Tori Roalef, Author at Breathing Space Psychotherapy

What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?

February 21, 2023 No Comments

Ketamine is a medication that was FDA-approved as an anesthetic in the 1970s. It is used in hospitals for surgeries and other medical procedures and has been shown to be a physically safe anesthetic because it doesn’t suppress breathing. Ketamine also has analgesic (pain control) properties and dissociative effects that help people go through surgeries. Recently, ketamine has garnered more attention as researchers study ketamine’s antidepressant effects.

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved esketamine, a nasal spray called Spravato, used for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine has yet to be approved by the FDA but is still used as a fast-acting antidepressant, treating symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.

Prepare for Your First Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Session

February 21, 2023 No Comments

In this post, we’ll share what you can expect from a Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy session and how to prepare for your first session.

Let’s Build a Sensory Self-Soothing Kit

October 8, 2022 No Comments

Have you ever drifted through a day? Maybe you got tangled in your thoughts and worries, maybe you were running on auto-pilot, or maybe you experienced sensory input that was too overwhelming or uncomfortable.

When we drift from the present moment, we become ungrounded, but we can bring ourselves to the present by engaging with our senses.

An easy way to engage with our senses is to build a sensory self-soothing kit!

How to Ground Yourself by Using the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

October 7, 2022 No Comments

Grounding is a coping strategy designed to bring your focus to the present, or to “ground” you in the current moment. There are many grounding techniques that you can explore to see what works best for you, and one of these techniques is something you have at your fingertips: engaging with your 5 senses.

You’re Not Lazy, You’re Procrastinating: How to Overcome Procrastination

October 4, 2022 No Comments

We’ve done it time and time again: scrolled through cute cat videos when we “should” be working on a term paper, or played games when we’re “supposed” to be cleaning the house. Or maybe we’re watching a video or reading an article (like this one!) about how to cure our persistent tendency to procrastinate…when we were “supposed” to be working.

As a consequence, we may push the task off again and again, then rush to complete the task just before it’s due. We may also call ourselves “lazy” and shame ourselves for not completing a task early or in a timely manner. And, when we continue to procrastinate, rush to complete, and shame ourselves, we fall back into the cycle of procrastination, and it can be difficult, even overwhelming, to break free from the habit and actually feel accomplished with the tasks we have completed.

In this article, we’re breaking down the stigma of procrastination. First, we’ll buff up our vocabulary by reviewing the definitions of laziness, procrastination, and executive dysfunction. Then we’ll share several strategies to help overcome procrastination.

How to Find Your Yoga Practice

September 30, 2022 No Comments

Yoga is a mind-body workout that involves physical poses, concentration (i.e. your presence), and deep breathing. But, did you know there are multiple forms of yoga? These forms range from fast-paced and intense to gentle and relaxing workouts.

In this post, we’ll share 3 steps to help you find your yoga practice, according to the Yoga Journal. We’ll also share how you know you’ve found the yoga style that works for you.

20 Prompts to Check In with Yourself

July 12, 2022 No Comments

We’ve covered a lot of topics in our newsletters, and it can understandably feel overwhelming to learn how to care for our mental health. Occasionally, we need to pause, breathe, and absorb what we’ve learned by looking inward.

What is art therapy?

July 12, 2022 No Comments

Art therapy is a modality of therapy that combines art-making and counseling with a certified art therapist to promote physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

In this post, we’ll examine what art therapy is and is not and what a session will look like.

How to Mindfully Engage with Your 5 Senses

May 27, 2022 No Comments

We receive a lot of sensory input all day. We may tune out most sensory input, or we may feel overwhelmed, tired, and foggy from sensory overload (when we receive more input than we are able to process). However, if we switch off our autopilot and learn to be present in the sensory experiences we can:

manage stress levels,

promote wellbeing,

manage brain fog,

improve self-awareness,

promote learning and memory,

boost energy levels, and

ground ourselves to the present.

In this post, we’ll explore different ways to mindfully engage with our 5 senses.

10 Practices to Improve Your Communication Skills

May 27, 2022 No Comments

What is one conversation that has positively stuck with you? What made it memorable? Interesting? Fun? Engaging? Most importantly, how can you make more memorable and interesting conversations?

Communication is the act of transferring information from one person to another. Effective communication is the successful conveying or sharing of one’s ideas or feelings. Below are 10 practices you can start using to help you develop better communication skills.

Filter By Topics