Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear? I recommend this book and workbook to most of my clients. This information is a summary from both books. Towards the end of the article, there are actionable steps that you can take. My clients and I like to walk through the actionable steps together and discuss … Continue reading Build Better Habits: The difference between people who succeed and who fail
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Distress Tolerance Coping Skills (DBT)
What is Distress tolerance? Many people try to cope by getting into behaviors that provide relief, but the behaviors can be unhelpful or harmful. Examples of ineffective coping behaviors are drug and alcohol use, gambling, spending money, overeating, and self-injury. We can learn distress tolerance skills to replace the ineffective coping behaviors in order to … Continue reading Distress Tolerance Coping Skills (DBT)
Exercise, Sleep, and Anxiety: Rewire your brain
Lifestyle habits can have a strong influence on your amygdala. If you engage in regular aerobic exercise, especially exercise that uses large muscle groups, the positive effects on both your amygdala and your cortex can help improve your mood. Regular aerobic exercise can also improve your brain's neuroplasticity, making both your amygdala and your cortex … Continue reading Exercise, Sleep, and Anxiety: Rewire your brain
How to follow through when you’re not automatically good at something
I wasn't always good at weight lifting, I enjoyed it, and knew that it played an important role in my health, but it can be difficult to stick with something until you are good at it. Over the years, I stuck with it, and then I wouldn't, and then I'd get back into it... I … Continue reading How to follow through when you’re not automatically good at something
Grieving the Loss of a Child
In this article, you will learn about grief, symptoms, and questions to ask yourself as you go through grief. There are five helpful resources for grieving parents, families and healing professionals: The Miscarriage Map Workbook; Pregnancy and Infant Loss at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital; Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas; David Kessler's (grief expert) teachings; Healing Reflections for a … Continue reading Grieving the Loss of a Child
Get Through Life’s Difficult Transitions
Transition means change, and change is constant. When life asks us to transition, it is asking us to reexamine our current situation, and then to grow. We must continue to develop and grow. Transitions are challenging to us, but are also beneficial. Adjusting to change can be highly stressful and sometimes we experience symptoms of … Continue reading Get Through Life’s Difficult Transitions
What Happens if I Don’t Know What to Talk about in Therapy?
Don't be afraid to ask your therapist questions. "What happens if I don't know what to talk about in therapy?" is a common question that people are afraid to ask their therapist. Your therapist would be happy to answer this question, and others, so ask away. Let me provide an answer to this one... A … Continue reading What Happens if I Don’t Know What to Talk about in Therapy?
Worried About Whether You Will Be Able To Handle Potential Problems?
When you are feeling worried about how things are going to go for you, there's one way that you can change that... Ask yourself: ▪︎ Who do I want to be? ▪︎ What quality of presence do I want to bring to any challenges I face? Note the shift that occurs when you go from … Continue reading Worried About Whether You Will Be Able To Handle Potential Problems?
Check Out These Mental Health YouTube Channels
25 Pushups for 26 Days, Raising Awareness for Mental Health & Suicide - Older video on Finish Stronger Counseling's YouTube channel If you need a break from your YouTube music playlist, then check out these popular mental health YouTube channels Listen to them while doing housework, taking a break from work, or while you are … Continue reading Check Out These Mental Health YouTube Channels
Are You Doing Any of These 3 Self-Defeating Habits? Here’s How You Can Fix Them
3 habits that destroy happiness and how you can fix them. Negative self-defeating voices Let's start with looking at our internal thoughts in order to better understand where our habits come from. We all struggle with our negative internal voices. They are critical, destroy confidence, and are stuck on repeat. These negative voices pop up when … Continue reading Are You Doing Any of These 3 Self-Defeating Habits? Here’s How You Can Fix Them