In the mid-20th century, psychiatry was dominated by two rigid maps: the psychoanalytic map, which traced all neurosis back to childhood, and the behaviorist map, which reduced human experience to stimulus and response. Stanislav Grof (b. 1931) shattered these boundaries. He discovered that the human psyche does not end at the skin, nor does it begin at birth. Grof is the principal architect of Transpersonal Psychology. Through decades of clinical research with LSD and later...

The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Allan N. Schore: Exploring the Developmental Origins of the Self

The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Allan N. Schore: Exploring the Developmental Origins of the Self

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  Who is Allan Shore? Allan N. Schore, Ph.D. is a pioneering researcher and theoretician whose work has revolutionized our understanding of human development, the emergence of the self, and the process of therapeutic change. Drawing on cutting-edge research from neuroscience, attachment theory, developmental psychology, and psychoanalysis, Schore has crafted a compelling vision of how early relational experiences shape the development of the brain and the capacity for emotional regulation and interpersonal...

The Archetypal Psychology of Steven Mithen: Exploring the Evolution of the Mind

The Archetypal Psychology of Steven Mithen: Exploring the Evolution of the Mind

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Steven Mithen: The Archaeologist of Cognitive Fluidity While Carl Jung explored the psyche through dreams and myths, Steven Mithen (b. 1960) explores it through flint axes and fossil records. A British archaeologist and anthropologist, Mithen has bridged the gap between evolutionary science and depth psychology. His work provides the "hard science" footing for what Jungians call the Collective Unconscious. Mithen’s revolutionary contribution is the concept of Cognitive Fluidity. He argues that early human minds...

Arnold van Gennep and the Rites of Passage: Illuminating the Structure of Human Transitions

Arnold van Gennep and the Rites of Passage: Illuminating the Structure of Human Transitions

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The Architect of Transitions Life is a series of crossings. We cross from childhood to adulthood, from single to married, from work to retirement, from life to death. But how do we cross safely? Arnold van Gennep (1873–1957) was the first anthropologist to recognize that all human societies use a specific technology to manage these transitions: the Rite of Passage. Van Gennep’s discovery was not just academic; it unveiled the hidden grammar of human transformation. He showed that without a ritual container, the...

The Evolutionary Psychology of Louise Barrett: Situating Cognition in the Dynamics of Life

The Evolutionary Psychology of Louise Barrett: Situating Cognition in the Dynamics of Life

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The Psychologist of the Embodied Mind In the traditional view of cognitive science—often referred to as the "computational theory of mind"—the brain is viewed as a biological computer. It sits isolated inside the skull, processing inputs from the senses and generating outputs in the form of behavior, much like a pilot in a cockpit. Louise Barrett, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and behavioral ecology, has spent her career dismantling this "brain-in-a-vat" model. Her work argues that you cannot understand...

Adolf Guggenbühl-Craig: A Innovator in the Cultural Dimension of Myth

Adolf Guggenbühl-Craig: A Innovator in the Cultural Dimension of Myth

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The Bridge Between the Sacred and the Clinical In the history of analytical psychology, Gerhard Adler (1904–1988) occupies a vital but often overlooked position. While figures like Marie-Louise von Franz focused on the archaic depths of fairy tales and alchemy, Adler dedicated his life to demonstrating the practical, clinical reality of Carl Jung’s ideas. He was not just a theoretician; he was a clinician who meticulously documented how the individuation process manifests in the consulting room. Adler was a...

Joseph Henderson: Bridging Cultural Contexts and Analytical Psychology

Joseph Henderson: Bridging Cultural Contexts and Analytical Psychology

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The Bridge Between Culture and the Unconscious In the vast topography of the human psyche, Carl Jung mapped two primary territories: the Personal Unconscious (memories, repressed complexes) and the Collective Unconscious (universal archetypes). However, a crucial layer was missing from this map—the specific historical and cultural filter through which we experience these universals. The man who filled in this blank was Joseph L. Henderson (1903–2007). Henderson was an American giant in the field of Analytical...

Michael Fordham: Integrating Developmental Psychology with Analytical Psychology

Michael Fordham: Integrating Developmental Psychology with Analytical Psychology

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The Architect of the Developmental School In the world of analytical psychology, Michael Fordham (1905–1995) is the figure who dared to bring Carl Jung down from the mythic clouds and into the nursery. While the classical school in Zurich focused on alchemy, adult individuation, and the collective unconscious, Fordham asked a practical, burning question: How does the Self manifest in an infant? Fordham is the father of the "Developmental School" of Jungian analysis. He bridged the gap between Jung’s archetypal...

Barbara Hannah: Jungian Analyst, Teacher, and Biographer

Barbara Hannah: Jungian Analyst, Teacher, and Biographer

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The Artist of the Unconscious In the inner circle of Carl Jung, there were theoreticians who built complex intellectual systems, and there were practitioners who lived the psychology in their bones. Barbara Hannah (1891–1986) belonged firmly to the latter group. A British artist who traveled to Zurich to meet Jung in 1929, she became one of his closest collaborators and a foundational figure in the development of Active Imagination. While analysts like Marie-Louise von Franz focused on the objective history of...

The Archetypal Psychology of Anthony Stevens: Synthesizing Evolutionary Science and Depth Psychology

The Archetypal Psychology of Anthony Stevens: Synthesizing Evolutionary Science and Depth Psychology

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The Biologist of the Unconscious For much of the 20th century, depth psychology and evolutionary biology were enemies. Biology viewed the mind as a machine for survival, while psychology viewed it as a realm of meaning and symbol. Anthony Stevens (1933–2021) was the man who ended the war. A psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, Stevens argued that archetypes are not mystical concepts floating in the ether; they are biological imperatives wired into our DNA. He called them "phylogenetic neuropsychic centers." Just as...

The Archetypal Psychology of Robert Moore: Illuminating the Deep Structures of the Psyche

The Archetypal Psychology of Robert Moore: Illuminating the Deep Structures of the Psyche

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The Architect of the Mature Psyche In the landscape of post-Jungian psychology, few figures have mapped the deep structures of the human personality with the precision of Robert Moore, Ph.D. (1942–2016). A psychoanalyst, theologian, and Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology, Moore recognized a crisis in the modern world: the collapse of "Man Psychology" into "Boy Psychology." Without the guidance of elders and the container of ritual, he argued, the psyche cannot hold the high voltage of archetypal...

The Evolutionary Origins of Religion: Why is Mankind Religious?

The Evolutionary Origins of Religion: Why is Mankind Religious?

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What did Prehistoric Religion Look Like: Main Ideas and Key Points: The Venus of Willendorf, a Paleolithic figurine, suggests the existence of prehistoric "Venus cults" that venerated female deities associated with fertility and the earth. Prehistoric religions likely involved myth and ritual to explain the world, provide meaning, and promote social bonding. Shamanism, involving altered states of consciousness, may have been an early form of religious practice. The Neolithic Revolution saw the rise of...

Paganism: Insights from Anthropology, Psychology, and Comparative Religion

Paganism: Insights from Anthropology, Psychology, and Comparative Religion

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  “My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.” ― John Dominic Crossan, Who Is Jesus? Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus Main Ideas and Key Points: 1. John Dominic Crossan argues that ancient people told religious stories symbolically, while modern people often interpret them literally. 2. The development of religion...

Applying Jungian Psychology to Fiction and Screenwriting: Part 3 Personality Theories

Applying Jungian Psychology to Fiction and Screenwriting: Part 3 Personality Theories

Read More on Jung here: Carl Jung's Major Influences Jungian Analysis Archetypes Jung’s Method Jungian Thought Read Part 1 and 2 First! part 1: https://gettherapybirmingham.com/the-villain-with…nd-screenwriting/ part 2: https://gettherapybirmingham.com/using-jungian-ps…d-fiction-part-2/ part 3: https://gettherapybirmingham.com/applying-jungian…onality-theories/ Applying Jungian Psychology to Fiction and Screenwriting Character development is a crucial aspect of fiction writing that distinguishes good storytelling...

Is the Precuneus the Secret of Human Spirituality

Is the Precuneus the Secret of Human Spirituality

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What part of the brain is responsible for religion? “The Self is the ordering and unifying center of the total psyche (conscious and unconscious) just as the ego is the center of the conscious personality. Or, put in other words, the ego is the seat of subjective identity while the Self is the seat of objective identity. The Self is thus the supreme psychic authority and subordinates the ego to it. The Self is most simply described as the inner empirical deity and is identical with the imago Dei.” ― Edward F....

What is the Pineal Gland: Neuroscience, New Age, Numinous and Nonsense

What is the Pineal Gland: Neuroscience, New Age, Numinous and Nonsense

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Crystals are not shaped like the Buddha's face When I was in a bachelors psychology class at Sewanee  I had to listen to a student, who was a enthusiast of psilocybin mushrooms, go on a rant to the professor about how there were "magic crystals" in the brain. According to him the crystals were "shaped like the buddha's face" and had been used by "real scientists" to discover things about aliens and mythology. One of these things was that the city of Atlantis, a mythological city that sank, was actually the city...

Is BPD really multiple disorders?

Is BPD really multiple disorders?

  The Architect of Personality: Beyond the Stigma of Borderline Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is perhaps the most stigmatized and misunderstood diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Often dismissed as "manipulative" or "untreatable," BPD is better understood as a complex trauma response—a frantic attempt to regulate a nervous system that was never taught how to soothe itself. While modern psychiatry often focuses on symptom management, the work of Theodore...

Book Review of Love’s Executioner by Irvin Yalom

Book Review of Love’s Executioner by Irvin Yalom

Love's Executioner: A Critical Autopsy of the Therapeutic Relationship In the sterilized world of clinical psychology, where manuals like the DSM-5 attempt to reduce the human condition to diagnostic codes and billing increments, Irvin D. Yalom’s 1989 masterpiece, Love’s Executioner & Other Tales of Psychotherapy, landed like a sledgehammer. It was not a textbook on technique, nor was it a sanitized collection of success stories. Instead, it was a raw, literary confession that exposed the therapist not as a...

Book Review of The Sacred in the Profane: Exploring Religion and Order

Book Review of The Sacred in the Profane: Exploring Religion and Order

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"The Sacred and the Profane": A Pioneering Study of Religion Mircea Eliade’s The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion is a seminal text in the academic study of religion. Unlike theology, which approaches religion as an unquestionable truth about the universe, Eliade delves into it as a phenomenological subject—exploring how the religious experience shapes human consciousness. If you have taken a Religious Studies 101 class, chances are you encountered Eliade's work. While the book may feel dense to...

Turning the Inner Critic from a Bully into an Ally

Turning the Inner Critic from a Bully into an Ally

Befriending Your Inner Critic: From Self-Judgment to Self-Empowerment Understanding the Inner Critic The inner critic is that persistent voice in our heads that judges, criticizes, and undermines our every move. Psychologists Sidra and Hal Stone, pioneers of the Voice Dialogue approach, describe the inner critic as one of the many subpersonalities that make up our psyche [1]. This inner voice often develops early in life, internalizing the standards and expectations of parents, teachers, and society. While the...

Nothing Gold Can Stay: A thought experiment about money, wealth, power and the psychology of economy.

Nothing Gold Can Stay: A thought experiment about money, wealth, power and the psychology of economy.

Rethinking Money, Gold, and Value: A Thought Experiment on Alternative Economic Systems What do we truly value as a society? This profound question strikes at the heart of how we structure our communities, economies, and ways of life. In this thought-provoking article, we'll embark on a fascinating thought experiment to reexamine our unconscious assumptions about money, gold, debt, and worth. By challenging the status quo and exploring alternative economic models, we may gain fresh insights into creating a more...

Why are Trauma Patients Afraid of Space

Why are Trauma Patients Afraid of Space

Our phobias are often metaphors for our most unconscious parts of self. In the 2013 movie Gravity, Sandra Bullock plays an astronaut marooned in space. At every moment she is seconds from spinning into the hopeless oblivion of deep space. Bullock’s character must use her ingenuity to navigate the shuttles and space stations to find her way back to earth. During her time in space Bullock is haunted by trauma from her past. Numerous shots suggest that her time in space causes her to regress to infancy and face not...

Aztec Philosophy by James Maffie Book Review

Aztec Philosophy by James Maffie Book Review

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHJ3JWCM4EE Aztec Mythology is never something that I understood very well. Mesoamerican mythology represents a distinct and unique perspective on the human psyche. Aztec Philosophy by James Maffie explains the metaphysical word view of the Nahua people and their mythology. Aztec philosophy is not only shockingly modern but also reflects our current understanding of physics an space time. Bibliography: Maffie, James. Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion. University...

What Is Trauma?

What Is Trauma?

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What Is Psychological Trauma? A Comprehensive Guide Psychological trauma is a complex and often debilitating response to deeply distressing or life-threatening events. This comprehensive guide explores the causes, symptoms, and evidence-based treatments for trauma, providing valuable insights for those seeking to understand and heal from traumatic experiences. The Fight or Flight Response: The Body's Reaction to Danger Understanding the Autonomic Nervous System The fight or flight response, regulated by the...

Does Therapy Help?

Does Therapy Help?

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What is Psychotherapy for? Why Go to Therapy? There are many reasons to go to therapy. You might have problems with anxiety, depression, anger management or have experienced a traumatic event. Some people just feel bad and are not sure what is wrong. They find that therapy helps them identify what they are feeling and why. Our staff at Taproot Therapy are trained to treat a variety of issues and psychological diagnoses. If you have a specific issue you would like to work on we will pair you with someone who...

10 Books That Every Therapist Should Read

10 Books That Every Therapist Should Read

I get asked all the time "How do I become a psychotherapist?" or "How do I go into private practice as a therapist?". The short answer is always to READ, READ, READ. I listened to every audiobook I could get my hands on as an outpatient social worker in my car all day. I read every book I could get my hands on at night. Unfortunately you will not leave a graduate degree with all the tools it takes to function as a private practice therapist. Nor will you stay a very informed clinician if you do not continue to...

Improve Relationships with the Lover Archetype

Improve Relationships with the Lover Archetype

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    The Lover is one of the most difficult archetypes to notice that you are experiencing. By its very nature it is seductive and spontaneous. The Lover is most commonly associated with sex, but sex is the smallest part of the archetype. You cannot experience the Lover by yourself, but you do not necessarily have to experience it with another person. Anytime you are pulled into an alluring daydream, swept up in the rhetoric of a rousing speech, or moved to a sense of greater understanding by a work of...

Heal Yourself By Finding Your Inner Child

Heal Yourself By Finding Your Inner Child

The Child is a tricky archetype to find within ourselves. The Child is the first archetype that the self identifies with. The Child has no problem asking for help or expressing it’s emotions and desires loudly and honestly. The Child is a kind of creative anarchy that we lose as adults and rediscover during liminal and transitional spaces in our development. The Child is a freedom we reconnect with when we release the parts of ourselves that have held us back. The Child is the “alive” feeling that addicts begin...

Are Artists Narcissists?

Are Artists Narcissists?

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I had a patient ask me one time if artists were narcissistic. The question sent me for a loop because it hit on such a basic truth about how these personality types communicate. Patients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are deeply ashamed of some part of themselves on an unconscious level. This shame comes from trauma, abuse or neglect in childhood. The shame is so deep that all of their conscious and unconscious energies go into controlling others perception of themselves and elevating those perceptions to...

Living on the Inside of History

Living on the Inside of History

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“For the whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men. Make them your examples, and, esteeming courage to be freedom and freedom to be happiness, do not weigh too nicely the perils of war. ― Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War At each age in our life we think we will feel different when we have grow bigger,...

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