I’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day. (You’re probably wondering why I’m writing about Valentine’s Day in the summertime, but hang with me…I promise I have a point!) Even when I was dating someone in the month of February, I always felt the sentiment of the holiday to feel a bit…forced. I felt I had …
Adults
Anxiety and Our Bodies
Perhaps you, a loved one, or someone you know have experienced something similar to the following scenario. One day, you’re going about your normal routine, and nothing seems out of the ordinary, until suddenly, out of nowhere, your chest starts hurting and your heart starts pounding so hard, you feel as though it may pound …
Emotions as Teachers
Emotions have not always been thought of in the most positive light. I’m sure most (if not all) of us can think back to a time when we experienced an emotion, be it positive or negative, and we were told to “tone it down,” “get over it,” or given some kind of nonverbal indicator that …
Get Off the Struggle Bus
“You want me to accept what?!” Sometimes when I talk with clients about allowing their difficult emotions to exist inside of them, instead of offering some “prescription” or intervention for making them disappear, I notice I get one of two reactions: 1) my clients look at me like I have two heads (and may be thinking about …
The Benefits of Self-Reflection
A few years ago, I had a profound experience of crashing and burning. I had been working for a non-profit counseling agency, doing in-home family therapy. I had loved my job for most of my time working there; I loved my co-workers and I believed in the work I was doing. About two years into …
Wholeness
Happy Spring! It’s hard to believe we’re into APRIL already, but I am so glad that we are! I don’t know about you, but, as much as I love the first snowfall of winter, I start to not love the fifth snowfall, especially when it’s in March! I’m excited for spring and the new growth that comes …
A Different Way of Loving Ourselves
I’ve always been a pretty sensitive person. When I say “sensitive,” what I mean is that I’ve always had a pretty strong awareness of how I’m feeling at a particular moment and how another person may be feeling, even if I can’t articulate it. As a result, throughout the course of my life, I’ve picked …
Why We Need Other People
My idea of an ideal evening? Good food, good friends, and good conversation. I’ve noticed that I feel most myself and most energized in these settings. There’s a reason for that – and it’s not just because I’m an extrovert on the Myers-Briggs! I’ve had conversations with clients and friends–who are introverted–about our longing as …
Living Life to the Full (Anxiety Not Withstanding)
My original idea for this blog post was to talk about how one can thrive and live life to the fullest even in the midst of anxiety. I wanted to provide practical tips and tools for those who struggle with anxiety to use in everyday life to increase their enjoyment of life. I’m realizing that, …
How to Stay Informed Without Losing Your Mind
For the past couple of years, I’ve had several clients present with a common cause of anxiety: the news. It’s not surprising that, given our polarized political climate, when we open the News app on our phones, we see conflict and bickering among those in power. It’s also not surprising that, given the trend of …