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Matheson Therapy
Friday, September 25, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Self in Internal and External Leadership
I was recently at a leadership conference and realized that so
much of the language of business leadership could also be considered Internal
Family Systems (IFS) or “parts language.” One thing I learned is that business people
love to categorize, label, and use acronyms to explain things. An activity we
did on Day 1 led to a few of my internal “parts” being labeled as my ultimate leadership
style. This way of explaining my leadership behavior and motivation is not as
helpful to me as it was in my 20s before I learned a more effective way to
understand my internal parts, through Internal Family Systems theory (Schwartz,
1997). I am not the first, nor will I be the last, to attempt to apply Internal
Family Systems theory to business. But I learned a valuable lesson that weekend which gave me clarity about my internal and external leadership.
The above-mentioned exercise on which we embarked during this
weekend was completing The Essential DISC Training Workbook (Hedge, 2013). DISC
is an acronym (no surprise) for four dimensions of leadership that stand for Dominance,
Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious. As I opened the book and turned to
page 12, I was confronted with a familiar task of choosing between either
similar or opposite personal characteristics that best describe my leadership tendencies.
Twenty-four sections later, and my head spinning with words like
"unobstructed,” “unrestricted,” and “stable“ that seemed more well-suited
to descriptions of a city planning project than to human leadership. I made it
through, though. From the first of the 24 sections, however, I felt a familiar
dread of not being sure I was picking the most accurate descriptors for myself,
thereby spoiling the possibility of an accurate label to describe me in one
word. "Am I choosing words I wish represented me?" "Is this how
I am, how I used to be, or how I want to be?" "Am I confusing the
meaning of these words?" I became aware of my insecure parts, those that
second guess my comprehension, self-doubt, and competitive parts. These parts
work together to motivate me to do things as close to perfectly as I can. If at
this point I had thought to stop, close my eyes, and acknowledge the parts that
were present and ask if they could step back while I completed the task, things
might have gone better for me. Unfortunately, my rule-following part had
already taken the lead and was steering my system into the task to ensure I
finished in the 15 allotted minutes, just like I was told. I felt rushed,
unsure, confused, irritated, but victorious when I finished with no time to
spare. At least that rule following part of me was content and fulfilled.
Unfortunately, that victorious feeling was short-lived as the presenter told us
there would not be time for us to score ourselves yet, but instead we would
process as a small group the meaning of the four leadership types without
knowing what we were.
Now my part that carries some insecurity was overwhelmed by
my figuring-out parts, which are much more well-practiced and effective! New
questions then began in my mind. Was I a “dominant” leader like I was in my
teens and 20s? “No,” I assured myself, “I've evolved and softened since then.”
No sooner did I assure myself I was not a D than I received a text from a
colleague across the room with whom I was currently on a Board of Directors for
my professional Association. "I'm sure you did not come up as Dominance
but instead you must be Steadiness or Conscientious," he teased.
Confirmation of my fears! I didn't even have to score myself, my colleague scored
me himself. My Dominance parts have been clear for him and everyone else to see.
I then felt two other parts emerge at once...deflated and relieved. Deflated
that I apparently haven't evolved my leadership style much at all in 25 years,
and relieved that the feisty, directive, efficient leadership parts had not gone
away either. I Iike those parts too much to watch them be shamed into a corner.
I realized what I have been hoping for is a wiser, more Self-led leadership
style to emerge in my mid-40s.
So it is true, I may lead external systems from more of a D position
with some I, S, and C mixed in. I have evolved quite a bit, though, in that I
am more capable of allowing my Self to invite various leadership parts of me to
help accomplished tasks or nurture collaborative conversations. What I took
away from this task at the leadership conference, however, is a renewed awareness
that no matter which of my D, I, S, or C parts are more predominant in a given
leadership moment, it is my Self that I want to be in the lead in my own
internal system to help parts emerge when needed. While Dr. Dick
Schwartz tells us that “all parts are welcome,” nurturing my Self as the leader of
my internal system will be the key for more effective leadership of external
systems as well.
Hedge, J. (2013). The
essential DISC training workbook: Add new meaning & depth to your results.
Redding, CA: DISC-I.org.
Schwartz, R. C. (1997). Internal
family systems therapy. New York: Guildford.
Labels:
Internal Family Systems,
leadership,
parts
Location:
Longmont, CO, USA
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Dear Dr. Jenn,
I have a friend who I suspect may be in a relationship
with a man who is abusive to her. She has a couple of children with him and I
am also worried they might be in danger too. What can I do to help my friend?
Dr. Jenn's Response:
Violence in intimate relationships is a serious problem. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org), “one in four women (24.3
percent) and one in seven men (13.8 percent) aged 18 and older in the United
States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner
in their lifetime.”
Also known as intimate partner violence or IPV, it can include
physical, sexual, reproductive, emotional, financial, and psychological abuse. Some
of the signs that a person is in a violent or abusive relationship can include
thins like: pulling hair, punching, slapping, kicking, biting, or choking; name
calling, insulting and continually criticizing; forcing the other person to
dress in a sexual way; refusing to use a condom or other birth control; or
giving the other person an allowance and closely watching how she spends it. The
vast majority of perpetrators of violence and abuse are men, though there are
documented cases of female-to-male and mutual violence among both straight and
gay couples. The fact remains that when men are violent against women, the
incidence of serious injury and death is extraordinarily higher than when the
woman is the perpetrator. Go to www.thehotline.org
for a much more extensive discussion of the prevalence and signs of intimate
partner violence.
It needs to be said out right that violence in any
relationship is never OK. It is always harmful and always needs to be
extinguished. In fact, it is a criminal act to be physically or sexually violent
against one’s partner or if any child witness such violence between adults.
Many cases of violence go unreported and unpunished because of fear of
retribution and retaliation as well as the fear of the stigma that comes with
being in an abusive relationship.
In the same way that it is a fact that no violence is OK in
any relationship, it is also a fact that no one ever asks or wants to be
abused. There is nothing that anyone can do to anyone else that warrants any form
of violence. Unfortunately this message is not clearly expressed in many
families or throughout our society. Many children grow up having witnessed
violence and then experience it again in their adult intimate relationships. It
is rare to meet a person who is or has been in an abusive adult relationship who
has no knowledge of any violence in their own family of origin. On the other
hand, many people who experienced abuse in their families as children choose
not to abuse their partners and often leave relationships that have the
slightest evidence that they may become abusive. Not everyone who grew up with
abuse will end up in an abusive relationship.
If you are in a relationship where there has been violence
or you know someone who is, get help because there is a good chance that the
violence will not stop and could intensify over time. There are a few key steps to safely leave an abusive
relationship. First, contact your local domestic violence shelter where they
will have staff and resources to help your friend get out of the situation and
get herself and her children safe. If the person needing help doesn't know where their
closest shelter is, have them contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at
1-800-799-7233 or www.thehotline.org. In cases where more immediate safety is
needed, call 911 to get the police to intervene and help them get safe.
Many women don’t leave abusive relationships for fear that
leaving will put them and their loved ones in more danger than if they stay.
While there are stories in the media of abusive partners flying into rages and
escalating the intensity to frighten and control their partners, having a safety
plan to reduce the possibility of escalation is critical. This is why
professionals need to be involved. Police, the court system, and a safe house
all can help to provide the support needed to get safe and get away to start a
new life.
If you notice someone you love has unusual injuries and
seems nervous about discussing them, try sitting down with the friend and
telling her you are not going to judge her or think differently about her if
she has something hard to talk about with you. Let her know you won’t force her
to do anything if she has something bad happening to her. Together you can
strategize the best ways for her to keep herself and her children safe. If she
is not comfortable going to or calling a shelter, have her call any therapist
in the community who can help her think through how to get safe. It is
important for you not to panic with your friend because the last thing she
needs is more fear and trepidation for sharing details with you. Stay calm and
grounded as well as supportive and loving.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Question:
How do you know if a
relationship is unhealthy or if it just needs work?
Dr. Jenn's Answer:
Whether you have a long history of romantic
relationships or you are just falling in love for the first time, everyone
spends time assessing their relationship for health. Many people fear that if they
are in an unhealthy relationship, they’ll make excuses to stay in it in spite
of what messages they are getting from themself and others. So listen to the
totality of what people who love you and who you trust are telling you about
how your relationship looks from the outside. Don’t focus on just one friend’s
opinion, get a lot of opinions from people you can absolutely trust to have
your back. If your most trusted friends tell you the relationship looks
unhealthy, it probably is. By going to a therapist to find out if the unhealthy
relationship is workable, you can then decide what to do next. Listen to your
own intuition as well. It usually is telling you the right answer.
So what is a healthy relationship? First and foremost, healthy relationships have NO violence whatsoever. That includes no physical, sexual, or emotional violence. Beyond that most basic and unwavering rule, experts like Dr. John Gottman tell us that when we use 5 positive interactions to every one negative interaction with our partners, that’s one indicator that we are protecting our relationship and giving our partner the care he or she needs. On the other hand, an unhealthy relationship is one that is fraught with what he calls The 4 Horseman: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. These characteristics make people feel horrible about themselves, and they find themselves working much harder than they should to be happy in their relationship.
Healthy relationships are often based on a sense of
friendship. Can you look at your partner and honestly say, “you are one of my
best friends?” Along these same lines, most healthy relationships look quite
equal in terms of the power each person has to make decisions and offer their
influence to the other person. Frequent or constant power struggles can be an
indicator of an unhealthy relationship. I often tell clients that it’s not THAT
they have conflict, it’s how they RESOLVE their conflict that matters. Are you
able to feel genuinely closer to your partner and feel more secure in the
relationship after a typical argument, or do you find yourself replaying it
over and over in your head and noticing you feel damaged by the conflict? The
latter may be an unhealthy relationship.
One way I gauge the relative health of a
relationship is how closely the two people are in terms of their opinions on big
issues such as religion/spirituality, family, work, finances, and their core values.
Your opinions on most of these should be at least similar between you with the
ability to discuss small differences openly without hurt feelings. Most couples
won’t be able to manage the strain large differences on these topics put on a
relationship for the long haul. Healthy relationships allow each person to be
their authentic selves, so being able to respect each others’ small differences
on these large issues without much difficulty is key.
Most long term relationships, even healthy ones, go
through some struggles from time to time. I warn many of my friends not to wait
until it is too late to get some professional help for relationship issues. One
of the biggest problems we therapists see day in and day out is couples who
have waited to come in when the damage to themselves and their relationship is
too far along to really repair easily. If you or your partner has started to
feel like you are giving up on the relationship, it might be more work that you
are willing to put into saving the relationship. Get help early so that you can
prevent real damage that is too much work for you to feel like investing
in. Finally, if you can honestly say
that you are unhappy with your partner or that you don’t like who you are in
this relationship, it’s probably not healthy for you. If you are mad or sad
most of the time, it’s time to look at getting help to end the relationship.
Our love relationships should be where we can get the support, love, and
acceptance for who we area that help us get through life’s toughest trials.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
When Separation Anxiety Becomes Too Much for Your Child
Separation anxiety is a normal reaction most children have from time to time when they feel insecure due to being separated from their primary caretaker. Children as young as 8 months may become clingy and seem frightened when an adult to whom they are emotionally close leaves them at school, daycare, or at home with a sitter. While the tearfulness and protest is a normal process of human development, there is a level of separation anxiety that may indicate a problem among children age 7-11. According to webMD.com, “When this fear occurs in a child over age 6 years, is excessive, and last longer than four weeks, the child may have separation anxiety disorder.”
In
the U.S., an estimated 4-5% of children in this age group suffer from the
symptoms of separation anxiety disorder (SAD). According to the DSM-IV-TR, a
parent may want to seek professional help if their child has:
·
Excessive anxiety
provoked by separation from someone to whom child is emotionally attached
·
Must last at least 4
weeks and begin before 18 years
·
Excessive worry about
potential harm toward oneself or primary caregiver
·
Avoid activities that
may result in separation from parents (school avoidance, fear of being alone,
sleep)
·
Nightmares and somatic
complaints (trembling, headaches, stomachaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain,
sweating)
We
do not know exactly what causes SAD. Some experts believe that children with
SAD may have initially picked up on anxiety the parent had about being away
from the child. This anxiety can be transmitted from one generation to the
next. Experts have noticed that most cases of separation anxiety appear in
close-knit families, and can develop after a life stress such as a move or a
death in the family.
When a child begins
to display the first signs of separation anxiety, parents can try spending more
one-on-one time with the child, engaging in “special play time” for a half hour
a week. Allow the child to choose the type of play while the parent follows
along without any questioning or criticism. This is a technique in filial
therapy known as reflective play. If, on the other hand, the child is showing
the above symptoms for a longer period of time, parents can begin with a conversation
with their child’s teacher(s) to see how they adjust to being at school each
morning. Next, the child’s pediatrician can be helpful by ruling out physical
illness or side effects from medications that may be contributing to the
child’s anxiety. Finally, a family therapist can help the parent-child dyad work
through the issues that are causing symptoms. Some therapists may recommend
individual therapy for the child where play is used to help the child work
through their emotions in an age appropriate way. Regardless, children with SAD
should not have to suffer in silence. Allowing them to express their worries in
a safe, accepting environment will help them work through their fears.If you are looking for help dealing with your child's separation anxiety, call me at 720-340-1819 for a confidential appointment.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Balancing Work and Personal Life
Often when a person feels off balance between their relationship, their family,
their friends, and their work or school obligations, they also feel stressed. A
lack of life balance and stress go hand in hand. Busy partners find themselves
crossing paths once a day if they are lucky. If you are not living in the same
household, a phone call might be all the contact you have with your partner in
a given day.
When
the person you depend on for support and stress reduction also is busy or not
available when you are available, feelings can get hurt, people can start to
blame the other, and conflict can increase. People often report feeling out of
touch with their partner or even may try to protect their own feelings by
withdrawing from their partner. This can make the time you do spend together
uncomfortable and unfulfilling.
When
we work with couples for whom this is the case, we encourage them to remember
what it was that drew them to their partner in the first place. What things did
they used to do when life was less chaotic that made them feel good and want to
spend time together? Once each partner has shared their memories with each
other, we encourage couples to be purposeful and deliberate in terms of
planning time together during the next week. Try to plan only one week at a
time. Plan for as little as one hour together doing something you both enjoy.
Your plan does not have to involve activities that are expensive or flashy. It
can be sharing time on the couch watching a favorite TV program. The quality of
the time is critical. Try to put other needs and obligations to the side for
that time you are with your partner for just that one activity.
Pre-planning
for quality time together once a week is as important as making it to an exam
or an important meeting at work. Doing this regularly can help each of you
prioritize your relationship when work, school, or other obligations seem to be
overwhelming, thereby providing the support you both need from the other.
Remember that balance is a
person’s own responsibility, and it takes practicing good habits to achieve
balance. If you have little ones who are in your home, this also is an
excellent model for them for how to try to strike a better
work/school/relationship balance for their own lives.
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