Noticing your victories can have a profound affect on your mental health. I know many of you say that sounds too easy... but, when your brain is full of all the things you did not do, all of your inadequacies, all your cant's and should's, noticing your victories begins the positive inner snowball needed for change to occur.
Part two of my gratitude blog: let's take this day to thank and notice the fathers and father figures in our lives. It does not have to be your own, but notice someone who inspires you and heals your soul.My father died about a year and half ago, suddenly and shockingly. Time helps to heal those wounds, but this day reminds me of my grief. I miss him so much, more than I ever would have imagined. So today I want to honor him.
Can a daily practice of gratitude grow "good" feelings in ourselves and in others? Gratitude is an old practice that nurtures and deepens relationships with others and within ourselves.
A fascinating new therapeutic technique that I’d like to share with you is Image Transformation Therapy. This is a technique that I trained in during the quarantine.
During quarantine I started to feel bogged down with the monotony of this situation. Wake up... eat… work… exercise…house project 2,534… lol… take care of dogs... clean house... etc...
Many people envision meditation as 30 minutes of quiet inner reflection. They think that it is a practice only for those disciplined folks who like self-torture. I say NO, not so! Meditations are used frequently in counseling and they basically consist of sitting quietly for just ONE minute to regroup, relax, or "center".
This quarantine has presented me with more time than I normally have. And of course I want to make the best of it. Instead of obsessively watching the news and growing anxiety, I am using my time to start some much needed daily habits!
The COVID-19 world crisis can be traumatic, especially since it has impacted the entire globe. The terror, powerlessness, and shock can leave us with bothersome symptoms related to the “exposure to this event”. This is a common trauma verbiage used in therapy… exposure to the event. If you have a pulse you have been exposed to this event.
"How can I help?" I am not a doctor and I cannot assist medically with COVID-19 but I do work with individuals’ reactions to crises every day. That, I would say, makes me an expert in managing various crises one may face -- specifically in managing our reactions to crises.
So much of my practice centers around anxiety, trauma, phobias, panic disorder, obsessions, compulsions, and unhealthy coping patterns related to anxiety. The COVID-19 is scary for many people, and it is a crisis.
