Sophia's Posts, Self Care & Mindfulness
Becky White George
Good Boundaries

The purpose of a boundary is to protect our own wellbeing. It is not a punishment to anyone else or a selfish act. Setting a boundary with someone else means: when they do xyz [something that crosses your boundaries], then you will do xyz [something to promote your wellbeing]. Here are a few examples of boundaries:

Good Boundaries
Jessica's Posts, Self Care & Mindfulness
Becky White George
Opposite Action

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the very thing you want to do the least is what would help you the most? When all you want to do is isolate, but the most beneficial step would be to pick up the phone and call a friend? When all you want to do is close the blinds and lay in bed, but you’d really feel better by getting outside? The Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skill of opposite action can be helpful when we notice this behavior coming up!

Opposite Action
Atalie's Posts, Self Care & Mindfulness
Becky White George
Nature Metaphors: Therapeutic Tools

Metaphors have a powerful ability to illustrate abstract ideas. I absolutely love using metaphors with clients to discuss more complex human experiences in order to add a visual and contextual layer from which to understand these experiences, most often being our relationship to our thoughts and emotions. Unsurprisingly, many of the metaphors I use relate to nature, which I view as the ultimate teacher.

Nature Metaphors: Therapeutic Tools
Relationships & Communication, Kalie's posts
Becky White George
Differences In Sexual Desire

Instead of solely focusing on initiating sex, prioritize building emotional intimacy through positive interactions, including non-sexual affection. By allowing sexual arousal to naturally emerge from the playful, fun experiences that you’re both enjoying - laughing, talking, hugging, kissing, flirting - you can build a more satisfying bond without the agenda of having sex. In the midst of hanging out and having fun, your responsive desire partner may start to get aroused.

Differences In Sexual Desire
Self Care & Mindfulness, Sophia's Posts
Becky White George
Craving Dopamine

Dopamine, often referred to as the "feel-good" neurotransmitter, plays a pivotal role in our brain's reward system. It's the chemical messenger responsible for feelings of pleasure, motivation, and reinforcement. And in today's fast-paced world, where stress seems to lurk around every corner, it's no wonder we often find ourselves seeking out dopamine in various forms.

Craving Dopamine
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Get Organized!

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Get Organized!

With some simple systems, tracking, and practices, you can free yourself up from the 80% of work that takes up most of your time and creates the least results, so that you can focus on the 20% of your work that creates the greatest impact! Freeing up your mind to do what it does best-- like being creative & dreaming big-- creates a profound impact on your well-being and the well-being of those around you.

Over the years I have developed some simple organization and tracking systems that keep me grounded and help me focus on the 20% that gets me 80% of my results. Creating organization systems to keep track of appointments, tasks, to-dos, ideas, and thoughts throughout the day, in addition to visions and dreams for my life, has helped me get grounded, and create more space for the things that really matter while spending less time on things that aren’t a priority.

Read on to learn more about how to get organized, track your moods and cycles, and free up your time and energy to focus on what really matters.

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Starting a Morning Routine

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Starting a Morning Routine

…..At least, this is how mornings felt for me for a long time. The harshness of your morning can set you up for the rest of your day to be difficult. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed gets you started in a place of stress, and you are bound to feel irritable, tense and unfocused as you move through your day.

So what's the antidote to entering your day in battle mode? When I started learning more about the concept of a morning routine, my relationship to mornings changed. Mornings became a time for moving slowly, self-reflection, centering, and getting grounded. When you take a few minutes to set yourself up for a morning routine, it can influence the entire rest of your day in a positive way. When you enter your day feeling spacious, grounded, and in touch with yourself, you can move through the day with a whole new energy of patience, compassion, focus, and creativity.

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Getting the Most out of Therapy

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Getting the Most out of Therapy

How to Make the Most Out of Your Time in Therapy

So you’ve finally taken the leap and decided to commit to therapy. Congratulations! You’ve had your consultation calls, made your choice of therapist, and filled out your intake paperwork. You sit across from the therapist on the couch, or open up your computer screen and hope the camera is angled in a way where your sweatpants are hidden. Given the investment of time and money, and your high hopes for a successful therapy experience, you may want to know, “How can I get the absolute most out of my therapy session?”


Here are 5 tips to make the most out of your time in therapy:

Associate Therapist

Associate Therapist

In your search for the right therapist, you may have come across the term Associate Marriage & Family Therapist, the acronym AMFT, or the term Pre-Licensed Therapist. Perhaps you wondered what that means. You may have wondered if they are qualified or experienced enough to help you with your concerns. Maybe you’re just not sure if they can handle the complexities of your situation, but you don’t want to offend anyone by asking.

It is totally reasonable for you to wonder about these things, and any therapist’s office should welcome your questions. We’re happy to share with you that not only can associate therapists be a good fit for your needs, there are some distinct benefits to working with an associate therapist. We’ve broken them down for you here.

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Mental Health Support

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Mental Health Support

As someone with limited athletic ability and no cable subscription, sports, in particular tennis and gymnastics, have never been a big part of my life. This year, however, Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles changed that. Their bravery in bringing mental health into the dialogue highlighted the incongruence between how we may assume someone is feeling and their internal world. This year, I cared about sports.

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Therapy: What to Expect

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Therapy: What to Expect

Are you considering starting therapy but you feel intimidated or unclear on what actually happens in the first session? Do you wonder if there is some way to prepare? Starting therapy can be daunting and lots of people aren’t totally sure what even happens in therapy. In this post we will give you the inside scoop on what your first therapy session will be like.

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How to Find a Therapist

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How to Find a Therapist

Finding the right therapist can feel daunting and overwhelming, but it is an important step in starting therapy. Therapy is a powerful tool for gaining awareness into why we are the way we are, and why we do the things we do. Through gaining insight, we are then able to change certain behaviors or thinking patterns that do not serve us, as well as learn to accept the things that we cannot change. In order to do this work, we need to be willing to step into more vulnerable spaces and get in touch with emotions that might feel uncomfortable. So finding someone that you feel comfortable with is of the utmost importance-you need to feel safe to explore more vulnerable or triggering topics.

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11 Tips for Online Dating

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11 Tips for Online Dating

From no-shows to no sparks, off-putting behaviors, ghosting and heartbreak, online dating can be a fraught experience. But you can use the tips below to make some thoughtful tweaks, and it can become a wonderful way to meet new people, and maybe even “The One!” As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I have witnessed hundreds of clients explore online dating who have had experiences ranging from “this was the worst date of my life” all the way to “I’ve finally met my person.”

Not only am I privy to these tales of woe and love as a therapist, I also did quite a bit of online dating myself before I met my husband.

Over many years as a therapist, I have learned some excellent strategies for making dating online a safe, fun, and fruitful experience. Make sure to read through to the end for my most important tip of all!

Do You Take Insurance?

Do You Take Insurance?

One of the most common questions potential clients ask us is if we take insurance. The answer is no, but that doesn’t mean your insurance won’t pay for your therapy. Even if they don’t pay for your therapy, it may still be beneficial to you to notify them that you’re paying out of pocket, as it may count towards your deductible.

Navigating insurance can be tricky, so we’ve put together these guidelines so you can better understand the process and know what questions to ask your insurance company for the best chance of being reimbursed for your therapy costs.

Questions to Ask your Insurance Company

 

Start With You. Today.