Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Vol 4, Res 13: Simple Wikipedia & Dope Therapy
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Hi friends! I have always been generally crap at keeping a journal but recently I have started to do a one-page “brain dump” right before bed to maybe help me fall asleep more easily. I’m disappointed to report that this incredibly obvious thing seems to actually be helpful. I’m also trying to be better about using my “nice” notebooks so it helps encourage me to keep doing it.
I’m still having a big push and pull between all the things I should be doing vs. all the things I want to be doing and so I end up doing nothing at all. I don’t have any advice around this, except everyone I’ve told this to individually has been like, “Ah yes, I know this classic way.” So if you’re feeling this way too, just know that you’re in good company.
Resource #1: Simple Wikipedia
I acknowledge that I may be the last person to actually hear about Simplified Wikipedia but just in case I’m not, I’m sharing it here. When I look something up in regular Wikipedia, for example, the entry on Artemisia Gentileschi, I end up falling down a rabbit hole of links and cross-references and information overload. Sometimes this is really cool and sometimes I am ashamed at how much time has passed by while I was staring at Wikipedia. Much of the time, I actually just want a simple answer both in content and language. Enter Simple Wikipedia! Here is the much more concise entry on Artemisia Gentileschi. For shits and giggles, here is the “simple” entry on Quantum Mechanics (it’s still hilariously long and I love it for that). You can find it here: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Resource #2: Dope Therapy: A Radical Guide to Owning Your Therapy Journey by Shani Tran, LPCC (Bookshop | Amazon | Libro)
While I firmly believe that therapy is not necessarily for everyone, I have certainly recommended trying out therapy to countless people over the years. The thing is, if someone has never been to therapy they don’t really know what to expect, how it can help, how to even go about starting, and it all can be super intimidating. Shani Tran wrote this book to help address these questions and more. By the way, the “dope” in the title means cool, good, rad, etc. This book is not about recreational drugs.
The author, a therapist herself, aims to alleviate a lot of the anxiety that can bubble up around seeking a therapist, going to therapy, and even ending a relationship with a therapist. The book has thoughtful responses to many of the common misconceptions around therapy and helps readers try to recognize when they are or are not actually ready to start talking to a therapist. There are some dry but necessary bits on things like insurance coverage and what all the letters after a therapist’s name mean and the very important distinction between a psychiatrist and someone who does talk therapy (though, some psychiatrists do both). As someone who has helped multiple people find therapists, I can confidently say that her information on finding a therapist and more importantly, the questions you should ask them to see if they are a good fit for you are invaluable. There are logistical questions to ask as well as questions around values, religion, politics, therapeutic style, and more. Tran goes in-depth around the differences between therapists who have cultural competency versus cultural humility, and what marginalized folks may want to look for and ask about.
What I love about this book is the author doesn’t just stop at getting you in the door at a therapist’s office. She also describes what to possibly expect at a person’s first session as well as the myriad ways a person has power in how their therapy experience goes. Tran describes what a relationship with a therapist can look like and what expectations outside a therapy session can be like. She has chapters on trauma and forgiveness as well as closure and finishes off with some frequently asked questions. This book is a great read and a great resource.
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That’s it for this week! You can shop many books I’ve mentioned in this newsletter at my affiliate shop, The Infophile’s Bookshop, and support independent bookstores. In fact, any Bookshop, Amazon, or Etsy links in this newsletter are affiliate links so if you shop through those, it helps support my work. Or you can leave me a tip on Ko-fi, Paypal, or Venmo.
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