addiction, anxiety, boundaries, communication, conflict, depression, faith, family, goals, infertility, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, partners of sex addicts, recovery, sex addiction, teens, therapy, women, young adults addiction, anxiety, boundaries, communication, conflict, depression, faith, family, goals, infertility, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, partners of sex addicts, recovery, sex addiction, teens, therapy, women, young adults

How to Find a Therapist, Counselor or Psychologist in Dublin, CA

You want to check out therapy. You know it would be good for you. You’ve had friends rave about how helpful their therapist is and you’ve seen them change for the better. Naturally, you’re curious. And of course, you know there are a few things you could probably work on, too. But you have no idea how in the world to find a good therapist. Especially in a place like Dublin, Pleasanton and the greater Bay Area, where there are many therapists, how do you sort through to find the right fit for you?

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anxiety, communication, goals, gratitude, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults anxiety, communication, goals, gratitude, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, women, young adults

Befriending Our Ugly Parts - Part II

Last week we talked about how to identify & befriend those unsightly reactions in us that we’d rather not have. Today we’ll dive a bit deeper, using imagery to foster deeper compassion & understanding. Get yourself comfortably seated, then slowly work through the questions below. You can mindfully walk through this imaginatively or journal through your responses.

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anxiety, communication, depression, family, forgiveness, goals, gratitude, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, parenting, positive thinking, shame, therapy, thoughts, trauma, women, young adults anxiety, communication, depression, family, forgiveness, goals, gratitude, meditation, mental health, millennials, mindfulness, parenting, positive thinking, shame, therapy, thoughts, trauma, women, young adults

Befriending Our Ugly Parts

The best way to manage those unsightly parts of ourselves is actually to befriend them. Yes, even that one you hate. Hating ourselves for a certain reaction rarely creates change. 

“Parts” language comes from a therapy modality called Internal Family Systems. We can really get into the weeds on this, but the basic theory is that we all have many parts of ourselves that are performing different tasks for our overall good. The parts always intend well for us, even if their actions seem to backfire. Often these parts of ourselves are working to protect us in some way and fear that if they don’t do what they are doing (pleasing others, being critical, being a perfectionist, acting suspicious, etc.) that something bad would happen. 

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anxiety, boundaries, communication, family, goals, marriage, mental health, millennials, partners of sex addicts, recovery, therapy, trauma, women, young adults anxiety, boundaries, communication, family, goals, marriage, mental health, millennials, partners of sex addicts, recovery, therapy, trauma, women, young adults

What to Expect In Therapy in Dublin, CA

Going to therapy is an investment in yourself and an investment of your time & resources. Before you schedule your first appointment, there is often a time of “Should I go to therapy?...nah, I’m okay, I can wait…” before you actually take the first step. By the time you make the call, you’re ready to do the work. Maybe you’re considering jumping back into therapy, or maybe you’ve never been and have no idea what it’s like. Here’s what to expect when working with me as a therapist so you can get the most bang for your buck:

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boundaries, communication, faith, family, goals, holidays, marriage, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, young adults boundaries, communication, faith, family, goals, holidays, marriage, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, positive thinking, therapy, thoughts, young adults

Setting Intentions for The New Year

A few year back, I wrote a blog post about claiming a word for your year. Unlike previous resolutions, this is a practice that I’ve maintained! But beyond my success rate, this tradition has surprised me in its impact. It’s even a practice that others have adopted & adapted for themselves. Beyond surface goals around weight or health, claiming a word or phrase for your year is a discipline of setting and honoring intentions. I’ve noticed this practice has anchored me and kept me mindful in a way other goals or resolutions have fallen short.

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