Blogs

For many women menopause marks a time of increased stress and discomfort that can also signal significant changes in mood and mental health. It can be frustrating for many to have these challenges met with the “it’s normal” response when it’s used to dismiss instead of validate their experiences. So instead lets talk about what’s actually normal and what’s specifically happening in our BRAIN during menopause that impacts our mental health and our sense of self. Understanding the why’s can help us navigate the what to do’s.

Feeling anxious at times is a normal part of modern life, but that does not mean that you don’t have control over it. How long we feel anxious can be affected by how we react (or don’t react) to our anxious thoughts and feelings. Learn strategies to actively address your anxiety and call it out!

Do you often feel that you’re less motivated, more disconnected, burned out, easily irritable, or numb? We live in a society now that is heavily regulated through our interactions with devices that can cause a sense of disconnection between our brain and our body, even though they are intricately connected. This lack of bodily awareness can have long term consequences, but thankfully, awareness of it and some simple solutions can have equally long-term positive impacts. This blog on Movement and Body Awareness will talk about some of those simple strategies.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on the interactions between our emotions, our thoughts, and our behaviors. These can seem like complex concepts when working with children and teens, but this strategy that I’ll be describing can help even those young minds begin to build their awareness of what is happening inside their brain and how they can help regulate it.

Shame is something that can be deeply woven into our everyday interactions, thoughts, and feelings, yet it is rarely a topic among friends, family, or loved ones. We often struggle in shame alone, believing the negative constructs that we don’t allow anyone else to shatter for us. So lets talk about it- how does shame build, how does it latch on, and how can it finally be unwritten.

Learn how HUMOR impacts your brain and mental health, as well as easy ways to “fake it til ya make it” to get all the benefits of it.

Dr. Daniel Siegel, a renowned neuroscientist, developed two models to help explain how our brain engages with our emotions and our Fight-or-Flight Stress Response and how we can engage in regulation strategies to help regain control over our brain’s response. These models not only make it easier for us as adults to understand, but also provide a great way to explain these natural responsesin our brains and bodies to kids.

In a time of instant gratification and access to rewards, we can find ourselves struggling with patience and tolerance of our boredom- not just emotionally, but also in the ways our brain develops. When we struggle to regulate our responses to these feelings, we may find ourselves anxious, overwhelmed, or unmotivated. This blog will look at understanding how to use the tools of intrinsic motivation to help regulate how our brains and bodies respond to tasks that don’t immediately reward or interest us.

We hear the phrase “boundaries” everywhere at times and there is ample access to great information out there on what boundaries are and how to help yourself set them, but one aspect that often gets passed over is the idea of setting boundaries with ourselves. It’s something we actually do constantly, but perhaps unconsciously.

This blog will be looking at the basics of depressive disorders to help build general understanding and awareness of the different forms of depression. Depression affects over 21 million adults in the US and 17% of adolescents ages 12-17.

Dopamine is a current buzz word for a very good reason- it’s greatly impacted by modern technology. This blog focuses on some of those impacts and what you can do to alleviate them for yourself and everyone in your family.

It can sometimes feel like rainy days illicit two types of reactions in people- a sense of frustration or a sense of relaxation. For many, rainy days can feel less motivating, more frustrating, and even sad and depressing. Today’s blog will focus on strategies to help counteract any negative feelings that rainy days may be trigger for you.

We’ve all heard about body positivity, loving and appreciating the skin we’re in. Too often though, we’re always presented with an end goal and not the steps to realistically get us there. It can leave us feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. This blog is about a precursor to body positivity called Body Neutrality.

When you look at the things you cherish in your life, they often come from humbler beginnings. Learn how focusing on your smaller, daily interactions can impact your larger life goals.

In our current culture, trauma bonding is often misrepresented as a shared experience between two individuals who both have histories of trauma and feel a sense of connection or understanding of each other from those experiences. Clinically, though, trauma bonding is quite the opposite of understanding or a mutual connection. Clinically, trauma bonding is abusive. This is why the misrepresentation is so important to address. Learn what trauma bonding is, how it occurs, and how to help break free from it.

In the United States, 70% of adults have experienced a traumatic event in their life. Trauma can physiologically and structurally create changes in our body and brains. The earlier and longer we experience trauma, the more significant those changes may be. Addressing them, though, can lead to impactful change and relief.

In the US, it is estimated that 1 in 4 children will witness violence at home. Trauma is not a standalone event- meaning the impacts of it often ripple from those traumatized to those they interact with each day. Addressing trauma is a community need. This blog will address those individual and community impacts.

Does the world seem angrier? Learn about the relationship between those bursts of rage you may experience or see in others around you and a history of trauma.

Do you ever feel physically exhausted at the end of the day, even if your daily tasks are not really physically demanding? Many people don’t realized that the cognitive demands of their day produces physical effects on their body. Yes, you can get physically tired, have physical symptoms, and develop physical ailments from an overly-stressed mental load. Learn what to do about it here.

Discover parenting strategies to help you meet your teen where they are developmentally. Address typical teenage angst as well as larger concerns for their mental health.

How can you tell when behaviors and feelings are part of typical teenage angst or something more concerning? Learn about the teenage brain and how its development impacts the changes in your teen’s behaviors and emotions.

Building an understanding of the psychological and biological impacts of ADHD can be critical for BOTH partners in a relationship, meaning those with ADHD and their partner. Learn about what you may need to know and why it can make a big difference in maintaining a healthy relationship.

When we experience trauma it can sometimes be necessary to build psychological armor to protect ourselves emotionally during our times of need. Wearing that “armor” for too long, though, can weigh us down and keep us stuck or numb. Could you be wearing your armor too long or what might that even look like? This blog is about the ways we cope with trauma, emotional abuse, or prolonged stress and some of the strategies to regain control if those coping skills begin to work against us.

Are you struggling with a constantly irritable, anxious, lethargic, or depressed mood-set or behaviors in your school age children or teens? Your child’s diet can be affecting their behaviors and mood. Whether you are seeing mild behavioral and mood changes or more moderate to severe ones, addressing what your family is eating can be an major step to improvement.

Learn about what occurs in your digestive tract (gut) that can also influence what occurs psychologically in your brain, impacting one’s stress and mental health, even to the point of developing mental illnesses.

There are so many reasons why someone may unknowingly sabotage their own happiness or success, and we all do it in some degree at some point, but when it becomes chronic it can signal greater concerns. This blog is about how to recognize and address self sabotaging behavior.

How might inaccuracies in your thinking be impacting your daily stress and what can it be doing long-term? This blog has information about some of the cognitive distortions that we all experience at times and strategies to address them- good for adults, teens, and clinicians