Category: Change
-
Intent vs impact: how to improve your communication
Let’s look at intent and impact within our communication. Usually with loved (or even liked) ones, there is positive intentionality in conversing. We like to think that we utilize communication to convey a thought, ask a question, or seek understanding. Does the intent in the context of communication really matter? Let’s change the way we…
-
New Year’s Resolutions: committing to a year of change
Believe it or not, New Year’s resolutions have already come and gone even though we’re only 3 weeks into January. Many people have stepped away from reaching their goals. How can you identify and commit to your New Year’s Resolutions? More so, how does sustainable change happen? Let’s look at becoming a vegetarian for example:…
-
Winter is coming: how to manage seasonal depression & low mood
It’s that time of year again. The clocks are going back, it’s darker earlier, we debate when to start turning the heat on. The winter blues may set it, or more significantly; Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that typically sets in late fall and lasts throughout winter. Many people call…
-
Daily mood & energy drainers
It’s so easy to list all of the things that help our mood…eat well, sleep 8 hours, and exercise. This may be a little “reverse psychology” but it might be easier to point out all of the not-so-great activities we do that drain us. And if we’re up for the change, here are 4 topics…
-
An exposed attempt at Eat Pray Love
I recently chatted with an expat living abroad. She was writing an article sharing her mental health challenges, her attempt to recover and find some peace. Her solution was to jet off to Italy, eat gelato and pizza, and let her depression and anxiety sail away into the Mediterranean sea. A scene we have all…
-
Mindfulness: a primer
Mindfulness has turned into a household word, and is one of those things that you can’t really define until you’re experiencing it. For the sake of learning, let’s describe it. Mindfulness has been defined in many different ways. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction, defines mindfulness as “awareness, cultivated by paying attention in…
-
Biology of the stress response
I recently attended a complex trauma training with insights from Dr. Bruce Perry. Dr. Perry has contributed significantly to this field in understanding how childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect have impacted the developing brain. With this research and knowledge, we’re equipped to understand how childhood experiences impact the biology of the brain and our overall…
-
Outcomes of therapy
I’ve had clients ask me “how long will this take,” or “is 1 year enough?” While there has been progress in the field of understanding how change may happen, there is no definitive answer to “how long.” First, let’s look at some of the conditions for personal growth that can be achieved within the therapeutic…
-
A little more about boundaries
In my last post about self-care, I realized I threw the word boundaries around. I wanted to touch on this more since this word is everywhere. Actually, it seems that snippets of language derived from theories and/or therapeutic techniques have made their way to social media. Without context, these terms are misunderstood, misused, and turned…
-
Is self-care a fad?
Controversial I know but hear me out. We’re all tired, and to some degree, burnt out from daily expectations. We have commitments to jobs, family, friends, and extra-curricular activities. Over the past 5-10 years there has been significant attention towards this concept of “self-care.” There are endless google results, trending hashtags, and tiktoks devoted to…