We all have a variety of different characteristics and things floating around in our heads. But when you dig down deep to the core, what is it that makes you, you? I think a major part of the foundation of who we are is the sum of our entire life experiences. No one else has had …
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is the inner child. The concept of an inner child, or childlike aspect within each of us, has some roots in psychology, but it’s also a pop culture phenomenon. The first page of Google Scholar search results on …
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is the enneagram. The enneagram is a personality typology that includes nine different personality types, which are depicted in the 9-pointed figure shown above. A key influence in the development of the enneagram as it’s currently used was …
Introversion and extraversion are personality traits lying at opposite ends of a spectrum. Some people fit with one extreme or another, but many people fall somewhere in the middle. While societal expectations might make it seems like introversion is rare, it’s actually not. Introversion & extraversion – what’s the difference? Much of the difference between …
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s terms are ego-syntonic and ego-dystonic. The terms ego-syntonic and ego-dystonic come from the field of psychoanalysis, and they were coined by Sigmund Freud in 1914. Ego-syntonic ideas match up with the ego’s needs, view of the self, and personality. Ego-dystonic …
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychological terms. This week’s terms are antisocial and asocial. For some reason, I have a very clear memory of a moment shortly after my nursing career began. I was at work and was saying something about being antisocial. One of the psychiatrists looked at …
I recently learned from a fellow blogger about the Dunedin Study, which explored the issue of nature vs. nurture and turned up some fascinating results. The study followed a group of 1000 individuals born in 1972 in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Interviewing and testing with these individuals still continues, and the study has …
In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychological terms. This week, we’ll look at the difference between a personality trait and a disorder. Personality traits Wikipedia defines personality traits as “habitual patterns of behaviour, thought, and emotion” that are mostly stable across time and context. Some traits fall on a continuum, …
The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People is written by Mel Collins, who describes herself as a counsellor, spiritual healer, and reiki master, as well as a highly sensitive person (HSP). The book begins with a description of the characteristics of HSPs. The author explains that they process emotions on a deeper level than others, and tend …
Book Review: The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People Read More »
