Gatewell Therapy Center | Miami FL
Evidence-Based Individual, Couples, Family, and Group Counseling + Nutrition Therapy in Miami (Coral Gables)
TIP Skills The TIP skills in DBT help you cope with a difficult situation or crisis without making things worse. They represent part of our crisis survival skills. You might use them when flooded with emotion, when in distress, or when you have the urge to engage in a destructive behavior. With the TIP skills,Continue reading TIP Skills: Regulating Our Bodies to Cope with Distress
What Is A Dialectic? One of the main concepts in DBT is the goal of balancing opposites. That’s actually the “D” is DBT, “dialectical.” A dialectical stance incorporates multiple – even potentially conflicting – points of view. It’s a both/and versus either/or way of thinking. One of the primary dialectics in DBT is acceptance andContinue reading Wise Mind: A Balanced Synthesis
You’ve heard it so many times: “Calories in, calories out.” It’s simple, right? Well, not really. It turns out, our approximately 30-trillion-cell selves are much more complicated than a reductive equation. And our body size, as much as we’re led to believe otherwise, is largely impacted by factors beyond our control. Twin and adoption studies,Continue reading The Truth About Weight Loss
Defining Exposure True story: When we adopted my now one-year-old dog when she was just two months old, one of my sons had a fairly severe dog phobia. When exposed to dogs before her adoption, he’d scream and run away. When we first brought our new puppy home, he screamed and ran away – againContinue reading Exposure Therapy – Working with Phobias, OCD, Trauma, and Emotions
(even this fortune is a fitness myth) Fitness Myths ABound The fitness industry is responsible for a great deal of harmful, often incorrect messaging about physical activity. This information – and in many cases misinformation – can result in individuals developing an unhealthy relationship with exercise and may actually contribute to folks avoiding exercise orContinue reading 5 Fitness Myths Debunked
Struggling with body acceptance – It’s Not Your Fault But It Is Your Problem Most of us are socialized to be critical of our bodies. Whether it’s our families, communities, or our culture at large, we are bombarded by messaging regarding what constitutes an acceptable body. Children as young as preschoolers learn that certain bodiesContinue reading Body Acceptance Practices – Stop Hating Your Body Today
What Is Radical Acceptance? According to DBT, radical acceptance occurs when we stop fighting (or “tantruming” about) reality. Even in pain and in difficult times, we can come to a place of complete and total acceptance of what is happening – accepting in our minds, bodies, hearts, and souls – by practicing radical acceptance. WhileContinue reading Practicing Radical Acceptance
You do it all – manage a home, a job, the children, and more. But now, with the spread of coronavirus and resulting school and activity closures, you’re being asked to do even more. Educate your children while you work from home and simultaneously cope with isolation, uncertainty, and other aspects of a pandemic? Check.Continue reading When Supermom Must Go Above & Beyond
As coronavirus infiltrates our communities, it’s common to feel worry, sadness, or even panic. Uncertain times are a breeding ground for anxiety. However, it’s possible for us to be anxious and to continue to be effective, doing what needs to be done and operating according to our values. To cope with the emotional consequences ofContinue reading Coping with Coronavirus
The Mind-Body Connection: Half-Smile and Willing Hands Think of a stressful parenting situation you’ve been in lately. . . riding out a tantrum, getting homework done, confronting your teen about a lie. How were you feeling? What were you thinking? Were you aware of any sensations in your body? We often think about how situationsContinue reading Half-Smile and Willing Hands – Parenting with DBT: A Series on Effective Parenting Strategies