Working with human nature, not against it.
Buying something nice for yourself, planning a vacation, or getting organized can feel good. And you know there are times when those things barely scratch the surface of what you actually need. These are times where all you want to do is avoid, fix or stop what you are feeling. You want relief. These...
Yes, social media is a topic of discussion in therapy. Every day. And, we are right at that time of year when people are posting about their holiday activities and we might have a little more time or temptation to be keeping up with what’s going on. This is going to be short and...
We have all either thought or said this at some point: “you wouldn’t act like this if you loved me.” I have to tell you something: this belief is probably causing unnecessary pain and suffering. There is this prevailing thought that people act one certain way when they love someone. They talk in a...
When you are beyond stressed, there are very few self care remedies that you feel like doing. Even if they are going to do wonders for you like exercise or breathing or meditation. Honestly, when I am beyond, I could care less about what is going to be good for me. I just need...
**Written by staff therapist Anna Pirkl, M. A., MFT, ATR, LAADAC I have experienced significant trauma recovery as a direct result of my training at Gracie University in Torrance, California. My Goal… To start a discussion on the psychological benefits I’ve experienced and how it might benefit other trauma survivors as well. I am...
I’m pretty sure you would answer with a resounding “YES!” if I asked you whether you wanted to raise your child to be resilient. Right, because you care about raising a child that can be a successful, well adjusted, contributing member to society. What if you are doing something that goes against this goal...
Adopting a new way of handling difficult things is usually not something you bother to do when everything is going great. Usually you decide you must make a change when there have been tough times. You are built to be drawn toward what is familiar even when that is not in your best interests...
I think we go into parenthood with the intention of showing love to our children and staying calm when our children are upset or misbehaving. We plan to parent in such a way that our children will only need to be told to do something once before they listen and immediately follow directions. I...
Whether it feels like one thing after another or it feels like big things are not going your way, there is a helpful way to look at it. We all know that there is no “there” to get to where everything is perfect, when we are fully evolved or have our life set up...
When I was thinking about this post, a little scene from A League Of Their Own popped into my head: Well, in the world of emotion, sometimes there is lots of crying! But there is no trying, especially when it comes to feelings you are resisting. Having emotions is about ALLOWING. It is about...