Bronwyn Robertson, LPC

By Bronwyn Robertson

Why are movies, television shows, cartoons and videos so entertaining? Why do they have the power to engross viewers for hours on end, move them to both laughter and tears, and even inspire their insights and aspirations? Watching movies, television shows, cartoons and videos can be profoundly engaging and, in fact, quite therapeutic. It has even become a form of therapy: cinematherapy.

International research spanning more than half a century has shown that wh...

Joey is a quiet and shy child. The 5-year-old is prone to daydreaming and seems content to play alone. He rarely gets into trouble, unlike his 11-year-old brother Jonathan who is easily agitated and always seems to be angry. The brothers were removed from their biological parents two years ago and placed into foster care. They are now with loving foster parents who want to adopt them but are concerned about Jonathan’s aggressive and destructive behaviors. The boys’ social worker h...

Fears can imprison us, haunt us, and cause us to view our lives through a lens of darkness and negativity.

Fear is an intense physiological, emotional, and mental reaction that sends stress hormones and adrenaline surging throughout the body and brain, and causes the heart rate to soar. Intense, overwhelming fear literally shuts off parts of our brain and can lead to obsessive, negative thinking, nightmares, and a persistent state of heightened vigilance and reactivity.

Good relationships are good for our health, according to the American Psychological Association and the National Institutes of Health. Having positive, supportive relationships can prevent illness by boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure and reducing stress levels. Research shows that merely being in the presence of caring, supportive people can lower our cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that floods the body and brain when we’re under stress. In the short term, it ca...

What are the mental health benefits of meditation, of slowing down, paying attention and directing our focus inward? Research from some of the world's leading practitioners and scholars supports that the practice of meditation, specifically mindfulness meditation, lowers our stress level, improves concentration, and enhances our ability to manage our emotions and tolerate pain.

A recent study from Wake Forrest University School of Medicine sug...

Mindfulness is a hot topic. While its concepts and practices first emerged from Tibetan monasteries in the 1800s, it has been studied extensively by western scientists for decades and is now branching out into mainstream culture. One needn’t ascend the summit of some lofty peak or be involved in ivy league research projects to be exposed. Mindfulness related magazines, TV talk shows, and self help books abound. Mindfulness-based practices have also been effectively inte...