by Richard Amaral | Aug 7, 2022 | Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mind-Body Health
For all of us, the years between 2020 and 2022 were challenging. But while some made it through the pandemic with only minor adjustments, many others struggled in more ways than one. For those who struggled greatly, the pandemic only amplified their feelings...
by Richard Amaral | Jun 9, 2011 | All Entries, Family Violence
A friend of mine, who happens to be a criminal lawyer, visited me recently. We spent many hours in good conversation discussing a myriad of topics. Both he and I are fortunate to be in professions that allow us to connect with people on a deeply personal level. In my...
by Richard Amaral | May 30, 2011 | Addiction Psychology
A couple of losses in the entertainment world this past week has made me think a little more deeply about addiction. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about the element of choice in the development and treatment of addiction. The power of addiction Gill...
by Richard Amaral | May 17, 2011 | All Entries
We’ve all tried to change something about ourselves – perhaps it’s an addiction to something (e.g., smoking, drugs, video gaming), or simply a behaviour that we no longer wish to have in our lives. Change happens in stages The Stages of Change model was first created...
by Richard Amaral | Apr 11, 2011 | Addiction Psychology, All Entries, Family Violence
In the last two blog entries, I wrote about cognitive-behavioural theory and how it explains intimate partner aggression. The main tenet in these blogs was that when an individual perpetrates aggression, they usually engage in biased forms of self-talk (thoughts) that...