Welcome!
This is a space for sharing practices that have been helpful in my own journey as a psychotherapist, educator, and researcher. My intention is to spark curiosity and explore ways of relationships. For more on my background, please check out About.
Jasmina
The content on this platform is dedicated to advancing mental health and well-being. Some posts could include potentially triggering discussions of mental illness, disorders, and trauma. Please note that nothing on this platform is intended to be seen/used as replacement for therapy or as specific therapeutic advice. Please refer to the Resources and About pages for getting professional mental health services.
Attachment anxiety
What does it mean to be “anxiously attached” and what is the impact of attachment anxiety on self worth, emotional regulation, and relationships.
Insecure attachment
Attachment insecurity is correlated with a whole list of negative mental health outcomes, not just relational ones. This post explains the fundamentals of attachment system activation, the primary and secondary attachment strategy. This will be the first post in a series about attachment insecurity, a key focus of my ongoing research project.
Non-monogamy
Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is currently the focus of my clinical and academic work. In my approach to working with CNM relationships, I have adopted a different view on the typical emphasis on “rules and boundaries” as the primary relationship and therapeutic tool.
Connection
Neuroscience studies suggest that creating relational security is mostly a somatic experience. These exercises are designed to help you.
Therapy, p.2
Knowing the difference between CBT and existential therapy, for example, can help you predict the kind of experience you can expect to have in sessions.
Therapy, p.1
LMHCs, MHC-LPs, LCSWs, PsyDs.. where to begin? Let’s start with what is behind all of these credentials.
Relationships
Research on romantic relationships shows that most of our problematic patterns tend to fall into three categories, or, in the words of one of the most prominent couples therapists Sue Johnson, “Demon Dialogues”.
Conversations
Developing skills to overcome your fear of vulnerable conversations is one of the most powerful moves in taking your relationships to new heights.
Books, p.2
This one is about books on mental health, therapy, self-development, relationships, psychedelics…
Books, p.1
A list of books that made me think/choose/feel/live differently. To be updated regularly.
Sleep
For those unfamiliar with this practice, Yoga Nidra is more akin to meditation than to postural yoga (such as Ashtanga, Hatha, or Iyengar). Translated as “yogic sleep”, it is a deeply relaxing guided practice in which the practitioner is let to attain a state of deep non-REM sleep, while maintaining awareness in the present moment.
Science is just beginning to explore what happens to our brain during this practice, and whether Yoga Nidra’s benefits extend beyond a good night’s rest.
Personality
How do we “measure” personality traits, and are we burdened (or blessed) with them until we die? How do they correlate (if at all) with the very important things in life, such as relationship happiness, academic achievement, and workplace performance?
This week, I am looking into one of the most discussed and researched topics in psychology.
Inner Critic
The Inner Critic, the Greek Chorus, the Crazy Aunt in the Attic.. There are many names for the voice that seems to have an inordinate amount of power over how we live our lives.
In this post, I explore the best strategies for dealing with this voice (it’s not about repeating “I am worthy and lovable” in the mirror 50 times a day. Though you are welcome to try it.).
Cold
The importance of starting your day with a cold shower is touted by everyone from the Dutch Iceman Wim Hof to yogis and mental health experts. Adding at least a 10-second splash of cold water at the end of your shower is supposed to bring you a host of physical and psychological benefits, and so it would seem that bearing the discomfort (or rather, dread) of the icy water would be worth it.
I decided to dig around the publication databases to see what, if anything, science has to say about it.
Routines
Physical movement, breathwork, yoga, mediation, journaling…what a great way to start the day! Only, by the time you’re done, it’s technically no longer morning :) And what about those of us who are just not morning types?
Is there such as thing as an ideal way to start your day, and should you adopt a morning routine? To find out, I am looking beyond the wellness industry to find out what is the power of routine, and how we can use it to start our day right.
Teletherapy
It’s convenient, accessible, and it delivers. Still, it would be wrong to say that nothing was lost in the transition from the therapist’s office to the phone screen.
