As a therapist, I work with all types of people, teens, men, women, and couples, I have discovered there is one main thing we all have in common.

Every single person who exists or has existed at one point or another has one desire that at is at the core of who they are. It doesn’t matter how they grew up, what they experienced, how privileged they were, what race they are, or what gender. There is one thing that everyone desires.

In America, we often think about gratitude more as the holidays approach, but research reveals that gratitude improves all aspects of our health: physically, socially, and psychologically. I have read numerous articles that provide the benefits of being grateful. Personally, I was intrigued to try to add gratitude into the daily routines. The overall impact on my life was remarkable.

Grief is such a hard concept. Like what does it mean, how does it work, can I check off some boxes and work my way through it quickly?

A definition from Wikipedia has it defined as- Grief is the response to the loss of something deemed important, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a relatively new form of psychotherapy that aims to quickly and effectively alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. Unlike traditional talk therapies, which may take months or even years to yield significant results, ART is designed to produce rapid relief in as few as one to five sessions. At the core of ART lies the belief that traumatic memories are stored in the brain in a way that maintains their emotional intensity, often leading to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. By engaging in a structured process of visualization and bilateral stimulation, ART seeks to reprogram the way these memories are stored, allowing individuals to process them more adaptively.

Therapy is a structured and confidential process designed to help individuals address personal challenges, explore emotions, and work towards positive change. Here's what you need to know about therapy and privacy:

You might ask yourself, what is the purpose of asking certain questions in therapy? Therapists ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of your concerns, history, relationships, and goals.

This information helps them provide personalized guidance and support tailored to your needs.

Therapists are trained to maintain professional boundaries and respect your privacy. They will not ask intrusive or inappropriate questions without a valid therapeutic reason. If you feel uncomfortable with any question, you can express that to your therapist.

Taboos in mental health refer to societal stigmas, misconceptions, or cultural norms that discourage open discussion, acknowledgment, or acceptance of mental health issues. These taboos can contribute to feelings of shame, isolation, and reluctance to seek help among individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Reducing these feelings associated with mental health taboos requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses societal attitudes, promotes awareness and education, and fosters supportive environments.

Los tabúes en salud mental se refieren a estigmas sociales, conceptos erróneos o normas culturales que desalientan el debate abierto, el reconocimiento o la aceptación de los problemas de salud mental. Estos tabúes pueden contribuir a sentimientos de vergüenza, aislamiento y renuencia a buscar ayuda entre las personas que experimentan problemas de salud mental. Reducir estos sentimientos asociados con los tabúes de salud mental requiere un enfoque multifacético que aborde las actitudes sociales, promueva la conciencia y la educación y fomente entornos de apoyo.

Some studies found social media to positively impact people’s lives, while others warned against the possible connection between social media and depression or anxiety.

It’s essential to find balance and develop healthy habits for using social media to ensure social media has a positive presence in your life.

What is self-love? Self-love means that you accept yourself fully, treat yourself with kindness and respect, and nurture your growth and wellbeing.

Over time, practicing actions that promote self-love can help both your physical and psychological well-being. Practicing self-love can increase your self-esteem, make you aware of your strengths and allow you to be more accepting of your weaknesses.

7 Tips for Practicing Self-Love

How can you set goals to help you Thrive in 2022? This has been quite a year. A year that followed an incredibly taxing and stressful year. But we have made it. We have made it to another year, and are ready to conquer the next one. But not just survive it, THRIVE in it.

As I think about what it means to Thrive in 2022, I have spent time thinking about goals that I have, things that I want to accomplish, for myself and for Restoring Hope.

The holiday season can be very stressful, but it may come with some depression that can make you feel like your holidays are ruined. It is the season of cooking meals, shopping, baking, cleaning, and entertaining to name a few of the demands. You might be stressing about your and your loved one's health during the pandemic, getting everything done, making sure all the gifts were wrapped and all the lists checked. Here are 7 practical tips to help prevent holiday stress and depression.

It’s Christmas! Yay! You have been waiting all year for this day to come. You love everything about Christmas, the decorations, the lights, the food, the music, the family time, the gifts. And you LOVE giving gifts. You want everyone to have the perfect gift, because giving gifts is your way of showing your friends and family how much you care about them. And every year you are know for giving the biggest and most expensive gifts. All of your friends and family look forward to your gifts!

It is that time of the year again where the expectation is to be full of cheer, joy, and happiness but the reality is stressful, overwhelming, and exhausting. With holidays approaching there is all sorts of pressure and expectations (whether placed on you by yourself or those around you) and it can be difficult to manage.

The first thing I want to emphasize to you is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! There are so many people who are not feeling the holiday spirit but feel guilt or shame in expressing that.

In America, we often think about gratitude more as the holidays approach, but research reveals that gratitude improves all aspects of our health: physically, socially, and psychologically. I have read numerous articles that provide the benefits of being grateful. Personally, I was intrigued to try to add gratitude into the daily routines. The overall impact on my life was remarkable.

Borderline Personality Disorder is described as having polarizing thinking, good versus bad, all or nothing, black and white situations. This can lead to extreme moods and unstable relationships in one’s life. BPD effects 1.6% to 5.9% of the US, which estimates a minimum of about 4 million people.

If there is one thing that I think everyone can agree on at the moment it is that we are living through uncertain times. Between the craziness of what is currently going on and the uncertainty of what is going to happen, we are all way more vulnerable to stress, intense emotions, and other unpleasant mental health consequences. So how do we cope with this? How do we prevent ourselves from falling victim to this unpredictability?

Tyler is 5 years old and started virtual school last year during the pandemic. Before Tyler began school, he only communicated with his parents, older siblings and grandmother who lives with them. Tyler didn’t have to verbally engage with his classmates, Tyler felt comfortable being at home completing his schoolwork last year. But not now.. Why?

Are you scared of gaining weight or becoming fat? Are you significantly underweight but don’t like your body?  Are you not meeting your daily caloric and nutritional needs which places you in a high risk of malnutrition and extreme weight loss?  Have you suffered from low-self-esteem, sadness, anxiety or even decrease stress levels? If so, then this is the Blog for you. 

You may suffer from Anorexia Nervosa the restricting type. Anorexia Nervosa is a life-threatening mental health condition characterized by a fear of weight gain and disordered eating patterns. 

There are very basic needs every human needs to survive: air, water, food, shelter, sleep, and clothing. The lack of these basic needs can cause complications in our medical health, mental health, overall wellbeing, and how we are able to achieve our needs beyond the basics. 

It's normal to feel anxious from time to time, especially if your life is stressful. However, excessive, ongoing anxiety and worry that are tough to control and interfere with daily activities may signify generalized anxiety disorder.

So, you’re feeling sad and low… but it is different from any sad or low that you have felt before. This is heavier. It might feel like you are wearing a backpack full of rocks climbing uphill or even doing the simplest of tasks is equivalent to swimming against the current.