Author name: Dr Shyra Jones

Abandonment. Attachment. Acceptance. These three are deeply intertwined, and understanding them can help us huntangle emotional wounds and begin to heal. What is Abandonment? Abandonment is what happens when someone who once met an essential need leaves, physically or emotionally, without support in place. Imagine a parent leaving a small child without arranging proper care. […]

Learning how to place emotions in their proper place is one thing therapy can help with. Emotions are important as they give us information about how we are interacting with our environment making it important to not turn them off. I have heard it said that emotions make awful masters but great servants.  Cognitive Behavior

Experience has shown me how forgiveness follows a similar process as grief. When we think about it is not the need to forgive activated through the loss of something whether it be a dream, safety, trust in another human being, or a belief about how the world works. The grief process as outlined by Elisabeth

Since the beginning of the year, I have had many conversations in my personal and professional life about what forgiveness is, why we should forgive, who we should forgive and how do we forgive. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is the letting go of the hope of having a better past. Often, we think that when

Dear Reader, Good news… it looks as if virtual mental health therapy is here to stay. This can make mental health care easier to receive. That said it is important to get the same care using virtual sessions as is offered by in office visits. When conducting sessions as a therapist I make sure I

Dear Reader, Here is a handout I created for a journaling therapy group I am facilitated using the trademarked program by Kathleen Adams called Journal to the Self®. My participants enjoyed it and I hope you do as well! Warmly, Dr. Shyra ___________________ Sometimes we can get so wrapped in attempting to make it from

Dear Reader, Taking time to learn about how you are doing can seem simple and necessary yet many of us do not know where to start.  Please find the following handout as a guide to developing a practice to help you become aware of what is going on inside and outside of yourself.  Personalize this

Dear Reader, By the time one makes it to see me usually things are so out of control that the person and/or their loved one is so tired of trying to figure things out.  There can be a feeling of being disheartened and diminished hope.  My heart goes out to anyone who is willing to

Dear Reader, We have come a long way from the days of forced institutionalizations, considering suicide as a crime, and the stigma of seeing a therapist so pervasive that many went without needed treatment and support as they seek recovery from a mental illness. With that said there are still some myths that if perpetuated