We make choices every day and all day: what to wear for the day, what to eat, and what activities we engage in. Over our lives, we’ve chosen our habits, hobbies, and jobs—although, it may feel like having a job and going to work is not a choice.
But we’ll examine that this week: big or small, what choices do we have?
Last week, we covered the dissociation spectrum: from everyday forms of dissociation to dissociative disorders. This week, we’ll dive deeper into the coping strategies we can use to manage dissociation.
Have you ever driven home from work but didn’t remember how you got there? You made all the right turns, stopped in all the appropriate places, and drove at the right speed limit, but when you pulled into your driveway, you didn’t remember any of it.
Or maybe, you zoned out during a meeting or conversation, daydreaming about your weekend plans or the movie you watched last night. Consequently, by the close of the meeting, you can’t recall what anyone said.
These scenarios demonstrate a couple of everyday forms of dissociation. This week, we’ll uncover the spectrum of dissociation.
After a long day of work, you finally climb into bed, ready to let go of the day, relax, and embrace sleep.
You lay long enough that the position becomes uncomfortable, so you turn. But now, you re-run conversations you had that day and stack up the long list of to-dos for tomorrow. You catch yourself running loops with your thoughts and worry that you’ve wasted your sleep time…
We know the amazing benefits of sleep, but achieving deep, restful sleep is still challenging. This week, let’s uncover some common sleep challenges and practical tips so we can finally have a good night’s rest.
“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.”
― Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried
We use art for communication, self-expression, and healing. We can also use art in therapy to help people explore themselves and utilize a different, nonverbal way of self-expression.
You don’t have to be a professional artist to benefit from art therapy. In fact, you don’t need to have any skill or knowledge in art in order to benefit from art therapy because the focus is on the process, not the end product.
This week, we’ll paint you a picture of what art therapy looks like.
Notice your breath.
Slowly inhale and feel your lungs expand;
then, release a long, relaxing breath.
Feeling lighter?
For most of the day, we breathe completely unconsciously, but breathing exercises are a simple, portable tool that can relieve stress and anxiety. So let’s shake things up a little bit and focus on our breath this week.
In previous newsletters, we’ve shared how engaging the senses helps ground us in the present. We’ve also shared steps to build your own sensory kits.
This week, we’re revisiting our senses and building (or adding to) our sensory self-soothing kit!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to raise awareness about mental health and destigmatize mental health and treatment.
This week, we’ll also explore what teletherapy looks like, its benefits, and how to prepare for a session.
Did you know that anxiety attacks and panic attacks are different? The terms are not necessarily synonymous, although it is common for people to use them interchangeably.
This week, let’s dive into the differences between anxiety and panic attacks and what we can do if we’re experiencing one.
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Congratulations on taking this step!
We look forward to working with you!
