Gender identity and expression are key elements to the way a child or teen perceives themselves and the world around them. For transgender children and teens, acceptance and support from family is essential. Research has shown that support from family can reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse in trans children and teens. [...]
Sometimes when people try to change the attitude or behaviors of others, they often find themselves in a power struggle. When a loved one is struggling with overwhelming emotions, this can lead to dangerous situations. While acceptance of the limitations of your control over others may be helpful to your emotional state, it can also [...]
This February doesn’t have to be all about sappy cards, overpriced flowers or another excuse to eat candy. This Valentine's Day, show yourself some love. If you’re like most people, you tend to put others’ needs ahead of your own and don’t pause to attend to your own. You may feel you don’t have the [...]
The book Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, The Process and Practice of Mindful Change, Second Edition, by Stephen Hayes, Kirk Strosahl and Kelly Wilson, is a good introduction to a type of therapy developed in the 1980s, which while the authors identified it as a form of behavior therapy, is different from other types of behavior [...]
Most days I start my morning by rolling out my yoga mat. Most yoga classes follow a similar structure; starting with an intention and moment of meditation. As you begin, your yoga teacher might help remind you to practice “non-attachment.” Non-attachment is the idea of not feeling attached to the results of the class or [...]
Don't munch on feelings. Often we munch on feelings when we don't have useful tools to cope with distressful feelings. If you’ve identified yourself as someone who uses food to avoid and soothe a distressful emotion, then you may lack the necessary, non-food-related, tools to cope. Making this change is challenging as food is a [...]
Radical Acceptance is one of the techniques utilized in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). I thought I could find out just what Radical Acceptance is by checking out the book entitled "Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach, PhD (2003). Not surprisingly, this approach is about accepting ourselves. But it is not accepting just the good parts of [...]