“WHAT’D I SAY?” When a former counseling client says, “I’ll never forget what you said. It’s always stuck with me,” I hold my breath praying, “please God, let it be something I wouldn’t regret saying or at least let it be helpful.” The conversations between counselor and client make up an important piece of the…
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Stress Management
OVER-SCHEDULED CHILDREN
While having my hair cut, my barber was talking with me about over-scheduled children. He wondered how parents keep up with all of the activities. Parents wonder the same thing. In my office parents question whether they should be taking kids to soccer practice, music lessons, robotics, church and Sunday school. If their child is…
Read MoreGrief and Special Days
Approaching your first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, birthday, anniversary and other emotional markers of time without your loved one can be accompanied by a feeling of dread, anxiety, and loneliness along with the to-be-expected grief and loss. I think most of us understand why anybody would want to avoid facing the discomfort of loss.…
Read MoreLEARN HOW MEDITATE: TAKE CARE OF YOUR BRAIN by Judy Park, PsyD
Many of you who are reading this article may recall the old adage about being born with a finite number of brain cells. If brain cells were damaged it was believed that there was no regeneration of these cells. It was thought that most brain development occurred in infancy and early childhood and was clearly established…
Read MoreNeuroplasticity: Hope and Cautionary Tale
Neuroplasticity offers hope. It has to do with our brain’s ability to reorganize connections in response to learning. Cognitive behavior therapy can help us reduce stress to life’s most challenging circumstances. One of the things I get to do about every couple of months or so is to talk with a group of women surviving…
Read MoreExercise for your mental health
Who hasn’t heard that exercise is good for you. Physicians and fitness experts have been telling us for years that a good aerobic exercise program is one of the best things that you can do for your physical health. A good aerobic exercise program can provide physical benefits such as: Increase cardiovascular/respiratory functioning Increase…
Read MoreUTILITY ANALYSIS OF THOUGHTS & BELIEFS* PLUS COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING = MORE RATIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL THINKING
David Barnhart, EdD Emotional and behavioral change begins with improving self-awareness. Self-awareness is a component of emotional intelligence that can be improved through a process of monitoring and analysis. What triggers stress? What are the emotions we feel? What thoughts or beliefs are associated with the trigger? Thoughts include what we remember, what we imagine,…
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