empatherapynl

Such a perfect day

I have browsed amongst the books on my bookshelf to select one I had not read yet, and ended up picking one that sat there for years: Lolita by Nabokov. I had watched the movie when I was a kid, and after scrolling through other, more tempting titles, I decided this was appropriate for theContinue reading “Such a perfect day”

Guilt, keep me company

Emotions are: And these are just three theories of the ones Claude gave me when I prompt it to summarize them. I asked the AI because these theories are not what’s important here. Since we were already talking, I also asked it how they treat guilt — which is the reason I’m writing this post.Continue reading “Guilt, keep me company”

Like that song by BADBADNOTGOOD

Whether it’s planned or not, I travel alone some times. This time it’s in Japan. Two years ago it was Sevilla. Some years before then, it was a trip to Denmark where I exclusively slept on Flixbusses. It was a silly choice, but you can afford silly choices when you’re twenty-something. I’ve started traveling aloneContinue reading “Like that song by BADBADNOTGOOD”

Being nothing

There might be hundreds of worse jobs out there, but being an actor has a cruel, confronting element to it that always made me see it with a bit of pity. Imagine auditioning for the one who’ll be, more or less explicitly, the ugly and undesirable friend in the movie. Imagine how Harry Dean StantonContinue reading “Being nothing”

Playing games

As I empty the bathtub (at the moment my only option for showering), I keep my feet in the water. The residue of soap and body is easily washed away if I use them to move the water around. Similarly to electric toothbrushes that by fidgeting on my teeth manage to clean better than staticContinue reading “Playing games”

The curse of greatness

I have for part of my life dreamt of fame — I was a teenager, mentally not doing great, and thought rockstars were the coolest thing you could be. If born and raised in some other place than one where alcohol and promiscuity were the main occupation of people that age, I might have channeledContinue reading “The curse of greatness”

I lost my train of thought

Keep the feet on parallel tracks, I’ve heard yoga teachers say to help with balance in poses like lunges or allow more dignity to our legs in warrior one. Parallel tracks make movements consistent: one line, two directions. I can do that with my thoughts: let them move forward, from cause to consequence, or moveContinue reading “I lost my train of thought”

What my logo “means”

While not necessarily being a DIY person, I am very much of a DIY professional. I learned how to make a basic website, I asked for no advice for the logo, the name, my presence on social media. I have patiently drawn on my iPad to craft a title for my workshop, I have takenContinue reading “What my logo “means””

Seeing what is not there

I’ve always felt close to writers. Sometimes, when psychologists become the specialists of data and criteria, I feel closer to writers than to my own colleagues. Writers imagine what it is to inhabit worlds that don’t exist. They have perfected the ability to relate to what is not there — my bio on substack is:Continue reading “Seeing what is not there”

What’s behind the candles

On December 30th, 2020, exactly five years ago, inspired by an interview between Tlon and Paola Maugeri, I posted a candle, with this caption: “Lighting up torches to avoid waiting for sunrise”⁣[…]⁣As nature withdraws, our December becomes filled with lights, decorations, sweets, festivities, music and celebrations. ⁣⁣While on the one hand it’s important to fosterContinue reading “What’s behind the candles”