Articles

Stop Shoulding on Yourself: Living Free from Self-Judgment

“I should really call my friend back.” “I should start doing yoga.” “I should want to spend time with my family.” “They should know why I’m mad at them.” “I shouldn’t feel this upset.” Does any of that sound familiar? If it does, what feeling comes up for you when you read those sentences or have similar thoughts? When we use the word ‘should,’ it…
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Training Wheels for Unconditional Self-Love

“I want to get over this relationship,” “I want to feel more confident,” “I want to make a change in my career.” Folks start up therapy for a number of different reasons, including feeling depressed or anxious, and often one of the things that they need help addressing is their sense of self, their self-image, or their inner voice. In our work with our clients,…
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You’re Worth it Too: Self-Care for Caregivers

Self-care is exactly what it sounds like: caring for yourself. It sounds simple in theory, but in reality, sometimes caring for yourself is a very difficult endeavor. The people for whom practicing self-care may be most challenging may be caregivers. This could be individuals who have taken on a caregiving role (such as being a parent, being an adult child who is caring for an…
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The Process of Change: Living Out Your January Resolutions

coping patterns
The first month of the new year can bring a burst of energy towards reframing or reorganizing our lives in specific ways. Often, this burst of motivation manifests as a commitment to a habit change (changing a problem behavior or adopting a positive behavior, i.e. making more time for family, traveling more, or making more healthful choices with our food or exercise routine). The new…
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Self-Care and the End of the Year: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

By now, all of us have heard the term “self-care.” We may have even said it under our breath to ourselves while trying to schedule in time to go to the gym or while stocking up on bath bombs. But during the last couple weeks before the New Year, exercise and bath bombs might not be cutting it. We might be experiencing anxiety about another…
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The Thanksgiving Holiday: Savoring, Rather Than Surviving, The Holiday—However You Can

Even though Los Angeles is as sunny as ever, the winter holidays are, in fact, upon us. This time of year, my social media feeds and inboxes are littered with articles on how to get through the holidays. “How to Survive the Holidays.” “Tips and Tricks to Beat Holiday Stress.” “How to Talk Politics (Or Not) At Thanksgiving Dinner.” These articles are not unwelcome, and…
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No, You’re Weird: What if We Embrace Our Weirdness? An Exploration on Being Different

Feel weird? Out of place? Different? Well, you’re not alone. So many of us feel like we don’t belong, or like we’re outsiders looking in on a world where others seamlessly fit in. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you’re at an event or a party and you look around and think, “I don’t belong here.” Or you’re meeting a group of people for the first…
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Emotional Whiplash: Self-Care in the Age of Trump

In the last two years, I’ve experienced what feels like recurring whiplash from the state of affairs in our country. The news continues to keep me reeling; and just when I think I’ve caught my breath, I’m hit with something else. I know that I’m not alone in this: a number of friends, colleagues, and clients have reported feeling similarly. Most recently, my emotional whiplash…
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