Searching for Silence: The Craving for Regulation in a Digital Age
Even as you are clicking on this blog, I suspect you are battling both the curious urge to see what might make your life better and at minimum a speck of cynicism: there is so much content on nervous system regulation. It begs to question if it is another click-bait moment feeding a cultural obsession. […]
Grief Synonyms: Expanding How We Understand Loss and Life Changes
Hearing the word “grief” we most commonly understand the loss of death is involved. The process of adapting to life without someone important in our world can rock even the most grounded person. Even in the modern world pushing us to “multi-task” our grief (aka. ‘get back to normal’ culture), we recognize that death can […]
The Healing Power of Animals:Why Pets Are So Good for Our Mental Health
Current estimates show that about two-thirds of U.S. households—roughly 94 million homes—now have at least one pet.It’s pretty clear that animals have become an integral part of everyday life in America. From their ability to make us laugh to their intuitive awareness of our moods and emotions, pets are “natural” therapy for many of us. […]
I’m Unhappy But I Can’t Leave Yet: Navigating Grief in Relationships
When someone feels unhappy in a relationship, they usually don’t need advice about staying or leaving. They know something isn’t working. What they want is clarity about where to put their effort. Is this about coping differently? Is it about addressing the larger life stressors placing pressure on the relationship? Would couples counseling help, even […]
Protecting Mental Health from News Consumption: When “Caring” About the News Starts to Hurt
A Therapist’s Thoughts on the Emotional Impact of News As a therapist, I usually know when there’s chaos in the world. I don’t watch the news all day or constantly check my phone. Instead, I notice it in how my clients arrive at the start of their sessions. There’s a general sense of sadness, increased […]
The Midlife Question: Is It Really a Crisis?
Anxiety is a little bit contagious, right? Maybe you weren’t even thinking about life in a new decade and then you start hearing about health screenings or estate planning. Sometimes we even get anxiety because we aren’t worrying about something. The truth is, it really depends how you look at things. Much of what unsettles […]
Tips from a Therapist: Easing Your Family Into A New Season
Summer can be magical—later bedtimes, fewer routines, more outdoor adventures, and (hopefully) a little less rushing. But as August winds down and school supply lists begin to grow, many families feel the tension between savoring the last warm days and preparing for the busy months ahead. This transition can bring up a surprising mix of […]
Book Review: “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt
Who it’s for: the general population, educators, people with kids birth through teen. This is book contains simultaneously extremely important information and horrifying statistics. Author Jonathan Haida, is a social psychologist and author who specializes in moral psychology and emotions. The genesis of this book came when he was faced with significant research correlating adolescent anxiety […]
Finding Healthy Tension Reduction Can Help Reduce Urges for Self-Harm and Sabotage
Ever been in an argument and the other person tells you to calm down? In some rare scenario, maybe that was helpful. Most likely, it was the wrong thing to say and actually set you off again! We get a lot of messages that we should be more calm, less stressed. Okay, maybe so. But […]
Book Review: Dr. Becky’s “Good Inside” Full of Parenting Insight and Tools
In case you hadn’t heard, Dr. Becky Kennedy has a new book on parenting called “Good Inside”. While there is no users manual or perfect solution for every situation, her book offers a powerful paradigm as well as useful tools you can apply. Julia Johnson, mental health therapist intern and mother of two gobbled the […]