We talk about attachment a lot when it comes to romantic relationships. But for many women, some of our deepest attachment wounds - and some of our most powerful healing - live inside our friendships.
Attachment in Female Friendships
Anger: The Bodyguard of the Psyche
People often come to therapy because they are struggling with anger. They describe snapping at a partner, feeling constantly irritated, or reacting in ways that feel disproportionate to the situation.
How To Set Goals Without Pressure
When we think about goals, we often default to familiar categories: working out more, eating differently, and being more productive. These can be meaningful goals, but they tend to fall apart when they’re too vague or disconnected from who we actually are.
Breaking The Self-Doubt Spiral
When we experience disappointing responses to our efforts, it’s tempting to make that mean something about how unskilled we are, how incompetent we must be, or even how unlovable or undeserving of a person we feel we are. We tell ourselves a story that if we had just worked a little harder, or said the right thing, or “mastered” the extremely simple art of toasting toast, then we would receive a more favorable response and thus, feel better about ourselves.
Shifting Your Attention: Valued Living
Everywhere we turn, there’s a gut-wrenching headline that grips us, a new app competing for our time, or a notification that demands immediate response. Quick PSA: if you are finding it difficult to focus, it's. not. your. fault. We live in a world designed to fragment our attention.
The Inner Orchestra of Parts
Do you ever have “mixed feelings” or experience several different emotions all at once in response to one pertinent issue or life stressor? In these moments, does it sometimes feel like you’re sitting around a chaotic dining table with all of your most opinionated or eclectic family members talking about controversial topics like politics, social issues, simulation theory, flat-earth rhetoric or what kind of bagel is objectively most delicious? You may have just encountered the cacophony of your various inner parts, or your Internal Family System.
The Journal as a Mirror
I recommend journaling to many clients, and I talk with friends about how good it feels once I actually do it. And there’s always that moment — when I realize I’m not just recording my day anymore. I’m processing and speaking from a place I don’t usually slow down enough to access, and my inner world becomes so much more available.
Shame vs. Guilt
Shame can be one of the most painful and overpowering emotions in the human experience. It can feel intense, overwhelming, and really hard to talk about. Some people believe both guilt and shame are useful emotions that keep us aligned with our values.
Intuitive Eating: Holidays
When it comes to the holiday season, food is often at the center of the festivities. Throughout history, food has been one of the primary representations of culture, class, comfort, family, and love. With so much food quite literally on the table, it can be easy to fall into whatever habits you may have around food or body image. Whatever your pattern or struggle, Intuitive Eating could be a welcome practice this holiday season.