Blog and Articles
A new blog, on average, is published about 3-8x a month, tending to offer ideas and perspectives on psychological aspects of current events, an introduction or deepening of how Dr. Denise Renye works with people, and some practices you can do blending psychology, sexology, spirituality, embodiment and art.
Press publications and mentions can be found here.
NOTICE TO readers
These articles are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, coaching or therapy. Seeking the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any mental health symptom or medical condition is imperative. Do not disregard professional psychological or medical advice. Do not delay in the seeking of professional advice or treatment because of something you have read here.
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Why Saying Goodbye to Abuse Can Feel Mixed
Saying goodbye to Trump, or any abusive person, is tricky and very much a mixed bag. Some common responses to ending an abusive relationship are guilt, fear, relief, and uncertainty. Much uncertainty arises around: Will they just leave without creating a traumatic scene? Will they hurt me on the way out?
How Dreams Help Us Connect with Ourselves
Interpreting and processing dreams are ways to bring healing into our lives and allow us to make sense of both internal feelings, responses, and sensations as well as external events, interpersonal relationships, and familial patterns that we may be carrying with us for decades.
A New Kind of New Year’s Resolution
There’s a tendency to use judgment as a way to pressure, or even bully oneself into changing behaviors and habits. What possibilities in life may unfold if we speak kindly to ourselves? If we lovingly set intentions for the new year with an open heart, less perfectionism, and more compassion?
Signs of an Abusive Relationship and How to Get Help
How am I defining emotional abuse? It’s yelling, putting a partner down (belittling through discounting their words, ideas, and beliefs), commenting on their body, not respecting their boundaries (not hearing their “no”), and saying one thing while doing another. Note: Actions speak louder than words.
It Takes a Village to Be a Human
In my work, I want my patients to gain awareness about the connection between their emotions, thoughts, somatic (body/physical) experiences, and spiritual life. Each of these components work in tandem to support a patient’s daily function. Conditioning to keep these separate runs deep and as much as we try to separate these pieces, they all support one another.
Using a Labyrinth As an Integration Tool
Change is hard. By nature, it’s scary and unfamiliar. So too is the process of integration for some. Nevertheless, the only constant in life is change, so how do we navigate this inevitable aspect? How do we integrate change, whether we asked for it or not?
What People Fail to Mention about Denial
People often equate denial with lying but sometimes denial isn’t necessarily a conscious act. Denial is instead a coping strategy, a way to hide from emotions like shame, fear, guilt, and distress. However, denial can also be used to hide from emotions like joy, excitement, and pride. Regardless, the common denominator is hiding (avoiding).
Exploring Sensate Focus
Last week I shared with you my perspective as a sexologist on the five circles of sexuality; this week, I want to share sensate focus with you as an exercise to facilitate sensual exploration and discovery with a partner.
Let Go of What you’re “Supposed to Do” this Holiday Season
he holidays are officially upon us. For some, this time of year is usually filled with travel and/or family gatherings. For others, they are unable or unwilling to see family and instead choose to spend the holidays with friends, chosen family, or possibly on a sojourn or solo retreat.
A Sexologist’s Perspective on Sexuality
When it comes to sexuality, most people think of, well, sex. This word is both loaded and very limited. However, there are so many other aspects of sexuality that don’t get nearly enough air time.
Coming out of Denial and the Veiled Blessing of Thanksgiving during a Pandemic
I know some people are feeling grief about the difference this year while there may be a wide array of other feelings bubbling to the surface as well. While mainstream media may portray holidays to be joyous,
The Shadow Side of Yoga in the West: Social Class, the Price of Yoga Pants, and Valuing Yoga Teachers
Doing the practice is more important than having the “right” mat or the “right” clothes. Yoga is a beautiful, expansive practice of the body and the mind and the union of the two. Find a free class online.
Food, The Body, and Self Care during this Time of the Year
As we approach the holiday season and continue with many of the shelter-in-place restrictions that are being re-introduced or re-enforced due to the pandemic, I wanted to address topics that come up often in my work: food, eating, and body image.
The Election, a Psychological Model for Change, and the Collective Psyche of this Country
A topic that’s coming up consistently right now is change, both on the personal level and the societal level. A specialty in my practice is working with folx who deal with addiction and the underpinnings thereof, which means
How Internal Healing Supports External Healing: Object Relations Theory meets Buddhist Psychology
I see our current time as an opportunity for us to be less divided, and more integrated, within ourselves. And if we can do that, it just could translate into less division externally as well. If we sit with the internal parts of ourselves that
The Importance of Surrender
We spend so much time trying to fit ourselves into a warped, sociocultural reality that it’s no wonder we have such high levels of depression and anxiety. We are born into families that nonverbally require us to fit in and we are conditioned by them in order to do so. Then we go to schools that require
The Hidden Emotional Labor of Women
I, like many women and nonbinary folx, keep thinking about Kamala Harris telling Vice President Mike Pence, “I’m speaking,” when he interrupted her during the recent vice-presidential debate. “I’m speaking” is a full sentence and
Donald Trump Represents the Abusive Father Archetype
Outright refusing to denounce White supremacy can be likened to emotional neglect. In short, emotional neglect can be understood as a parent/caregiver’s failing to see and hear (and attunement at a deeper level, through empathic resonance)
Self-care for Political Stress and Anxiety
In general, if you’re looking for self-care techniques due to political stress, I want to remind you it’s the business model of all media outlets – mainstream, alternative, independent, social media, whatever – to generate clicks and views.
What is Ritual and Ceremonial Psychology?
How do ritual and ceremony relate to psychotherapy? Well, psychotherapy too, has aspects of both ritual and ceremony. In terms of ritual, the practices and applications are passed down from generations of practitioners and there is an initiation. The theoretical orientation of clinicians determines