Becky's Posts

Be Where Your Feet Are

Be Where Your Feet Are

A client I’ve been working with has been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks in a high demand job with very high burnout potential. This week she came in and said that she has been panic attack free for 2 weeks and feeling so much better. One of the ways she started to feel better is that she shed light on a dark spot within her by opening up to her partner about something from her past. This released her from the shame of her past and also allowed her to let go of it.

The other way that she attributes to feeling better is coming across the quote “Be where your feet are” from a podcast she was listening to. She said that the awareness of her feet and where they are in space was such a great reminder of keeping a present-moment awareness.

Fall: Light from Within

Fall: Light from Within

The change of season from Summer to Fall is one of my favorites. In the summertime, I come out to play. More hours of sunshine and longer days means my night owl, which is usually asleep, wakes up for a few warm months and wants to play in the sand, have margaritas at sunset, and dance under the moonlight.

As we move towards the fall, the days get shorter, there are less hours of sunlight, and more hours of moonlight. As it becomes lighter earlier, I find myself turning inwards. I want to get in bed at 9:30 and read Brene Brown. I want to light palo santo and journal each morning with a cup of hot lemon water. I come back to my meditation practice, left behind in the warm playful summer months. I sit in silence and watch my own thoughts. I slow down as I am tasked with creating light from within. I prepare warm nourishing foods for myself at home, and come back to my yoga practice.

Self-Care

Self-Care

As a relationship counselor, my passion is helping individuals, couples, and families to heal through healthy relationships.  Relationships can come in many forms; most obviously, our relationships with our romantic partners, our families, our friends and coworkers.  Other layers of relationships include the relationship to our Self (the most fundamental and important relationship of all); our relationship to work; to self-care; food; alcohol; drugs; sex; exercise, etc.

Addiction Therapy

Addiction Therapy

Do I drink too much?

The most important relationship to nurture and attend to is the one with ourselves.  With everything we are balancing in our lives like work, friends, family, kids, exercise, healthy eating, etc, it can feel like extra work to have to also show up for ourselves at the end of the day.  Many of us turn to a glass (or two, or three) of wine in the evenings, to take the edge off, to come down softly on a Friday evening, to get that feeling of escape or relief from the dense forest that our mind can feel like at times. 

CBT & Relationship Therapy

CBT & Relationship Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) is an evidenced- based treatment that has been shown to significantly reduce depression and anxiety which may be contributing to problems in your relationships.  Frequently, couples come in to session making broad generalizations about one another: “You never listen!” “You always forget to take out the trash”, “Your work is more important to you than I am!”  We then infer meaning from such generalizations such as “You don't love me enough,”  “You are losing interest" or “You don't understand me.”

Communication in Relationships

Communication in Relationships

What is healthy communication? How do I know if my partner and I are communicating effectively?

While many of us consider ourselves to be “good listeners”, the truth is that many of us do not really listen.  The skill of Active Listening can move you and your beloved lightyears forward in your ability to communicate effectively with one another.  This series of entries will introduce various tips to improve active listening skills in your relationship.

Dependency in Relationships

Dependency in Relationships

What is co-dependency? Is it always unhealthy? Learn more about healthy types of dependency here.

It’s a common experience to become overwhelmed and fearful in relationships. Something I hear frequently in working with couples is the underlying question, “How do I know that this person won’t leave me?”.