Just Do the Thing

Did you know that humans tend to be fairly inaccurate when predicting future emotional states? Take anxiety for example. We can spend hours or even days obsessing over a task that needs to be done. Maybe an unpleasant email or phone call – a task that in and of itself will consume less than half

Practicing Radical Acceptance with the “Little Stuff”

Yesterday, Radical Acceptance was my personal theme from the Universe. I started my work day by reviewing this skill with one of my individual DBT clients. During our discussion of her homework practice, she shared an Ah ha! moment she experienced over the weekend: This skill that isn’t only for the big stuff! It can

DBT Skills for the Holidays

Join us Monday nights at 7 pm CST to discuss DBT Skills and their adaptations for all those uniquely fun holiday triggers! Head over to the THRIVE TOGETHER 2020 Facebook group to join! DBT Skills for the Holidays Series 2020 Schedule 💥November 16 – Vulnerability Factors🍻 🧠November 23 – Cope Ahead💪 💵 November 30 –

Weighted Blanket for the Win

Sleep – a physiological state of rest during which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes are closed / postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness is suspended. Ask anyone who struggles with depression, anxiety or PTSD about their sleep quality and they’ll likely disclose a litany of issues: Insomnia – difficulty with falling or staying

Mindfulness as an Ever Evolving Practice

On a mission to retrieve an Amazon package the other day, I noticed these exquisite butterfly wings amongst the leaves on my porch. In that moment, the end of this lovely being’s life had profound meaning to me. I felt connected to the entirety of the universe and the cycles of life/death & metamorphosis. In

Looking Back – It’s All in Your Perspective

My 31st birthday was this weekend. Birthdays are always a time of reflection for me & thanks to technology (Facebook memories) its a point in the year that I always have lots of past data to reference back to. Looking at pictures from my 25, 29 & 30 birthday all brought back memories of a

Why Can’t I Bury My Head in the Sand? Willfulness, Willingness & Radical Acceptance

Last Wednesday I received news that I felt completely unprepared to handle.  Since then, I’ve spent a good bit of time stewing in a sea of negative emotions. In an attempt to balance out those emotions, I’ve also focused my meditations this week on the concept of willingness.  In DBT, the willfulness/willingness dialectic is part of Radical

Walking the Middle Path during COVID-19

March 11th was the last day my life resembled normal. On March 12, I worked my final shift at my event gig, but the city was beginning to go into lockdown and a whopping 3 people showed up. In the 7 weeks that has passed, life has been both everything and nothing like what I

DBT Skills for COVID-19

The world is feeling an unprecedented amount of anxiety. Everyone’s life has been turned upside down. Many are struggling to deal with negative emotions. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills provide a framework for understanding and managing emotions. So as the world is rapidly changing (and I have felt absolutely zero inspiration to blog at this

Missed Opportunities for Growth

It’s no secret 2019 was not good to me… I got stuck in a trauma loop, I felt like the rug got pulled out from under my feet & I am now in a place of completely rebuilding. I’m currently two months into my phoenix moment. As I go through my days, I find life