EMDR is a holistic approach to healing trauma. Through EMDR processing, traumatic neural networks are integrated into adaptive networks, leading to healing. This post is to help explain what neural networks are, how they’re formed, and how EMDR doesn’t just target memories, but rather targets and heals entire neural networks to ensure a holistic approach … Read more
Sometimes, love stinks. Maybe you discovered something about the person you’ve been dating that you really cannot live with. Or maybe things have really changed for the worse since the two of you moved in together. Perhaps you’re head-over-heels in love with a person you just met and struggle to take it slow. Regardless of … Read more
If you’re anything like me, you hear the word “vulnerability” and immediately duck for cover. It’s terrifying to think about letting go of defenses and opening up. Doesn’t being vulnerable mean you’re weak? No, it means you’re able to be hurt which is very different from being weak. In fact, I have come to learn … Read more
For about 5.5% of people who menstruate and are of reproductive age, their menstrual cycles bring on even more challenges. In a society that often stigmatizes menstrual cycles, nor has a lot of research and remedies available, my guess is that number is even higher and menstruating people are struggling in silence. Do you have … Read more
It’s officially Springtime; so you know what that means! Out with the old and in with the new! Spring represents new beginnings and rebirth, as it is marked by flowers blooming, crops sprouting, animals returning from hibernation, and the cold winter climate dwindling away. Change is not only evident however within our agriculture, weather, and … Read more
And…breathe out Is it just me or does it seem like there is more and more to do every day? It is like a perpetual conveyer belt of tasks! When I’m not able to find ‘off switch’ to that conveyer belt at the end of the day and begin to relax and wind down, I … Read more
Anger is an adaptive emotion that prompts us to take action and protect ourselves. Although greater specificity for identifying and understanding anger is provided in the previous blog post, anger generally manifests with a prompting event (e.g., a person feels attacked or threatened) physiological sensations (e.g., muscles tightening) and anger thoughts (“this should not be … Read more
Having trouble sleeping? Sleep plays a vital role in our emotion regulation, memory consolidation, and overall physical wellbeing. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children between 6 and 12 years old should get 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night and teenagers from 13 to 18 years of age should get 8 … Read more
As a behavioral treatment, DBT operates under the skills deficit model. This model suggests that problem behaviors arise from a lack of crucial skills such as mindfulness or the ability to tolerate distress. Using this model, DBT pushes skills like they’re candy at a grocery store checkout aisle. A skills training group is designed to … Read more
Changing behavior is HARD! I cannot tell you the number of times that I set out to accomplish some super fantastic goal and then find myself completely out of steam and kicking myself for getting my hopes up. From home improvement projects to creative goals to financial plans, I have weaved elaborate designs without the … Read more