Social Media: Friend or Foe?

Today, you literally have the world at your fingertips. At any moment you can go on social media and see what your favorite celebrities are doing, what your co-workers are eating, and where your friends are traveling. Often it’s exciting and fun to take a peek into the lives of others. It can also create a sense of confusion and loneliness within you, particularly if you aren't living the 'exciting' life that you see on social media. Here are some tips to be more mindful when using social media…

Break the Bad Habit of Negative Thinking

Do you ever go into a situation thinking that things will go badly, and then they actually do? How does that happen? It’s likely because of a concept called a self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction bound to become true as a result of behavior caused by its being expressed. Essentially, how you think determines your end result. If you believe that things won’t go well, they likely won’t go well. So how can you stop this vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies? Here are some tips to help you break the habit…

How to Tell if You’re in an Unhealthy or Abusive Relationship

We start new relationships with a romantic partner or with a friend for various reasons. We want to enjoy each other’s company, feel happy, learn new things, feel close to someone, and share exciting parts of our lives. However, sometimes these relationships feel like a lot of work; they may end up taking more from our lives then they are giving. If you feel the strain of your relationship, it’s important to step back and understand if the relationship is unhealthy or potentially abusive. Use this resource to spot the differences between a healthy, an unhealthy, and an abusive relationship…

Using Opposite Action for Overwhelming Emotions

Are you ever overwhelmed by your emotions? Do you feel helpless when it comes to acting on them? All feelings come with action urges that tell us to act in certain ways. Sometimes, we use negative coping skills to escape painful emotions, because it feels like it’s the easiest way or the only way to cope. Have you ever considered doing the opposite of your usual response to your emotions? In DBT, the opposite action skill is a deliberate attempt to act OPPOSITE of your emotion urge. If your emotions are doing more harm than good, try acting opposite. Find the opposite action to our common emotion urges here…

How to Live Mindfully

Sometimes, we find ourselves focusing on the “would have,” “could have” and “should have’s” of life. We contemplate our past actions or worry about the future. Maybe it’s time to put those thoughts aside and take action. What can you do? Consider living “mindfully” instead. Living mindfully is the practice of allowing yourself to be in an awake and present-minded state. Research supports that living mindfully increases a person’s well-being, happiness and satisfaction with life. Here are a few tips on how live mindfully….

4 Common Habits that may Drain your Energy

In today's world, many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. There are so many things to do, but we don’t have enough time or energy to complete them. Life can feel even more challenging due to habits that we don’t even realize are depleting our energy. Here are some common habits that can make day-to-day life more difficult than it needs to be…

How to Successfully Navigate Life’s Transitions

Change is not easy, but it is possible to get through it successfully. Maybe you are moving to a new town, going to college, getting settled at a new job, or are taking a break from school or work. You’re probably nervous about this new venture and are experiencing some doubt, anxiety, or instability. Don’t worry—it’s completely normal to feel this way. Use some of the tips below to help you get through this period in your life…

The “What” Skills of Mindfulness

Mindfulness, a core practice in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, is incorporated into almost every aspect of treatment. At its simplest, mindfulness is just a conscious awareness of yourself and your surroundings. This is a simple concept to understand and a difficult practice to master. Practicing mindfulness has many health benefits, including improved emotion regulation, flexibility, and empathy, as well as decreased stress and anxiety, just to name a few. Mastering mindfulness starts with the “What” skills of DBT - Observe, Describe, and Participate…

The Mental Health Benefits of being Outdoors

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I need to get a breath of fresh air”? It turns out that it’s not just an idiom we often use when we’re feeling tired, down, or stressed. There’s actually science that supports the idea of spending time outdoors to boost your mental health. Now that it’s finally getting warmer outside, you should consider connecting with nature to help yourself feel better. Let’s look into how nature can improve your mood and what you can do to implement this idea into your daily routine…

Three Ways to Help your Child Manage Anxiety

All kids get stressed from time to time. Most kids will complain, perhaps get upset, and ultimately move on. But for the one in five children in the United States who suffer from an anxiety disorder, it can be a major challenge to manage their worries. If you are a parent or caregiver to a child who tends to worry or exhibit anxiety, your first instinct is to try to quell his or her fears. Although it will be comforting to your child in the moment, it may not necessarily make the fears or worries disappear. Here are some tips to help your child address his or her anxiety.

Using Consistency to be a Calmer Parent

Parenting is not an easy task. It may be tough to reinforce rules that your children will actually follow, or to get your kids from one activity to the next. You might be wondering, how can I make changes in the household that my family will live by? Instead of struggling to enforce the routine, try using consistency and the CARES parenting skill...

Parenting Techniques, Helpful tips, Boundary SettingDana Koonce, LMFTApril 15, 2018parenting, stress, routines, rules

The Power of Guided Imagery

Every day, people suffer from stress. You may feel the pressure of an upcoming presentation at work, or you may feel like you’re being stretched to the limit between running errands and getting your kids to school and to extracurricular activities. The demands of life can take a toll on your mental health. That is why it is crucial to have a coping method that you can utilize to combat the stress you feel. Here’s one scientifically proven, effective way to relax: guided imagery. This is how it works...

Emotions: Why Do We Need Them?

Everyone deals with an assortment of emotions on a daily basis. Emotions can be difficult to understand, but they play a very important role in our lives. Many individuals struggle with the complexity of their feelings—and they may prefer not to have to experience them at all. Life would be easier if we didn't have to undergo the ups and downs that that emotions cause in our lives. So why do we need them? Here's why...

Getting Through the College Acceptance Process

Every year around this time, there are high school seniors all over the world anxiously waiting to hear back from colleges. Just like you, they’re all anticipating that email or letter in the mail from their top choice school. Think about it—you are not alone! This process sometimes feels endless, stressful and tiring, but the most difficult parts are already over! As your decisions roll in, whether they are acceptances, referrals, waitlists or rejections, it is important to stay positive! Here are some tips to help you through this crazy time…

How to Think and Act Dialectically

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a well-known and widely regarded, highly effective practice for a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal issues. One of the first questions clients often ask is “So what does ‘dialectical’ mean? And why is it such a big part of this type of therapy?” Here are a some simple steps you can take to start thinking and acting dialectically...

Riding the Wave of Emotions

Every day, we encounter a variety of emotions; we can respond to these feelings in many different ways. When most people experience a negative emotion like sadness or anger, we tend to either push the feeling away or react to it quickly. However, there is a different way of handling difficult emotions— a DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy technique that can make our negative emotions more manageable. It’s called “Riding the Wave.” “Riding the Wave” encourages us to experience our emotions like waves in the ocean. Here are a few tips to help you practice “Riding the Wave...”

How to Maintain Healthy Relationships

We form so many bonds in our lives: with our partner, with our children, with our family, and with friends. However, sometimes bonds become strained. You might know someone whose relationships are suffering–or maybe your own relationships are suffering too. Maybe you two don’t see eye to eye lately, or maybe you are too busy to maintain the connection. If you could use some advice in supporting yourself and others in your relationships, consider these tips...

Recognizing the Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder

Today marks the first day of 2018 NEDAwareness Week (National Eating Disorders). Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses and so it is essential to understand the recognize the true warning signs and symptoms. Our culture values and applauds a particular body type and it is cherished and celebrated on social media as well. It is imperative that you recognize the difference between a healthy and appropriate approach to food and weight and a compulsive and unhealthy one. Here are some signs and symptoms of an eating disorder...

Understanding Why You Eat What You Eat

Food is all around you. You eat for enjoyment, when you are hungry, when you are bored, celebrating, sad; and the list goes on. Sometimes it is difficult to know WHY you are being pulled toward a particular food in a particular moment and end up eating “just because." Identifying the kind of hunger you are experiencing is an effective way to gauge your emotional versus physical hunger. Many times it can feel the same. Here are the 7 types of hunger, and some tips on how to stop an emotional eating episode before it starts...

How to Tell When Your Mind is Playing Tricks on You

Did you ever have a thought that you absolutely believed to be true and it turned out that you blew it out of proportion, misinterpreted it, ignored the facts or simply got it wrong??

Probably, because this is super common!! Sometimes, your mind might convince you of things that simply aren’t true. This is called cognitive distortion. If you have ever heard an underweight person claim they are "obese" or a person with a 4.0 GPA state that they have to "try harder," then you understand cognitive distortions. These statements are not based in reality but, rather, in ideas or thoughts or beliefs that are not facts. The mind is very powerful and, often times, it lies to you! Here are five common cognitive distortion “traps”...

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