Take care of yourself! Do not let your gas tank go on empty! Winter is here... In all seriousness, we feel more stressed, more depleted, more overwhelmed, when we do not make time to take care of ourselves. Self-care means paying bills, doing the thing you've been avoiding, making something, taking a bath, whatever honors what you really need... Schedule self-care time into your life! Find more joy, find more peace, find more fulfillment from your life!
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When we fight with our partner, sometimes we don't even know why. Sometimes we become so frustrated and sometimes we are walking on eggshells to avoid the argument. All of this is so common during, what we call, the power struggle phase. "I am so upset about everything from the way the dishwasher is filled to the way they blow their nose! I cannot even breath!" Take a moment. BREATH. Give yourself a 20 minutes break from whatever is upsetting you. Then really try to understand what we so upsetting to you. Was is the lack of appreciation? Was it the lack connection? Reach out for help to guide through this phase and find support. You do not have to struggle. Learn to listen and learn to share in a way in which you will be heard. The more practice you have, the easier it will be when it is an emotional time. Take a breath! Take a moment! Anxiety does not need to rule your life! Take charge of what belongs to you! I've officially launched my YouTube page. Feel free to follow me there. I will also be posting the links in my blog here and on social media.Currently, my practice is all virtual. Please e-mail or call me to set up your session today. It is easier than you think and let me know how I can help.
"They are so wrong, why can’t they just listen to me?” “I am so angry I might explode.” "Why do they always just do this? I’m so frustrated.” "I hate everything and everyone. If I just had 15 minutes, I would tell them off.” "I really just don’t even want to spend time with them anymore. They make everything miserable!”
Do any of these sound like you? We’ve all had these moments when we just want to explode. When our emotions get the best of us and we can’t even process the world around us. It’s not your fault. It’s basic science. When something triggers us, we jump from our logical, thinking part of our brain to our emotional, reactive part. It happens in a millisecond.
Here is where it becomes our responsibility. While we want to yell or fight or maybe even just shut down and stonewall the enemy, this is not the best way to handle the situation. Believe it or not, while “this is just the way I am” is the easiest way to handle your emotions, it's not the most advantageous for you.
First, TAKE A BREAK! Seriously, excuse yourself for at least 20 minutes. That’s how long researchers suggest it will take your brain to move from that emotionally triggered place back to that logical thinking place. That doesn’t mean, sit somewhere brooding about what just happened. It means, take a break. Go do something that will take your mind off what just happened, like washing dishes or going for a walk or maybe read a book, even watching a funny tv show. When you start to calm down, try writing about what happened. When you write about what happened try to stay in the “I feel…” perspective. Try to really grasp what it was that triggered you so much. Then explore what that means to you. Does it remind you of something else? How would you like to handle the situation in the future? For example, “I felt really hurt when Trish didn’t invite me to go get coffee. I feel like I always invite Trish with me. It makes me feel foolish for thinking we were closer friends than we were. I also feel forgotten about. I wonder if there was a reason Trish forgot to invite me. The story I tell myself is that Trish doesn’t like me as much as I thought. Maybe there is another story. Is there a way to ask Trish about this?” or “I’m feeling so frustrated by my partner because they didn’t put their dishes away. I cannot even count the number of times I have asked for this. I feel like it is so disrespectful because it does not take into consideration my time and my life. I feel less valued. I feel like my partner is saying that - he or she- is better than washing dishes, but I have to wash the dishes because my partner doesn’t. Therefore, I feel like my partner is saying that -he or she- is better than me.” Great, we’ve written about how the situation makes us feel…Here’s the hard part - LET’S TALK ABOUT IT.
Once the calm has returned to your mind, sometimes it just feels easier to try and forget the moment. Sure, maybe you’ve come to the realization that it really wasn’t that big of a deal. That’s great. But sometimes, we just want to avoid conflict and pretend something didn’t happen. Generally, this leads to resentment and more hurt and an even greater explosion later on.
Here are some pointers in talking about it.
Hopefully, this will be helpful during this stressful time. Always reach out for help or questions! I'm very excited to announce I will be adding two new locations to my practice!
I will be adding offices in Moorpark and Agoura Hills under the supervision of Lital Diament, MA, LMFT (LMFT 96310). I look forward to providing services in a new area. Thank you and hope to talk with you soon! I first experienced Soul Collage® when I was 22 years old. I had graduated college and was working in a job I thought I wanted. Still, I felt unsure and was questioning the path I was on. That's when I realized that I wasn't really on a "path" at all--I was totally lost! After leaving that job, I started interning at a great organization in Pasadena called the Institute for Girls’ Development. While there, I began attending and assisting in SoulCollage® workshops. I was so deeply moved by the experience of Soul Collage® and discovered very quickly that collage is much more than an art activity. I was--and continue to be--amazed at the process of self-discovery it opens up. As I continued to work with Soul Collage®, I became very quickly aware that my confidence was growing and that I was finding my footing and strength. I was answering questions like “Where was I going?” and “Am I on the right path?” I was inspired to become a Soul Collage® facilitator, training with Seena Frost, the creator of SoulCollage®. I am so happy and honored to be able to share Soul Collage® as both a workshop and a part of my therapy practice. I believe it builds confidence in yourself and allows you to begin to think more creatively in your approach to daily life. I definitely found that to be true for for me. When people ask me what Soul Collage® is, I tell them it is a creative art process where NO ART EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED, that you are never going to be judged by what you make and that, as you'll very quickly come to understand, you are the expert. It's really easy-- just bring yourself and all the materials are provided. Using magazine images and scissors, you'll layer images onto cards that are slightly bigger than the typical smart phone. Through a guided process, you'll use the cards and follow prompts that will help in answering your questions. Questions can be specific as “How do I make the next move in my career?” or less so, like “Did I make the right choice?” or even more general, as in “What am I doing next?” Just bring your life experience and your desire to discover answers to your questions. I know, it's different, but once you get started, I'm confident you’ll understand what I mean. Join me at Yoga House in Pasadena on Saturday, March 17 from 2-5pm for an intro to SoulCollage®! Follow link or give them a call at 626-403-3961 to pre-register! SoulCollage® for business SoulCollage® Events SoulCollage®
It’s date night again. Where are you going to go? What will you talk about? What happened that day at work? What happens the next day? The same old thing?
Let me offer a fun suggestion. Learn the Love Language of your partner. Love Languages are the way in which someone understands and absorbs love. Gary Chapman wrote about five different Love Language: Words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. For example, if quality time is your Love Language, you feel loved when your partner spends time with you going out somewhere or even just sitting on the couch. More than just a casual date night once every week or so, understanding a Love Language allows you to learn more about your partner and how to honor him or her. Often people find themselves frustrated that they aren’t connecting or that they aren’t loved. Gary Chapman explains that love can be kinda like a car. When someone communicates in your Love Language, your gas tank gets full. Visa Vera, when you have not experienced your love language, you feel empty. Try out this quiz and find your love language. Maybe you’ve felt your relationship has hit rock bottom or there is no love left. Give this book a try. It’s really easy and fun to read. It provides tips on how to respond to each love language. Create a simple a practice of participating in each other’s love language and revolutionize your relationship. It’s a great way to explore each other, whether you’ve known someone for one month to ten years. Try it out on your next date night and make a fun game out of it. You won’t be disappointed by the results. Let me tell you, lots of people are undecided about it. Maybe you don't know what therapy has to offer--or maybe you're concerned that once it begins, will it ever end? Maybe it just doesn’t make sense, what do you even do in therapy, isn’t it just talking? Let me just quell a few of these concerns... 1. Therapy ends when you decide therapy ends. You should never be afraid to end therapy...when you're feeling that it's time. In fact, it is very exciting for me when someone tells me they are ready to end therapy. It means I have done my job successfully. Set up a check-in every month to see how the process is going. If you feel that you aren’t moving forward anymore, then let’s figure it out. You are the decider of when therapy begins and when it ends. And the door's always open if you feel the need to come back. 2. So what does therapy have to offer? I can offer a number of considerations, always depending upon what you are looking for: - I’m an impartial listener. I will hear your story without bias. I LISTEN. How many people in your life just listen? I’m not listening with the intention of giving you my opinion. I just listen and together we hear what you are saying. - I offer some life skills to help you deal with emotions when they feel overwhelming--like how to manage depression or anxiety or even just anger and sadness when they enter the story. - I offer art therapy as a creative outlet and a different way to explore what's going on. - We can explore mindfulness and what that means in your life. - I also just get to be a support so you are not alone. That’s right. You do not have to do it alone. 3. The plain truth is that therapy is what you make it. I am here to serve your needs. As an impartial listener, I get to hear the words you say and develop a thicker story and meaning with you. Together, we find the deeper voice and the resolution you are looking for. You have the answers. I just get to be a witness to your authentic truth. Therapy is a place to explore your story. Yes, we talk. Unlike the movies, I do more than just ask “and how did that make you feel?” It is a place to just be you. How many places in the world do you get to do that? In my practice, you get to choose if we do traditional talk therapy or if we explore more creative avenues. The best thing to do is just give me a call and we can figure out if you’d like to come see me. |
Blog InfoA blog about art therapy, EMDR, mindfulness, couples relationship, and anything else that might be an interesting thing to share. Archives
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