Anxiety, a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome, is something we all experience at some point in our lives. However, when it becomes overwhelming and interferes with our daily life, it is important to seek help. Therapy is one of the most effective ways to manage anxiety and there are several tools that can be helpful in this process. What is anxiety: Anxiety is a feeling that can create unease, worry thoughts, uncertainty and tension in the body. Brene’ Brown describes anxiety as the “Willy Wonka shit tunnel” relating it to the original movie scen ..read more

Have you ever opened up to a family member, friend or professional about a difficult change you are trying to make and they respond with supportive feedback or advice that just doesn’t match where you’re at in your change process? This mismatch can cause guilt, shame and confusion for the person considering change. Experiencing two conflicting desires about the problematic behavior(s) does not have to be difficult to navigate and understand. This article gives a brief overview of the stages of change as well as how understanding this can be helpful in your change process. An introduction to t ..read more

Ahhh, it’s that magical time of year when people start to reflect on the last twelve months and often look to the future and decide if and how they want to make changes. Unfortunately, this enriching practice gets hijacked by diet culture and the focus in the media becomes about weight loss. I cannot help but roll my eyes when I inevitably hear a weight loss ad on the radio or see one as I watch a holiday movie. Talk about a mood killer! The diet industry continues to sell the idea that certain bodies are better, healthier, and more desirable, while research continues to reveal that 95-98% of ..read more

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Have you ever had one of those days where you were swimming in your thoughts and found it hard to concentrate and be present? Have you noticed a stream of negative thoughts that you just could not shake? Humans have thousands of thoughts each day and there are often negative ones that show up, but it can be difficult if you feel stuck inside of them and unable to get out. Let's explore some steps you can use to gain control over your negative self-talk. What is negative self-talk? Negative self-talk refers to thoughts that flow like a conversation and carry themes of put downs, criticism, sel ..read more

Grounding is a common coping tool discussed in therapy and is often used for anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, and can be used in everyday life for general stress. Grounding can help you regulate your body to a calm state, allowing you to make clear decisions, be more present and less dysregulated. There are various ways to utilize grounding which will be discussed below. It is best to practice grounding techniques several times when you are regulated so you can easily access them when your emotions feel out of control. When you are dysregulated emotionally, it is harder to think clearly and remem ..read more

Realizing you have a mental health concern can be difficult in and of itself but communicating this to other people can also be very stressful. Mental health recovery can be difficult in isolation and is best done with community support. Tips for who, what, when and how: Decide who: Think about your potential support network. Besides professional support, who in your life can you lean on when you are struggling and why do they stand out to you? Think about what they have done to earn your trust and how they have shown up in your relationship. Also consider those who you do not want to shar ..read more

Therapists say this and encourage this all the time, but what does it mean and why is it important for your mental health? Why feeling your feelings matters: When you slow down and nonjudgmentally create space for your emotions, you naturally become more aware of your feelings and allow them to process. This gives you an opportunity to learn and grow. Becoming more aware of your emotions creates more flexible and thoughtful reactions. This means you can live in a way that aligns more with your values. You can alter a defensive or snap response to a more grounded, compassionate and open one. Fe ..read more