A Case of Chronic Pain Marina is a 30-year-old woman who played tennis on her high school team and continued to play recreationally until a lower back injury sidelined her from the courts. One day, she was lifting some boxes in preparation for a move and felt something give out. The pain was excruciating. AndContinue reading Pain Reprocessing Therapy
Suicide Prevention is a Community Effort
Every year, September’s National Suicide Prevention Month gives us the opportunity to shine a light on an issue that touches countless lives. Suicide does not just affect one person; it impact families, friends, and entire communities. Even though this topic can feel heavy and we might want to avoid talking about it, this month servesContinue reading Suicide Prevention is a Community Effort
Shame Resilience: A DBT Approach
Shame can be one of the most uncomfortable emotions we experience. It can be triggered by a host of events or internal experiences, including rejection (or fear of rejection); being belittled, made fun of, criticized, or betrayed; comparing ourselves to others, or just thinking that we’re not good enough. When we experience shame, we mightContinue reading Shame Resilience: A DBT Approach
Validate with Ease: A Step-by-Step Guide
As discussed in our prior blog, validation is a significant component to interpersonal functioning. Learning how to validate others is one thing we can do to improve our relationships across the board. Here, we’ll take a look at how to master this skill. Before we begin, it’s important to know what validation is. . .Continue reading Validate with Ease: A Step-by-Step Guide
Validation Fails
Validation is one of our most important interpersonal skills. The ability to validate effectively can significantly improve our relationships. And being able to validate someone in a given moment can make or break an interaction. So what does it take to validate? In this two-part blog series, we’ll look at some common validation failures asContinue reading Validation Fails
Coping With Social Anxiety
What Is Social Anxiety? Do you get anxious when you have to give a talk? How about before work meetings or parties or other types of events? Do you notice apprehension, worry, or even dread? How about the physical manifestations of anxiety, such as a sweating, an increased heart rate, or stomach trouble? If theseContinue reading Coping With Social Anxiety
Comprehensive DBT
DBT is an evidence-based modality that can help individuals who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, trauma/PTSD, substance misuse, disordered eating, self-harm/suicidality, and borderline personality disorder, as well as broader issues with emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning. DBT was founded by psychologist, Dr. Marsha Linehan, and developed from the early part of her career’s focusContinue reading Comprehensive DBT
Relationship Breakup Survival Guide
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
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
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
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
