Posts Tagged ‘therapy’
Why You’re Not Broken: Reframing Symptoms as Protective Parts || By Laura Hogzett MA, LPCC, EMDR, NCC, Rev
Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Addiction through Internal Family Systems I talk about Internal Family Systems (IFS) a lot because it works. It is more than a therapy model; it is a compassionate lens for understanding your inner world. Once you start to see your emotions, behaviors, and thoughts as different parts of you, each trying…
Read MoreThe Sacred Practice of Slowing Down: What Motherhood & Art Taught Me About Spirit || By Leanne Morton, MA, LPC, ATR
I still remember the shock of becoming a first-time mom in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, how lonely it felt to cross the threshold into motherhood without a community to hold me. It was overwhelming, defeating and disorienting. Like so many new mothers, I turned to my phone, the internet, and social media, hoping…
Read MoreAnte Up || By Laura Zwisler, LPC
I suspect life is run like a casino game. Casino games require that you place a bet or “ante up” before you get a chance to play. Playing is not winning. Playing is an opportunity to win. It’s also an opportunity to lose. Should you lose, you paid to lose. Should you win, you paid for the chance to win. Want…
Read MoreLet’s Chat Gender || By Bre Smith, Affordable Counseling Intern
I love to talk about gender! There is so much nuance, play, fun, and violence, oppression, harm surrounding gender. This topic is dynamic, complex, important, fluid, and sacred. What is gender? Gender is only one piece of the identity pie. This short essay is too brief to cover the many layers of identity such as…
Read MoreThe Self of the Therapist: Showing Up as We Are || By Annabelle Denmark
In the therapy room, we often talk about authenticity—encouraging clients to show up as their full selves. But what about us, the therapists? What does it mean to bring our whole selves into work? For me, the answer lies in the intersection of grit, roots, and a refusal to pretend I’m someone I’m not. I…
Read MoreTime Alone Isn’t Enough: Why Healing Requires More Than Quiet Reflection || By Lora Cheadle JD, CHt
There’s something sacred about solitude. After any emotional upheaval—especially something as earth-shattering as betrayal—it’s natural to retreat. Time alone can offer a welcome pause from the chaos. It allows us to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with ourselves in small, quiet ways. But here’s the truth: time alone doesn’t heal all wounds. Betrayal trauma isn’t just…
Read MorePolyvagal Balancing || By Chardin Bersto MA
So far, we have mapped out the pathway of the Polyvagal System. Now you’re probably wondering what you can do to maintenance the system. Well, many moons ago, in my studies of the Yogic practices, I learned that in every Chakra there is a Vagal Plexus. At the time, I found this quite amazing because…
Read MoreShame Circuit Revisited || By Chardin Bersto MA
Not My Voice This is not my voice that whispers to me In the deep recesses of my Heart. This is not my voice that calms the stirring torrent Welling up as “I” try to quiet my Mind. The sense of a small “my” standing against The ever-moving force of The Infinite. The sense of a small “I”,…
Read MoreWhy Words Matter: How verbal expression can help us reconnect to ourselves || By Kevin Culver
We’ve all been there. Hours have gone by and we’ve barely noticed as we sit on our couch, endlessly doom scrolling through post after post on social media. Our mind feels numb, we feel disoriented, and we’re not sure how time passed so quickly. In today’s society, we’re surrounded and flooded with information. The ease of…
Read MoreThe Power of Video Games as a Coping Mechanism: A Therapist’s Perspective II By Deanna Edwards, MA
In the world of mental health, coping mechanisms are the tools we use to navigate emotional stress, anxiety, or difficult situations. As a therapist, I’ve seen the evolution of how people cope with life’s pressures. One method that has become increasingly common is video gaming. While it has its critics, video games, when used mindfully,…
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