Blog

How to Grieve Well: An Encouraging Guide to Navigating Loss and Finding Healing

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something that is important to us. The process can be overwhelming, and our emotions can be intense and varied. However, understanding our feelings and taking care of ourselves as we grieve can help us heal and move forward.  1. Accepting Your Feelings and Understanding Grief A. Embrace Your Emotions Grieving is a highly individual experience, and there is no right or…

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How Does Therapy Work?

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Therapy is a widely recognized tool for improving mental health, but many people are still unsure about what happens during a therapy session. Media portrayals and misconceptions about therapy can contribute to this uncertainty, leading potential clients to feel apprehensive about seeking help. In this blog, we will explore the truth behind therapy, debunk common myths, and provide insight into how therapy works to improve mental health and well-being. Understanding…

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The Social Appeal of a New Year

By Somer Saleh, LMFT

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

By Somer Saleh, LMFT

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

By Elena Covo, LMFT

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.

By Elena Covo, LMFT

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

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

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

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

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

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

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

By Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

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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Your Interpretation of Reality-a quote from Pema Chodron

Seeing when you justify yourself and when you blame others is not a reason to criticize yourself, but actually an opportunity to recognize what all people do and how it imprisons us in a very limited perspective of this world. It’s a chance to see that you’re holding on to your interpretation of reality; it allows you to reflect that that’s all it is—nothing more, nothing less; just your interpretation…

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Drawing The Line

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of being in a Vinyasa yoga intensive with an ex military and sober man, Rolf Gates. He is one of the most grounded and approachable well known yogis that I have met. Included in the massive amounts of yoga, Rolf also included some time for journal writing and working with our intentions for the New Year. He spoke about facing our own internal…

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Conscious New Years Eve

A few years ago, I took part in a New Years Eve celebration at a wonderful retreat place in California called Spirit Rock. The evening was comprised of dancing, meditation, stories, and intention. As we rung in the New Year, not with champagne in hand, but silently still on our mediation cushions, I felt the power of a conscious New Years Eve celebration. We weren’t pledging to hit the gym…

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Shedding During The Holiday Season

During one of my favorite yoga classes, I was reminded of the meaning of the Holiday Season. With all the gift buying and preparing to see family, we often forget that this holiday is not all about attaining more ‘stuff’. What if we were able to ‘shed’ during the holiday? To be able to come back to ourselves? In such a potentially hectic time, can we remember that what we…

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Mindful Holidays

The holiday season can leave us feeling totally exhausted, run down, or even financially strapped. We can find ourselves tapped out, run down, and exhausted. It’s ironic that this time of year, the weather begs us to stay inside and quiet down, and yet we find ourselves constantly out and about. We trudge through the snow and cold, buying gifts, meeting friends, or attending holiday parties. It’s at this time…

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Embracing Gratitude

During this time of Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holidays, I always find it’s a good time to reflect on gratitude. Finding gratitude can lighten our hearts and remind us that we are very fortunate in many ways. Reminding ourselves what we are grateful for, often times reminds us that we are not alone, we are cared for, and usually loved more than we know. Embracing Gratitude In Your…

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Learning to Let Go in the Looking for Love

We have often heard the phrase, when we stop looking for love, it finally appears. Finding a mate can be a frustrating process that can leave us disappointed, angry and sad, wondering what the heck is wrong with us?! I have found through my work as a psychotherapist, that this inquiry can also bring a lot of deep healing to ourselves if we are willing to look within and discover…

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Allowing

In my psychotherapy practice, I encourage my clients to bring more awareness and mindfulness into their daily lives. We can so oftentimes feel rushed, scattered and onto the next thing, that we rarely enjoy what this moment has to offer. In being present, it allows us to calm down, lose some of the anxiety, and fully take in what is happening around us. Conversations start to be more fulfilling, our…

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Mindfulness in the Morning-5 Tips for getting your day started right!

–As you wake up, see if you can notice how you are doing before you automatically jump out of bed. Take inventory: How does your body feel? Do you feel rested? What is your intention for the day? Do all of this before your feet even hit the floor. –In the shower, notice if your mind starts planning and thinking about the next thing. Notice if you can bring your…

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Falling Into Letting Go

Sometimes we find ourselves tightly wound to our beliefs, remembering who hurt us, who we are angry with, and who disappointed us. We hold grudges, cling onto resentments, and feel tightly wound and bound to our opinions and perspectives. It’s as if the needle is stuck in a record groove. From this place, we often times feel trapped, small, and paralyzed by our own limitations. We try to control events…

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