1. Breathe Deeply Taking a deep breath is a cliché for a reason. When we breathe deeply, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the “rest and digest system”. It tells us that we are safe and that we can stand down. When this system is active our heart rates slow down, our […]
5 Ways that Living in Washington DC is Stressful
There are any number of wonderful things about living in the greater DMV area, from the diversity of people and cultures to the free museums. Nevertheless, when real estate blog Movato took a look at stress levels across American cities, Washington DC came out right on top (1). 1. The High Cost of Living […]
Feelings need to be felt
Feeling our Feels Parents tell me all the time “I just want my child to be happy.” A parent’s job is to protect their child, so it makes complete sense to want to protect them from feeling discomfort or distress. However, “fixing it” or trying to get children to not feel uncomfortable emotions is not […]
8 Therapist Recommended Books to Help Cultivate Your Body Image and Self Worth
Frequently, my clients ask me for recommendations to continue to explore their body image and self-worth. Below you will find a list of eight, yes eight, body image books because I couldn’t just minimize the list to five. These books range from helping you explore the origins of your body image, to societal implications of […]
Understanding the Stages of Grief
Looking at the Stages of Grief as non-linear You might have heard about the “Stages of Grief”, which are often talked about as though you progress through one stage to another. What Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the woman who came up with the model, actually said was a word closer to “aspects” which has been mistranslated from […]
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy A significant portion of my therapeutic practice is dedicated to the treating of both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex Trauma, Attachment Disorders, and Shock Trauma. EMDR therapy has become an asset to my practice for both the treatment of trauma, but also the treatment of eating disorders, including […]
Trauma Responses in the Body
What Are Types of Trauma Responses in the Body, and What Does it Mean for Trauma Treatment? Trauma is defined as anything that overwhelms a person’s capacity to cope with it. The reason for such a seemingly vague definition is that trauma is more about the effect of an event (or events) on someone than […]
Re-Opening Anxiety
Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop – Lately, I’ve been consumed with an anxiety that’s somewhat confusing to me. People are getting vaccinated left and right. My state is going to actually reopen in June, in a way that actually feels reasonable. I actually have a vacation or two planned. By most definitions, we […]
The Importance of Family Treatment and Empowerment During Eating Disorder Recovery
Why is Family Therapy an Important Part of Treatment? Family therapy can be extremely helpful in the treatment and recovery process for both adolescents and adults experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), or any combination of eating disorder symptoms. Eating disorders are complex and multifaceted mental health […]
The Grief of Pregnancy Loss
While the statistics vary between research studies, it is found that around one-third of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Yet pregnancy loss continues to be a disenfranchised grief that is far too often experienced in isolation. In the last few years, we have seen more public figures share about their pregnancy loss. Both Chrissy Teigen and […]