How Recognizing and Labeling Emotions Improves Emotional Health | Feelings Word List Freebie
In today's fast-paced world, emotional health can often take a backseat. However, one of the simplest yet most effective ways to boost your emotional well-being is by learning to recognize and label your emotions. This post explores how naming your feelings can make them more manageable. We’ve also included a free feelings word list to help you get started.
Exploring Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Unmet Needs in Relationships
Relationships are complex, deeply rewarding, and occasionally fraught with challenges that can feel insurmountable. As couples navigate the ups and downs of life together, they often encounter moments when the relationship feels disconnected or stuck. This is where Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) can offer profound insights and healing.
Healing Spaces
Last January, as I was considering some of the challenges I was facing and deciding what I wanted to focus on for the year, I had the thought come to me “I need space.” This felt true and wise to me so I decided to consider it inspiration and settled on the phrase “Make Space” as my theme for the year.
3 Therapist-Approved Tips for Surviving Holiday Stress
The holiday season often brings joy and connection, but it can also be a time of significant stress—especially when dealing with difficult family dynamics. Here are some therapist-recommended strategies to help you navigate the season with less tension and more peace.
Exploring Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: A Practical Guide
This guide explains ketamine-assisted therapy, its potential benefits, and what individuals can expect when exploring it as part of their mental health journey. For those curious about this approach, it can be helpful to understand the process and how to prepare for it.
EFT for Couples Therapy
I feel alone, and hurt and I do not know if I matter to you, and that is terrifying. I am feeling vulnerable and I need you to respond to me, but because I am feeling lost I do not know how to reach you.
Ask a Therapist: My In-Laws Hate Me (& the feeling is mutual) What Do I Do?
Dr. Julie Hanks answers the question, “My in-laws hate me and the feeling is mutual. How do I handle the situation without alienating my husband or making him feel torn? We’ve been dealing with it for a couple of years & it’s HARD. Any advice?”
Being a “Nice Guy” Might be Ruining Your Relationship
There are huge numbers of young men that we can describe as kind, giving and caring. The confusion for these men sets in after marriage, when these Nice Guys can’t understand why their wives don’t see them for “who they really are.”
5 Things to Say When a Loved One Comes Out as LGBTQ+
When someone comes out as LGBTQ+, it's natural for everyone involved in the experience to feel a lot of anxiety about what to say and how to say it. If someone you love comes out to you, it's important to respond in a supportive and nonjudgmental way.
Aiming for Greatness
Expectations to live like our heroes can be healthy or toxic. Checking in with ourselves and keeping an honest emotional view of the self can lead to the creation of more personally realistic and healthy expectations.
Dr. Julie Hanks Responds to Meridian Magazine's 8 Things That Can Pull You Away from the Church
Dr. Julie Hanks When I read Meridian Magazine’s article 8 Things that Can Pull You Away from the Church yesterday morning my heart sank. Not because I disagree with the author's suggestions of ways strengthen one’s faith, but because it oversimplifies the complex process individuals go through when they decide to distance from or to leave the LDS Church.
Making Sense of Big Behaviors
One of the most challenging phases of parenting can be when there are big, explosive behaviors happening with our little -and not so little- children. This can be an exhausting and humiliating experience (especially when it happens in public places!) and it can create a sense of helplessness for everyone affected.
Managing Stress Around Election Day
It’s that time. Regardless of your personal beliefs and who you vote for, this time of year can be really stressful. I see the impacts of the upcoming election on individuals, families, and couples who come into my office, especially as election day gets closer.
Navigating Tough Times After Coming Out
For many LGBTQ+ individuals, coming out can be a nerve wracking experience. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself in a vulnerable position by sharing your identity with those in your life.
Give Yourself the Gift of Self-Compassion
Research shows that practicing self-compassion can increase healthy motivation for change, help us manage our emotions, increase our overall sense of well-being, and even improve mental function.
Compression and Expansion When Your Spirituality Shifts
Faith journeys can also be an interplay between the tension of compression and expansion. Some clients report the compression includes feelings such as guilt, confusion, grief, and frustration. Clients also report that expansion can be lifegiving, hopeful, and healing.
Internal Family Systems and Trauma
Why do stories matter for our trauma? Across every culture, no matter the period in time, we find evidence of humans telling stories. Why? Many theories hold this as a way to pass down information and morals to the next generation as a form of a database, continually absorbing information as it moves along, adapting and conforming to the needs of the next generation. I hold that another reason we tell stories is for a critical need as well: to process trauma.
Navigating Life Transitions: Allowing for Change and Thriving
Some of the most profound transitions people experience involve shifting their sense of identity, perhaps in regards to life expectations, faith, sexuality, or gender. These transitions can bring both deep fulfillment and intense emotional challenges. Allison Meakin, MSW Intern shares five tips to help you navigate life transitions.
Meditation 101: How to meditate
You’ve probably considered meditation to help with the overwhelm but may wonder how to meditate. Use this article as your meditation 101, or beginners guide to meditation.
How to Help Your Child Respond to Anger in Healthier Ways
Therapist Leanne Rohrbach, LCSW shares how to help your child respond to anger in healthier ways.