Some clients have recently mentioned that when they start practicing self compassion, they feel a wave of pain that’s almost overwhelming. Their pain actually increases at first. You can call this phenomena backdraft, a term used by firefighters and emergency workers that describes what happens when a door in a burning house is first opened:…
strategies for self-care
Happy Bastille Day, Le Quatorze Juillet, 7/14 Most people are familiar with Bastille Day, a national celebration of independence in France, and the beginning of the French Revolution. It was marked by the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a medieval fortress that became a prison and place of torture, in eastern Paris. Ironically, on…
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Your brain can be a trickster. Depression and anxiety create automatic negative thoughts that can become our internal dialogue. They are obstacles that influence our everyday life. Therapy is useful for identifying and giving voice to these internalized beliefs. And actively combating them. Some examples of negative thoughts that can be harmful: – All or…
Generalstrategies for self-care
Three years ago this summer, Embolden Psychology went from a dream to fruition. We emerged at the beginning of a mental health pandemic, of an enormity never seen before in my profession. In the summer of 2020, the US Census Bureau wrote that the levels of clinical depression in the United States had never been…
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A summary of findings from neuropsychology on how to stave off dementia. Movement matters Regular physical exercise in midlife, ages 40 to 60, showed evidence that exercise physically changes the brain (neuroscience geeks: People who had aerobic exercise at least three times a week showed an increase in the actual volume of the hippocampus, compared…
strategies for self-care
For the past two decades, I have combined my passion for practicing mindfulness and eastern philosophy, with my love for neuroscience and clinical psychology. The ancient and the research; they are compatible. This is a frequent question posed to me that I deeply honor. Them: My partner and I are studying Buddhist teachings to help…
strategies for self-care
DAY 1. Each day, clean up online. Block, unsubscribe, delete. DAY 2. Each day, practice your morning and night time routine. Also see, The Morning Routine Checklist for Anxiety. DAY 3. Each day, pick a mantra or affirmation to repeat throughout the day. Say it loudly into the air. Write it on a post-it or…
strategies for self-care
Her: I wish I wasn’t so empathic. It hurts so much because I see and feel a resemblance of myself whenever I see anyone in pain. I have to do something about fixing them. And I don’t have a routine that works to control it. I don’t have an off switch. Me: Think of empathy…
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Wake up earlier. See also The Morning Checklist for Anxiety. Meditate. Stretch, like your dog or cat. Write things down. Read a poem. Think of a fear you overcame. Get organized for the day. Listen to your power playlist. Exercise. Stand up straight/work on your posture. Text good morning to a loved one. Pray. See…
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The Loneliness in Older Persons study, published in 2012 (Journal of the American Medical Association; JAMA), studied 1,600 adults with an average age of 71. The results concluded that among participants who were older than 60 years, loneliness was a predictor of decline and premature death. This study also concluded that loneliness can lead to…
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Combined with psychoeducational testing, it helps provide comprehensive information and recommendations to help children and teens six and up.
