When people ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always had a variety of answers. I wanted to be a marine biologist, Britney Spears, and a Supreme Court justice before I wanted to be a therapist. ..

Meditation is a powerful practice that can bring profound peace, clarity, and well-being into our lives. However, for those new to meditation, the terminology can sometimes feel like a foreign language. Words like "mindfulness," "mantra," and "equinimity" are often used in meditation circles, but their meanings might not be immediately clear to everyone. This guide aims to demystify some of the most common meditation terms, providing you with a solid foundation as you embark on your meditation journey.

Unfortunately, if you have depression you are also more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, and vice versa. It is like a terrible buy-one-get-one deal that no one asked for. Anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis in the United States with about 1 out of 5 individuals experiencing anxiety in their lifetime

How is sadness different from depression?

If you have never experienced depression, the next closest emotion is sadness. But, if you have been depressed, you also know that those two things are not remotely similar. I describe sadness as a blue feeling whereas depression is more of a black feeling.

After becoming more familiar with the feelings wheel to build emotional literacy, you can continue to use the same skills to identify if you are experiencing a primary or secondary emotion. Correctly labeling your emotions as either primary or secondary is useful in finding better solutions to manage your feelings.

The Feelings Wheel is a therapist’s favorite tool when helping folks learn to identify, tolerate, and express various emotions. Expanding our emotional vocabulary and our emotional illiteracy is an important fundamental goal in therapy.

One of the most frequent concerns I hear from my clients is how to manage anxiety and panic attacks at work. The most important strategy is to address the underlying issue that is being avoided, since anxiety is fueled by avoidance, in therapy. However, no one wants to feel out of control at work. Use these ideas below at the FIRST SIGN of anxiety or panic creeping into your body. These skills are best used as short-term, survival strategies not long-term use.

Meditation is a powerful practice with the potential to transform your mental and emotional well-being. With regular practice of at least 10 minutes daily, you may begin to notice numerous benefits such as increased compassion and empathy, improved concentration and focus, and a greater tolerance for frustration. Meditation can also lead to increased relaxation, better sleep, and a reduction in the severity and frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms. Meditation offers a holistic approach to mental health with no side effects and proven results.

In 2022, I read 72 books and this year I am challenging myself to read 100 books. I love to read, and have a voracious appetite for stories. I’m sharing my favorite recent reads related to mental health below:

As a therapist, I deeply understand the importance of growth, healing, and authenticity. These values guide not only my professional practice but also my personal life. One way I honor these values is by attending my virtual therapy sessions every week. Therapy is a vital part of my self-care routine, allowing me to reflect, process, and continue my journey toward self-improvement. To make the most out of each session, I have developed specific rituals for both before and after my therapy appointments. I would like to share these rituals with you, hoping they might inspire you to create your own therapeutic routines.

Finding a therapist is a lot like dating - each one has a different personality, and sometimes you just don’t feel a spark. With a quick Google search, there is an overwhelming number of databases listing mental health providers. However, not all databases are created equally!

I am excited to help my clients holistically by encouraging adjunctive treatments, addressing both the mind and the body, and acknowledging that what is personal is political. You deserve to thrive, not just survive. Investing in yourself through these sessions means reclaiming your time, energy, and sanity. You will gain the tools to transform perfectionism into self-acceptance, people-pleasing into authentic relationships, and overachieving into sustainable success. Join me to begin a journey of healing that honors both your professional dedication and personal well-being.

The ultimate goal of reflection questions is to foster a proactive approach to managing burnout. By regularly engaging with these questions, helping professionals can maintain a high level of self-awareness and take timely action to address burnout. This reflective practice can lead to improved emotional resilience, better work-life balance, and ultimately, a more sustainable and fulfilling career in the helping professions.

Meditation and mindfulness have become buzzwords that we see all over the media lately. And, even though we see the words often, we may not know exactly what those words mean or how they differ. More importantly, there is not always a clear connection between meditation and mindfulness as it relates to mental health.

By blending mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, MBCT offers a holistic strategy to manage mental health effectively and sustain emotional well-being over time.