When Our Mind Gets the Best of Us: How to Re-Ground Yourself
Let’s face it – no matter how helpful our coping skills, self-care, supports, and therapists can be, we are all be bound to have an emotionally or mentally overwhelming week (or month(s)!). We are human beings and life stressors, triggers, and transitions can all interfere with our balanced day-to-functioning. Sometimes, there is simply no avoiding…
Read MoreA Parent’s Guide to Sibling Battles
Danielle Bertini Parents are often seeking ways to make sibling conflict stop, and understandably so. Unfortunately, this is generally unrealistic as sibling conflict is normal and to be expected. Home is a safe testing ground for social dynamics, and it can take skill and patience for siblings to learn to play together, especially when they…
Read More4 Practical Ways to Cope with a Long Work Commute
A long work commute drains energy quickly, so coping with it is an important part of protecting your emotional wellness. Long stretches in traffic reduce time for connection and relaxation, which adds tension to the start and end of your day. Many people share that their commute pulls them away from moments with friends, family,…
Read MoreHow to Distance Yourself from Your Phone
You can take meaningful steps to reduce the pull of your smartphone once you understand how easy it is for habits to form around constant checking. Many people explore how to distance themselves from their phone because they want more focus, more calm, and more time for the parts of life that feel fulfilling. Small…
Read MoreHow to Distance Yourself from Your Phone: Part I
By now, we all know that it’s better for our health and our relationships to limit the amount of time we spend glued to our smartphones. By being attuned to our screens instead of the world surrounding us, we’re missing out on connections with our loved ones and peaceful moments. I can’t count the number…
Read MoreRecognizing Signs of Loneliness
Cigna recently conducted research on loneliness and its impact on our health. Despite the ease with which we tend to joke about being lonely, it can wreak havoc on our physical and emotional health. The Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index, which surveyed over 20,000 American adults, found that around 50% of Americans feel lonely sometimes, around…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Importance of Getting Boo-Boos Kissed: On Sharing the Difficult Feelings
The image of a parent kissing their child’s scraped knee is as timeless and iconic as it is heartwarming. Though some might say the act is more symbolic or just a placebo, there are some good brain reasons why this actually works. Louis Cozalino writes in his book, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, “This biochemical cascade…
Read MoreProcrastination… a Bad Habit or a Solvable Struggle?
It’s 7pm on a weeknight. You’ve just gotten home from a long day at work and are absolutely exhausted. Unfortunately, you have a meeting in the morning you need to prepare for. Before starting to prepare you think to yourself “I should take my dog out for a walk”. When you get home from your…
Read MoreThe Mental Health Benefits of Owning a Pet: The Pet Effect
Danielle Bertini, LPC It is no secret that living in today’s world it can be easy to get caught up in the high-demand, fast-paced environment. Smartphones, social media, Internet, and constant text messages can quickly become overwhelming. Aside from some of the more “traditional” ways to fight daily stressors, such as yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.,…
Read MoreToward a More Compassionate Environment
Steven Topper, LCPC Most of us would agree that the world would be a far lovelier place with a little more compassion. And while many of us work to extend compassion toward our pets, families, and friends, so many struggle with self-compassion. In the Podcast “Psychologists Off The Clock,” Dr. Christopher Germer discussed the role…
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