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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The Rise of Spiritual, Not Religious
While I don’t have any quantitative data, I have gathered qualitative data on spiritually embodied spiritual experiences and practices. Spirituality is increasing and I see this as an expression of the rising divine feminine, which isn’t structured or contained the way divine masculine energy is. The divine feminine whispers to you about an unseen world not wholly governed by logic and reason. She sings a song of creativity, joy, and connection that is for you and you alone. Identifying as a spiritual person may mean saying, “No thank you” to the hierarchy present in many religions and recognizing there is a Self within you that is wise, compassionate, and all-knowing. A spiritual practice helps you get in touch with this Self.
The Similarities Between Vulva Gazing and the Labyrinth
Similar to traversing a labyrinth, vulva gazing looks simple but it’s not easy, especially at the beginning of cultivating the practice. Many thoughts and feelings may arise such as disgust, apprehension, surprise, curiosity, cultural messages, and internalized misogyny. Yet it’s also the case for people with the aforementioned parts, the vulva is the center of them, their core, their innermost being. Seeing themselves with a hand mirror can be a profound and sacred experience. The vulva can be a portal to a realm beyond the mundane. The vagina and vulva are where life is birthed through and while in some ways birth is mundane as it happens every day, it’s also a transcendent experience.
Why Therapy is Not Just Navel Gazing
To answer that question, I think it’s important to understand what happens in therapy. First, the therapeutic relationship is unique and special. The therapeutic relationship itself is where and how healing happens. For some, a therapist is the first or perhaps only secure attachment figure in their life. A secure attachment figure is someone who provides a safe physical and emotional environment for interaction. They are people clients can count on, someone they can express their innermost thoughts to, a person that holds space for feelings and processing feelings without shame, blame, or judgment.
Access the Unconscious with Active Imagination
Your unconscious is consistently communicating with you and the more you work with the unconscious, the happier, healthier, and more integrated you may feel. That’s what Jung is speaking to in his famous quote, “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
The Power of Freewriting
During freewriting, you’re not worried about spelling or grammar. You’re not worried about how things sound. It is not about image, or how it looks from the outside. It’s about experience, and how it feels from the inside. You’re just simply writing.
What to Do When ‘Success’ isn’t Enough
In my practice, folx work hard and go far in their careers – be it in tech, business, or medicine – and they experience material gain. They find their way to me because of that sense that something’s missing.
The Gift of Providing Therapy
The therapeutic relationship is a special one. It’s unique, co-created, and profound. The relationship itself allows for the potential of great healing, but the relationship goes both ways. It’s not only that the patient or client experiences transformation – I do as well.
The Uniqueness of the Therapeutic Relationship
The healing happens in the space between the hearts and minds and spirits of the patient and the therapist. The relationship is the healing container.
Listening to the Body
Sometimes bodies speak quietly, like through a whisper. And sometimes we miss that whisper and then our bodies speak more loudly, such as through a cold or an illness even. When we dis-associate from the body, the body’s inner wisdom has a way of bringing us back. Sometimes we know our bodies are speaking to us, but we don’t understand the message! It may be hard to decipher the messages from the body as they are encoded in such ways that require some quieting, slowing, or curiosity.
Therapy and Coaching…What’s the Difference Anyway?
Therapy as a field, by and large, is a broad and wide-ranging one. Therapy sessions with me are non-directive and open-ended. Coaching is goals focused and directed. Coaching may offer both a respite from your current state of mind and affairs by helping you make a plan and implement changes immediately.
Apprehension Regarding In-Person Psychotherapy Sessions during COVID-19
Ultimately, when it comes to meeting in person again, there are multiple variables to keep in mind – the patient’s health, therapist’s health, state guidelines. These are not decisions to take lightly and will require multiple conversations with patients and other stakeholders.