Tis the season for treats, parties, gift-giving, memories…in the best cases these things can be joyful and tinged by some occasional discomfort such as guilt, anxiety, sadness, or disappointment; in the worst cases the holiday season straight up sucks. Parties are packed with temptations for people trying to manage eating or substance abuse issues.Community activities […]
Imagine water on the ocean: the push and pull of the tide combines to create a surge and crest of a wave, which peaks and breaks creating a turbulent swarm of white water and strong forces that rush toward the beach, spreading upon the bare sand, stirring it up, then losing power and turning to gently slide back to the sea. This is […]
I read a book by Brene Brown, called The Gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are; Your guide to a wholehearted life. This is the book’s title, or just all the words on the cover of the book, either way the words inside and out of […]
Daniel Smith wrote a memoir of his experiences with anxiety in the book titled Monkey mind:A memoir of anxiety. I found this book to be well written and gripping. Smith writes in a style that it is honest and revealing of his struggle with anxiety while also being engaging and entertaining. The book is funny, not what you […]
“I can handle whatever crap (literal and actual) that my two year old dishes out”“I am an amazing parent”“I’m grateful for my vast stores of patience, without it I’d surely being snapping ten times a day.”“It’s okay to snap occasionally”“I will feel overwhelmed and helpless in some moments and those moments will pass”“I am caring, compassionate […]
I had the privilege of seeing Marilyn Van Debur Atler and her husband, Larry Atler. The couple came to Steamboat and spoke about their experiences of overcoming the horrors of incest. I read Marilyn’s book Miss America By Day years ago and was amazed by the story of how she coped with being sexually abused by her […]
PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The US Department of Veterans Affairs chose the month of June to raise community awareness of this mental health problem. PTSD can develop after someone has been through a life or limb threatening event, otherwise known as a trauma, during which there was intense fear or horror and little sense […]
I recently read Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project; or why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun (phew long book title!) I enjoyed reading it because the topic of improving one’s life appeals to me in my line of work, […]
I often encourage client to tune into their emotions. This recommendation comes up if people are consumed with one particular emotion such as anger, fear or sadness, or if they are immersed in depression or anxiety. There is a whole wide array of emotions but one or two emotions can overpower others or become, through […]
Some basics of maintaining a satisfying relationship as seen by very experienced couples therapist/sex therapist, David Schnarch: The gist of the article is that it is important to maintain a solid sense of self as an individual in order to maintain a satisfying relationship. The article goes into 4 ways to keep the balance of […]
The winter blues have a way of seeping in and sucking the energy out. With the short days and cold temperatures we end up spending a lot more time indoors and life can begin to feel pretty stagnant. The routines of work, chores, and bad weather wear on many people to the point of developing […]
Here we are three weeks in to the new year, how is your resolution turning out? Have you made that change you pledged back on January 1 and are now reaping the benefits? Or have you had some days of success and some days of backsliding? Or did you forget about it all together by […]
“…Visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads…” This line from Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “The Night Before Christmas” is a reminder of how visions of the holiday season are a common occurrence. People often have visions of exactly how events will unfold, how people will behave, what will show up under the Yule tree, how delicious […]
There is a very unfortunate stigma around mental health therapy, people often think that getting therapy means you are at best “unstable” or “weak”, or at worst “crazy” or even “dangerous”. This stigma is misguided, out of date, and of course untrue. Mental health ought to be considered on the same plane as physical health. […]
Acceptance is simply an acknowledgment of What Is. Acceptance is a concept which forgoes judgment on a circumstance. Acceptance is a mindset which allows you to let go of frustration and disappointment, stress and anxiety, regret and false hopes. Acceptance brings peace. Acceptance is the practice of recognizing the limits of your control. Acceptance is […]
So you read the last entry and know all about the power of thoughts, now what? If your thoughts are powerful enough to effect how you feel, it is important to know what they are and even more important to change them if you don’t like how you are feeling. Very often when you are […]
“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you” – Unknown Anyone who has been around awhile, in any relationship with another person, knows that this childhood saying is a simplification and knows that words can hurt. Words can be tremendously powerful for harm or for help…if we let them have the […]
The mind is like a river, always moving. There are times when the current of thoughts is moving fast and bumping into obstacles, crashing and foaming, there are other times when thoughts are like an eddy, swirling in one place stuck circulating over the same area, and other times when the thoughts gently glide along […]
There is a time for comfort and a time for challenge. A balanced life needs times of learning, growth, and change countered by times of soothing, familiarity, and ease. Imagine all the aspects of your life that provide you with comfort; these fit inside the innermost circle in the diagram here: the comfort zone. The comfort […]
How anxiety can be useful for making changes in your life compared to what it looks like when it becomes harmful and what you can do to manage it.