Blog

Reclaiming Joy: 3 Ways Your Authentic Voice Can Empower You

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

We live in an image-obsessed society. More than ever, we present a carefully curated image of ourselves at work and on social media. Because of this, you too may have created the perfect Instagram-ready lifestyle and play the part of an ambitious member of corporate America. But what happens in the process is that you silence your authentic voice. You may indeed be pretty and talented. So why do you…

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Red Tent Event! Hear Birth Stories & Tell Your Own. Sacred Gathering of Mothers & Mothers-to-be

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

  Red Tent Hear Birth Stories & Tell Your Own A sacred gathering of Mothers & Mothers-to-Be Facilitated by Silvie Falschlunger and Melissa Divaris Thompson     Please join us in the listening & sharing of your birth journey at Silvie’s House. We will ‘walk our labyrinths’ & explore:   * What was surprising, unexpected, (dis)empowering about your birth experience?   * What obstacles did you run into & what fears did…

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The Guilty Mother and the Quest for Perfectionism

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Whether you are a stay at home or a working mother, it’s a fact that mothers struggle with an enormous amount of ‘mother guilt’. We are hard on ourselves. We push ourselves and expect perfection. We try hard to balance it all and a lot of times, we feel like we can’t. For some reason, we have an idea of what an ideal mother would be and we hold ourselves…

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Holistic Health For Moms And Babies. An interview with Tami Hinden.

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Before my son was born, I was preparing for his birth with anything and everything I could get my hands on. As I have shared many times, I wanted a natural birth if it was healthy for our son and myself, and I would do anything I could for the least intervention. Because I am a holistic person and psychotherapist, I knew that I would use all the tools I…

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A Traumatic Homecoming – Interview With A New Mother

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

I am so often stuck by the courage and bravery of first time mothers. Becoming a mother is a leap of faith and an absolute shift in identity. We have no idea how we will feel, how our baby will be, and what it’s all going to be like. Our relationship with our friends change, our partners, but most importantly, I believe after we become a mother, we are changed…

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Stop Forking Yourself. 10 Tips to Mindful Eating

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

I think it’s safe to say we have all been guilty of once or twice filling up on food to cover up our feelings. Whether you find yourself feeling sad, anxious, or even stressed, we can so often turn to food to help us feel better. This leads to worse feeling thoughts about ourselves. It’s a cycle that can also lead to possible weight gain and more feelings of unhappiness.…

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The Important Thing About Yelling – a beautiful article written by Rachel Macy Stafford

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

As exhausted parents, we try so hard to keep our cool and breathe. There are times when all our needs, including our children, our partners, our pets, all come crashing down at once and we are left feeling scattered, perhaps anxious, stressed, and even angry. I love this post because at the end of it all, tomorrow is a new day. We get to try to be better. We get…

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Surrendering To Resistance

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Surrendering is not defeat. Surrendering is not giving up. Surrendering is ‘allowing’ in the moment. When we let go of struggle, and allow ourselves to just be where we are, we find more peace and more balance in ourselves and our lives. Each day, and more specifically each moment, we have an opportunity to practice the art of surrendering. Whether we are late for an appointment, waiting for a train,…

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How Psychotherapy Can Help

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

If you live in New York City, like I do, you know that most people speak openly about seeing their therapist. The stigma of shame is lifted when you live in a place that accepts psychotherapy as an acceptable form of asking for help. In New York, there are therapists on most corners. When we enter therapy, it does not mean that we are crazy or can’t function on our…

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What is MamaYoga? An interview with Kate Loewengart

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

I had kept meaning to check out Kate Loewengart’s class at Rivertown Mamas for mom and baby. Since I have had my son, I find scheduling to be a bit challenging. One day, however, the stars aligned and I was able to attend. Kate offers a wonderful selection of different classes, whether you are pregnant or have a newborn, or even an active toddler. The class I was able to…

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The Social Appeal of a New Year

When it comes to our behaviors, as much as we’d like to think we’re adaptable, we are creatures of habit. But every year, as December comes upon us, amidst the holiday shopping and family planning, we reflect on our journey so far and reflect on ways to improve our lives. Amidst the seasonal shifts in weather, daylight saving time, and holidays, we jump into more change. Whether it’s in our…

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Reclaiming Yourself During a Pandemic

From socially distancing and working from home to living in a post-pandemic world with masks, constant testing, and a new world order. I think I can speak for the majority when I say that am not the only one feeling a sense of not being in control.  With the state of our affairs feeling so uncertain and unbalanced during a nationwide pandemic, how do we regain our sense of self…

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Why creating a routine can be helpful during coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak is a global issue that is causing a lot of concerns for humans everywhere in the world. It is disrupting our lives, our economy, our finances, our social and family circles, as well as our physical and mental health. Our daily habits have changed, our life looks different, and everything happened so quickly, which is anxiety provoking. You might be working from home at this point, or…

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How vulnerability can help you enhance your relationship.

Being vulnerable in a romantic relationship. Throughout my experience working in France and now in the United States, I have observed partners going from regularly fighting and talking about breaking up to being close to one another and having a strong and secure attachment bond. So, what has helped them go from a stage of defensiveness and verbal attacks to a more peaceful lifestyle? I have noticed that couples that…

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New Year, New You! – 3 Ways to Find Your Authentic Voice in 2019

To find your authentic voice, be an explorer. How so? Have you ever been to a new city and felt an undeniable vibe? Like the atmosphere was alive, breathing a certain feeling into your lungs. Some cities that come to mind are New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Nashville, San Francisco, etc. Unmentioned, of course, the hundreds of quaint little towns scattered across the map. What do they all have…

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How Overthinking a New Relationship Can Undermine Your Connection

The start of a fresh romance has its own unique learning curve. If you’re like most people, you may be tempted to analyze every little move. Yet, overthinking a new relationship can actually damage the authentic connection between you. Despite the intense and immediate connection that romance novels depict, usually that initial connection is fairly sensitive. In other words, it requires a bit of nurturing. Think of your new emotional…

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5 Easy Ways to Build Your Self-Confidence—Starting Now

Many things in life can impact your self-confidence. Think back to events in your childhood. Perhaps your parents divorced, you relocated to a new neighborhood or school, or you struggled with a physical illness or disability. In adulthood, you may have experienced a difficult relationship, dealt with a toxic work environment, or trudged through financial losses. Life has a way of twisting and turning in unexpected ways. Often, these experiences…

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Why Self-Care Is More Than a Day at the Spa

Despite the term “self-care” taking on a rather fluffy meaning nowadays, it’s far more empowering than most people believe. And self-care is more than a day at the spa. Yes, daily self-care goes far beyond sweating out stress in a sauna or taking a mud bath. Somewhere along the lines, self-care has gotten a luxurious connotation assigned to it. As if taking care of yourself was optional. It’s vital to…

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Attention, Stressed-Out People Pleasers—Read This and Relax!

As a people pleaser, you may deal with anxiety and stress by the truckloads. All the volunteering is likely burning you out. You probably don’t feel incredibly valued either. Perhaps you already know that people pleasing is rooted in low self-confidence. Essentially, as a people pleaser, you draw your self-worth from others. For this reason, the habit of people pleasing ends up hurting you big time. And stopping this habit…

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Are You Suffering from High-Functioning Anxiety? – 5 Tell-Tale Signs

Many people identify with the long list of common anxiety symptoms. From the racing thoughts to that notorious feeling of being on-edge, modern society has normalized these symptoms. But perhaps you’re not exactly the poster child for anxiety because you appear to have your life together. You’re organized, pay attention to detail, and can focus on several projects at once. Plus, you seem to have eight sets of arms with…

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