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A lot of folks have heard of a therapy approach called CBT, but don’t really know what it is. They’ve just heard that it’s good for dealing with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The psychologist Albert T. Beck created it during the 1960s, and it’s widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for a wide variety of mental health issues. CBT has been further developed through the years, and now we hav

There’s a popular notion in our society that we should only have certain types of thoughts and emotions. Namely, we should only have those that are deemed to be “healthy.” So if we have thoughts and emotions that are “unhealthy,” well then we’re in trouble (or so we are led to believe)! So what are these “unhealthy” thoughts and emotions? For a lot of folks, it’s anything other than pleasant and happy ones. So emotions like fear, anger, sadness, guilt, and grief would be exam

Most of us have heard of the term “mindfulness” as a good strategy to deal with depression, anxiety, and other emotional difficulties. In this article I will teach you about a very specific form of mindfulness called “Detached Mindfulness.” By using it properly you will experience a decrease in feelings of distress, and you’ll generally feel happier and more at ease. The term “Detached Mindfulness” was coined by clinical psychologist Adrian Wells, who is also the developer o

On e question that I commonly hear in-session is, “At what point does worrying and stress become unhealthy?” It’s an interesting question, because it implies that there is a certain level of worry and stress that IS healthy. I think this implication is true. If we never worried or felt stressed about anything then we might have a certain level of indifference and apathy. Maybe we would not care as much about our health, our family, or making progress overall in life. In other

Most of the folks that I see who suffer from anxiety say something along the lines of, “I’d like to feel less anxious,” or “I’d like to get rid of my anxiety.” Let me start off by saying, I get it! Simply put: Anxiety kind of sucks. It’s uncomfortable, and when it gets really high it can make you feel like you’re going to lose control. Anxiety can also make it more difficult to engage in important aspects of life, such as being at work and spending time friends. Here’s the th

If you’re reading this then most likely you’re at least considering going to counseling…but you may have some reservations. That’s OK! If this is your first time going to counseling you may not know what to expect, and may feel doubtful as to whether this is even for you. Full disclosure: I am a counselor, and I believe almost anyone can benefit from counseling (but of course a counselor would say that!). Still, let me present you with 4 ideas that will hopefully calm any fea

Learn simple tips to have success on dating apps!

Learn effective mindfulness strategies for dealing with intrusive thoughts.

Are you struggling with intrusive thoughts? Learn more about them, and whether or not you should worry about them.

For those who suffer from social anxiety, dating can seem like a daunting task! What’s meant to be an enjoyable experience oftentimes...

In one of my previous blog posts I discussed the differences between healthy and unhealthy worrying. However, one comment that I receive a lot from clients is, "I feel like I can't stop worrying! How do I stop it?" So even though someone can recognize that their worries aren't very helpful, they can't figure out a way to stop them from happening. So in this blog post, I'll discuss ideas that you can use to effectively deal with worries. Worries Are Just Thoughts, and Nothing

For many of us, when we believe that something is unfair we tend to become angry, resentful, and blame others or ourselves. This can cloud our judgment, and perhaps lead to a downward spiral of negative thoughts and further distressing emotions. Oftentimes we become upset about matters that are very much out of our control. Here’s an example: A young woman named Katie was driving to work one morning and feeling confident that she would arrive enough to prepare for an importa

One of the most common complaints that I hear from my clients is that they would like to become more motivated and productive, and to procrastinate less. Moreover, experiencing issues like depression and anxiety can certainly make the problem worse. One of the main symptoms of depression is that you can feel like your energy has been sucked out of you, and it can make you want to avoid even the activities that you typically enjoy. While this article does not intend to tackle

While social anxiety can pose challenges in your everyday life, few prospects may seem more daunting than having to look for (and worse...

Dogs can bring us hours and hours of happiness, whether by playing fetch, teaching them tricks, or just cuddling on the couch with them....

In this article I’d like to present an unconventional view of motivation… and even make an argument for why the apparent need for it is over-rated. Many people have the underlying belief that in order to engage in difficult tasks they need to feel confident about their ability to complete the tasks, or at least feel excited about the task. Sometimes we believe that we need to feel inspired before we can even begin certain projects. While there is certainly something to be sai