The end of the year is usually a time of reflection. And there can be stress that comes up that highlights your growth over the course of the year. Here are 3 signs you’ve grown this year. Choosing to accept or move on Sometimes we try to “fix” people or fix relationships because we...
3 Signs it’s Time To Go To Therapy
The holidays can be a time of reflection or a time when repeating patterns, stressors and emotions come to the surface. If any of these three things come up, that’s your sign that it’s a great time to go to therapy. Therapy is for people who care about themselves and their relationships, who have...
What’s the Difference Between PTSD and Complex PSTD (CPTSD)?
Most people have heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but a lot of people have never heard of Complex PTSD. The type and length of the trauma is generally what differentiates them. Let’s discuss some more specifics about what makes them different. With both PTSD and CPTSD, it starts with a traumatic event,...
The difference between panic attacks and anxiety attacks
People use the terms panic attack and anxiety attack interchangeably, and although they may appear to be similar, they really are very different. You might mistake a panic attack for an anxiety attack (in someone else, or yourself) if you are not aware of the differences in their causes, symptoms and impact, so let’s...
3 Ways to Cut Down on Vacation Stress So You Can Actually Enjoy Your Vacation
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but if you’re reading this, you know that going on vacation involves stress. Sometimes it’s stress before, during and/or after. But you can take action and cut down on the stress. Let’s break this down so you can get ahead of the curve and actually relax on your...
Pop Psychology Concepts that need Correction
Social media and the internet can be super helpful resources when it comes to building awareness, destigmatizing and educating about mental health. AND, of course, there can be a lot of misinformation because literally anyone can say anything on the internet. So let’s take a second to correct a few things that have gotten...
3 Reasons Being Depressed Can Feel Comfortable
Of course, if you ask anyone, no one would tell you they want to be depressed or that they like to be depressed. And, even though you might not “like” being depressed, there’s a covert coziness to it. This is why when people say: “get out and do something, talk to your friends, exercise,...
Don’t confuse communicating about your emotions with emotional dumping
There’s a lot of advice about not bottling up your emotions, being vulnerable and telling people how you feel. But when does this cross the line into emotional dumping? Here are 3 signs of emotional dumping and what to do instead: 1 – Talking about the same issues over and over again Rehashing something...
Healing Anxiety Doesn’t Come from Trying to Stop It
Logic might say that healing anxiety comes from stopping it. For example: trying to control anxious thoughts or avoid situations that make you anxious seem like they might be ways to get relief from anxiety. But relating to your anxiety like this is actually making it worse. Anxiety works kind of like whack a...
Hyper-Independence as a Trauma Response
What is hyper-independence? It can be a coping mechanism that you develop as a result of not having your needs met early in life or when you experience interpersonal trauma. You may feel the need to do things yourself and won’t ask for help because you have learned that it’s not safe to depend...