Breakups are tough. In fact, all relationship endings can evoke feelings of grief and loss, disappointment, guilt, or anger. But a breakup doesn’t have to mean you’re broken. Here are some tips, inspired by DBT, for surviving a relationship ending. Recognize the power of time: They say, “Time heals all wounds,” and for a largeContinue reading Relationship Breakup Survival Guide
Radical Body Acceptance
In our teaching of DBT skills, I always say that radical acceptance is one of the hardest skills to learn. To do. To embody. I feel this way myself. As much as I talk about acceptance, I find my brain constantly wants to err on the change side of the acceptance-change continuum. It wants toContinue reading Radical Body Acceptance
The Psychology of Youth Sports: What We Continue To Get Wrong
Participating in sports offers our kids so many benefits: physical activity, teamwork, working toward goals, socialization, fun, and more. Unfortunately, there are some aspects of youth sports that are harmful and detract from the multiple benefits. Here are five observations (as an ex-athlete, a graduate of a master’s program in sport psychology/clinical psychologist, and aContinue reading The Psychology of Youth Sports: What We Continue To Get Wrong
Coping with Emotions: A Five-Step Approach
Coping With Emotions Have you ever felt flooded with emotion, so much so that you didn’t know what to do? Maybe it was so intense that you froze or got really down on yourself or felt like you were being swept up in riptide of distress. . . . One of the questions we getContinue reading Coping with Emotions: A Five-Step Approach
Social Media Likes – How Posting Online Hooks Us Through Variable Reinforcement
You know the feeling. You’ve posted a picture, a video, or some thoughts on social media, and now it’s out there, awaiting feedback and commentary from others. You’re vulnerably waiting for likes. You might start to get a little anxious as the clock ticks on without a response. And then, there it is, your firstContinue reading Social Media Likes – How Posting Online Hooks Us Through Variable Reinforcement
Options for Solving Any Problem – DBT in Action
If you think about it, the human condition offers us of an almost infinite number of problems – issues with relationships, jobs, money, health, managing our homes, etc. Despite the wide range of problems we might encounter, there are a limited number of options for solving them. According to DBT, there are four possibilities forContinue reading Options for Solving Any Problem – DBT in Action
Drinking in Moderation: A Harm-Reduction Approach
What Is Moderation? Do you have some concerns about your drinking but aren’t willing to give up alcohol completely? Have you thought about moderating your drinking? What does this mean exactly? It might be easier to start by defining heavy drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy drinking as: ForContinue reading Drinking in Moderation: A Harm-Reduction Approach
How to Apologize: A Three-Step Approach
We exist in relationship to other humans: family members, friends, colleagues, members of our communities. Inevitably, as part of existing in shared spaces, we will cause harm, even if that wasn’t our intention. Interpersonal rupture is part of the human experience. Ideally, a repair follows a rupture. Repairs make amends and can actually serve toContinue reading How to Apologize: A Three-Step Approach
Intuitive Exercise – Healing Your Relationship with Movement
So many people struggle to have a healthy relationship with exercise. For some, it’s difficult to move in a way that feels easy, joyful, and sustainable. For others, the concern is that physical activity because repetitive and compulsive. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Exercise can be an affirming, joyful part of yourContinue reading Intuitive Exercise – Healing Your Relationship with Movement
Coping with Meltdowns: DBT in Action
Parenting isn’t always the rosy picture we see portrayed on social media. Most parents struggle sometimes or often, and one of the significant triggers for their distress, especially when their children are young, is meltdowns. Meltdowns, or tantrums, are emotional storms that take their toll on anyone present. And while we can’t really prevent theseContinue reading Coping with Meltdowns: DBT in Action