It’s officially Springtime; so you know what that means! Out with the old and in with the new! Spring represents new beginnings and rebirth, as it is marked by flowers blooming, crops sprouting, animals returning from hibernation, and the cold winter climate dwindling away. Change is not only evident however within our agriculture, weather, and … Read more
And…breathe out Is it just me or does it seem like there is more and more to do every day? It is like a perpetual conveyer belt of tasks! When I’m not able to find ‘off switch’ to that conveyer belt at the end of the day and begin to relax and wind down, I … Read more
Anger is an adaptive emotion that prompts us to take action and protect ourselves. Although greater specificity for identifying and understanding anger is provided in the previous blog post, anger generally manifests with a prompting event (e.g., a person feels attacked or threatened) physiological sensations (e.g., muscles tightening) and anger thoughts (“this should not be … Read more
Having trouble sleeping? Sleep plays a vital role in our emotion regulation, memory consolidation, and overall physical wellbeing. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children between 6 and 12 years old should get 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night and teenagers from 13 to 18 years of age should get 8 … Read more
As a behavioral treatment, DBT operates under the skills deficit model. This model suggests that problem behaviors arise from a lack of crucial skills such as mindfulness or the ability to tolerate distress. Using this model, DBT pushes skills like they’re candy at a grocery store checkout aisle. A skills training group is designed to … Read more
Changing behavior is HARD! I cannot tell you the number of times that I set out to accomplish some super fantastic goal and then find myself completely out of steam and kicking myself for getting my hopes up. From home improvement projects to creative goals to financial plans, I have weaved elaborate designs without the … Read more
Anger is a universal human emotion. In other words, the vast majority of individuals experience variations of anger (i.e., grouchiness, irritability, annoyance, fury, outrage) in their day-to-day lives. Some individuals want to learn how to manage the way that they express anger, while other individuals want to learn how to channel their anger to meet … Read more
Shame – everyone experiences this emotion at some point or another. And I’ve got to tell you, it is not an emotion I would describe as pleasant. I would say it’s quite opposite to being pleasant if I’m being totally honest here. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value or that we should try … Read more
Imagine you’ve had a tough day at school or work. What do you imagine yourself doing once you get home? Your answer probably depends on how intense your emotions are at that time. All emotions have an associated urge with it. When our emotions are at a distressing level, we can begin to lose sight … Read more
I absolutely love DBT’s emphasis on balance. We need balance in nearly everything we do. Balance improves our conversations, when we alternate between listening and talking. Balance allows us to walk, dance, and play our favorite sports, and balance helps us make effective decisions about our finances, relationships, and leisure time. Finding balance in any … Read more