Blog
Benefits of Attachment-Focused EMDR
Attachment-Focused EMDR is a modification of the original format of EMDR. It was developed by Laurel Parnell, particularly for use with people who have experienced relational trauma. I have trained in and received the original form of EMDR and Attachment-Focused EMDR,...
A Life-Changing Insight for Dating
Knowing about attachment styles can change everything when you are dating. It can make the whole process a lot less frustrating. You know how when you're dating, it seems like so many people keep a distance and fear commitment? It can start to feel like this...
Healing Perfectionism
Perfectionism can create a lot of anxiety. It can also keep you from starting tasks/projects or finishing them, out of fear that they won't be perfect. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Almost nothing is perfect. Humans aren't perfect. Projects aren't...
Tips for Improving Your Relationship with Technology
If you ever feel overwhelmed by technology, that’s probably because our brains aren’t adapted to it yet. Technology helps us in many ways, but it can feel addictive and consuming, too. Would you like to improve your relationship with technology? Here are some tips....
Exercise Can Improve Your Mental Health
If you are feeling anxious or depressed, regularly engaging in aerobic exercise may help you feel better. Research studies have shown that aerobic exercise effectively reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is believed that increased blood circulation to the...
What is the EMDR Process Actually Like?
If you have never experienced EMDR before, it is hard to conceptualize what the process is like. You probably have a good idea of what talk therapy is like, either from personal experience or from seeing it depicted in movies or television. Since most people haven't...
A Holistic Approach to Mental Wellness
I’ll be honest with you. I’m a bit of a rebel. I don’t subscribe to the medical model of treating “mental illness.” The medical model focuses on giving a person a diagnosis based on their symptoms, and treating the person to reduce their symptoms. Of course, a person...
Learning Love Languages
We all have different ways of expressing and receiving love. When there are problems in a relationship, there is often a mismatch between how partners give and receive love. You may find that these preferences are applicable to other relationships in your life as...
Holiday Survival Tips
The holidays always seem to stir up emotions in my clients. Let’s be honest, spending time with family can be difficult. We can unconsciously slip back into acting like an earlier version of ourselves, and our family members can do the same. A person who feels like a...
Anger 101
Anger has a bad reputation. We fear it. We feel ashamed of it. We push it down to avoid losing control. But anger has a purpose. It draws our attention to something that is bothering us. Sometimes what we are angry about is a surface level thing, but if we really pay...
Wise Mind
What is Wise Mind? Have you ever noticed that your thinking can be overtaken by your emotions sometimes? You know there’s a logical part to yourself that would be able to talk yourself down, but it can seem really hard to connect to that part when you are overwhelmed...
You Are Okay, Right Now, As You Are
I had a conversation about gratitude and meditation recently with a friend who is a therapist and meditation teacher. She brought up an excellent point. She talked about the shame people can feel when they aren’t able to feel grateful or aren’t able practice a...
Loving Kindness Meditation
Many of the people I work with have difficulty treating themselves with compassion. If you see yourself having trouble with this, you may find a loving kindness meditation helpful and moving. If you would like to listen to a guided version of this meditation, an audio...
Practicing Gratitude
A few weeks ago, I was sick. I don’t get sick very often, but this time I was down for the count. After several days of being sick, I started to feel a glorious feeling. It was the feeling of… feeling normal. I go through life every day feeling like this. I don’t...
How Mindfulness Can Improve Your Wellbeing
It is easy to be constantly “busy” these days. With a smart phone near us almost all the time, we have a constant source of distraction and about 8.1 million things pulling for our attention. Notifications, emails, texts, calls, apps. We feel like we are always...
Why Should I Go to Therapy?
If you’ve never been to therapy before, the idea of starting can seem daunting. It might feel strange to reach out to someone you don’t know for help. It might be hard to even admit you need help in the first place. You might think that wanting help means there’s...