Therapy grounded in real inner work and genuine human connection.
It is that time of year. So much is going on and coming up. And, that is natural. When overwhelm hits, it feels like you need to do all the things. What actually needs to happen is taking a step back. Not much good comes …
Have you seen the Mr. Rogers movie? If you haven’t, the part I loved the most (without giving anything away) is how aware he was of others. Somewhere along the line in your holiday season this year, there will be someone who is making a …
Every human has them. No matter how much work you have done on yourself. No matter how many skills you have. Overwhelming times descend upon us all.
It could feel like anger, like panic, like fear. Any kind of intensity.
What wise decision can I make for myself right now?
In those moments, we want to fix. We want to take action. Of course. Because we want resolution for what is freaking us out.
Ultimately, in any moment of intensity, you are not operating with all your faculties. You are in the “amygdala is the boss” mode and the amygdala is a brute. The amygdala wants to fast forward everything right now.
I joke with my clients: trying to make a decision when you are this upset is like trying to make big life decisions when you are intoxicated. Would you advise that? Of course not!
The first thing to do is get into a wiser state of mind. Or find someone to guide you into a wiser state of mind and be a willing participant.
It doesn’t have to be anything big. In fact, you probably can’t do anything big. It might just be making a choice like:
I’m willing to not make big decisions right now.
I’m willing to care for myself right now.
I’m willing to choose supporting myself instead of spiraling downward.
I’m willing to take some breaths.
I’m willing to walk instead of scream.
I’m willing to listen to someone in a better head space.
Being willing goes a long way. In fact, it is one of the best predictors of successfully working through any challenge. Read more about that here.
Once you get yourself into a more balanced mental and physical space (nervous system is calmed down and not in fight or flight), you will get to your answer much faster.
Emergency actions can lead to more issues kind of like when you rush and spill your coffee, forget your phone and accidentally kick your dog.
A couple of months ago, we wrote a post about the Top 5 Back to School Tips from One Heart Therapists. We thought it would be a good time to check back in about those! And to support you in starting to consider what your …
What if your spouse, loved one, best friend is not the bad guy? What if you aren’t either? Let’s be honest, sometimes it feels good that the other person is the “bad guy”. Then we get to be right, justified and safe. At the same …
You know when you are talking with someone and you can tell they are super passionate about what they do?
I knew about educational therapy before I met Stephanie, but I was never as interested in it as when she started sharing about her work. I could listen to her talk about it all day. Actually, we can all literally listen to her talk about it all day because she has a podcast called Learn Smarter with a fellow Ed Therapist, Rachel Kapp. That’s a great way to learn about educational therapy and how it could support you or your kids.
I immediately started to think of clients I have worked with who are earnest in their studies, but struggle in a massive uphill battle in school. Even if it is just around organization. Meaning, they get their work done, but can’t manage to turn it in. Or, they care about school, but seems like they can’t show what they know when they sit down to take a test. Or, they hate school but they are extremely bright and just learn differently so their academic performance does not match their ability. It’s discouraging to say the least and it doesn’t have to be this way!
My Ed Therapist’s website describes educational therapy as a way to offer “a wide range of intensive, individualized interventions designed to remediate learning problems”. Further, it “demystifies learning problems and stimulates clients’ awareness of their strengths so they can use those strengths to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness”.
My Ed Therapist offers client sessions, will support you in understanding your child’s academic needs, can offer guidance about how to navigate the IEP process and they have a drop in group session on Sunday nights for current clients to organize backpacks and assignments so your child or teen is all set for the week. Isn’t that awesome?
I know that my ability to be successful in my profession and continue to grow as a professional and as a human being hinge on my ability to access, capture and integrate information.
I wouldn’t be able to do what I do or be the person I am without having the power of knowing I can learn anything I want.
I was having a conversation at the gym this morning with my running coach about how there has been a change in the last decade related to what people are looking for when they come to therapy. Of course, people contact us when they are …
So, you know how to be empathetic, but why don’t you always practice it? Last week we shared a video on illustrating empathy. It is about connection and presence. Even though you know how to do that, you might not always handle situations with connection …
Whether you know a lot about empathy or not, this is worth the 3 minutes.
Brene Brown gets across such vital information in an accessible way with her humor and relatability.
This short cartoon is a great reminder or great way see how to build empathy into daily interactions.
Great for kid too!
The people in your life might not even register this information consciously, but they act on this information. I see how the quality of someone’s listening can open or close doors. I see how relationships flourish or disintegrate as a result of the how people …