by Richard Amaral | Jun 9, 2011 | All Entries, Family Violence
A friend of mine, who happens to be a criminal lawyer, visited me recently. We spent many hours in good conversation discussing a myriad of topics. Both he and I are fortunate to be in professions that allow us to connect with people on a deeply personal level. In my...
by Richard Amaral | Apr 18, 2011 | All Entries, Attachment Theory, Relationships
Imagine you are in the early stages of a romantic relationship. The two of you have been spending much time together in person – almost every waking moment, in fact. When you are not together, you do whatever you can to stay connected – through email, texting, phone...
by Richard Amaral | Apr 11, 2011 | Addiction Psychology, All Entries, Family Violence
In the last two blog entries, I wrote about cognitive-behavioural theory and how it explains intimate partner aggression. The main tenet in these blogs was that when an individual perpetrates aggression, they usually engage in biased forms of self-talk (thoughts) that...
by Richard Amaral | Apr 4, 2011 | All Entries, Family Violence
Last week, I outlined how cognitive-behavioural theory (CBT) explains aggression, particularly in the context of intimate relationships. In today’s blog, I’ll discuss how CBT can be used with victims of relationship abuse. Thoughts and Behaviours in Victims of Partner...
by Richard Amaral | Mar 28, 2011 | All Entries, Anger and Aggression, Family Violence
Cognitive theory originated with the works of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. It later emerged into Cogntive-Behavioural Theory (or CBT). This theory suggests that individuals who are experiencing any kind of distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger) are usually...