We all have parts of ourselves that are sometimes difficult to love. Learning to cope with and be with the difficult parts of ourselves is an essential step towards healing and self acceptance. Learning to accept these “difficult” parts is an important part of trauma healing, healing from depression, anxiety, or low self esteem.
Read MoreHarm reduction is a great way to help you assess and improve your relationship with drugs and alcohol so that you can avoid the negative effects of addiction and overuse. Harm reduction is a central part of my philosophy in drug and alcohol counseling and I find it very helpful for people struggling with their drinking or drug use.
Read MoreLearn to use “I statements” to improve your communication and increase intimacy with your partner. I statements are an extremely important part of a connective relationship and healthy communication habits.
Read MoreI want to talk about an acronym that I found really useful in working with some of my clients lately. This acronym is from some mindfulness meditation teachers, and they use it to describe a process of managing through thoughts when you're in meditation. It’s a way to deal with thought patterns that might be getting in the way of your focus. The acronym is R-A-I-N, and it stands for Recognize, Accept, Investigate and Nurture.
Read MoreToday I want talk a little bit about a couple of ways that you can ground yourself when you're feeling overwhelmed. So, when you have a lot of anxiety or a lot of overwhelm, as a lot of us are having during this pandemic, it's important that you have a couple of tools in your back pocket that you can use to help yourself calm down and ground. So, I'm going to go through a couple of different ways that you can quickly and hopefully, very easily, bring your activation level down and bring your anxiety level down a couple of notches.
Read MoreA lot of people struggle with their communication, in their relationships in their lives, and one big portion of communication, half of it, is being able to listen effectively to others. I think, frankly, that the world would be a better place if we could all be able to listen to each other a little better. I want to talk about why you should want become a better listener, and some ways you might try to do this in your life.
Read MoreThere's a lot of people that want to cut down but they don't want to stop completely, and I feel like there's a lot of support for people who want to quit in 12-Step or in other areas, but there's less support for people who just want to moderate their use. For a lot of people cutting down on their alcohol use in reducing the associated harm that comes from drinking is really important.
Read MoreIn the world of addiction treatment and drug and alcohol counseling, there are several different approaches and philosophies and it can be helpful to explore all the options before deciding what is right for you. In this article I’ll explain what Harm Reduction Therapy aims to do and some ways to determine if it’s the right fit.
Read MoreBoundaries are extremely important because they create the space in your life you need to thrive. Understanding what boundaries you need for yourself and setting them in an effective and clear way with the people around you will help you to feel supported in your life and will allow you to get your needs met.
Read MoreIf you are searching for a therapist to try to improve your life, sometimes it can be hard to tell what form of therapy is right for you. In this blog I will outline the basics of what to expect in couples therapy vs individual therapy and some important considerations to keep in mind when making this decision.
Read MoreIf you are struggling with your drug and alcohol use, then perhaps you have wondered if it’s possible for you to just cut down and moderate your use, or if you have to stop completely. The best approach is the one that works for you.
Read MoreHALT is an acronym you can use to help remind you of four common reasons why you might be losing your emotional center and spinning out into panic. Recognizing and addressing when you feel hungry, angry, lonely and tired, can help you meet your needs and avoid potentially difficult emotions and panic.
Read MoreEmotionally focused therapy (EFT) seeks to help individuals and couples understand their needs in relationships, and provides a framework to help those needs get met. EFT seeks to expand awareness of these relational wounds and find new ways for individuals and couples to tend to these wounded and triggered parts in relationships.
Read MoreWhat attachment theory shows us is how each of us has a different way of engaging in relationships, and that this attachment style is based on how our relationship with our primary caregivers went. Understanding your attachment style will help you navigate relationships effectively and can help you understand why you act a particular way in close relationships.
Read MoreTaking an honest look at the negative consequences of your alcohol use will help you be able to more fully assess your relationship with alcohol. Here are some common signs that might point to problematic drinking.
Read MoreTrauma affects not only psychological health, but also has deep impacts on your nervous system and brain functioning. There are physical impacts in the brain, nervous system and body of a trauma survivor. Some psychology researchers like Bessel van der Kolk assert that traumatic events are stored in the physical body and have a fundamentally somatic component to them.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered how your family history might be affecting your mental and emotional wellbeing? Intergenerational trauma has a model that might help explain how your family history might be affecting you today.
Read MoreOne common myth surrounding marijuana is that because it is “natural” that means there is no risk of marijuana addiction. The reality is much different than this popular assumption. Many people struggle with cannabis addiction, and it is definitely possible to become psychologically or physiologically addicted to marijuana.
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