Doing What’s Right Even When It’s Hard
Growing up, my mother used to tell me that "sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing." I have found truth and wisdom in this message at different points throughout my life yet have always struggled with it - wishing it weren't true somehow and wanting it...
Exercise: How To Know If It’s Too Much of a Good Thing
How do you know when something that is meant to be healthy and life-sustaining becomes too much of a good thing and potentially dangerous to your health? The weather is warming up and in Colorado that means I'm seeing more and more people outside enjoying the...
How is Counseling Different than Talking to a Friend or Loved One?
April is Counseling Awareness Month, so I thought I'd spend some time writing about the profession that I love and how counseling is different than talking to a friend or loved one in our life. As a therapist in private practice, I have witnessed first hand how...
Avoid Avoiding and Feel Better
Have you ever been afraid of doing something and the longer you avoided it; the more your fear grew? Or maybe you felt depressed and wanted to hide from the world, and the more you withdrew, the more depressed you felt. This happens because our emotions feed...
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: What You Need to Know
"Everybody Knows Somebody" I've been posting resources, articles, and statistics all week on my Facebook and Twitter pages in an effort to raise awareness, provide hope, and point people in the direction of help for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. This...
Put “You” on the List this Valentine’s Day
Every year in February, it is hard to miss the reminders that Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. Whether or not you celebrate the holiday, you are surrounded by the colors of pink and red, the flowers, the candy, and the cards every time you enter the grocery...
Goodbye Perfectionism, Hello Courage
I often notice themes running through my life and lately it has been the theme of perfection and my discomfort with being imperfect. At the end of December, I moved in to a new office and between the holidays and the move, I feel like I can't catch up at home or the...
When It’s Not the Happiest Time of the Year: 10 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress and Anxiety
The holidays are supposed to be "the happiest time of the year" and yet, for many, they are a time of increased stress and anxiety. My last post focused on eating disorders during the holidays and how to prepare for family gatherings and social events, especially...
When It Isn’t the Happiest Time of the Year: Eating Disorders and the Holidays
In my private practice, one of the areas I specialize in is helping people recover from eating disorders. This time of year, I am very aware of how scary and anxiety producing the holidays can be for those who struggle with eating disorders, such as anorexia,...
You Have the Right to a Fulfilling and Vital Life: The Personal Bill of Rights
I believe we all have rights as human beings and often reflect on and share this list with my clients . . . Personal Bill of Rights I have the right to ask for what I want. I have a right to say no to requests or demands that I cannot meet. I have a right to express...