Calm the Nervous System There are many ways to manage emotions and navigate life. When we organize our experiences visually, the nervous system often settles as our story begins to feel more coherent. Some of us learned foundational emotional skills growing up in homes that were stable and “good enough”. Others grew up in confusing, chaotic, or unsafe environments where emotional development had less room to unfold. And yet — emotional capacity can expand at any point in life

This black-and-white thinking is actually a symptom of depression. It’s also a symptom of anxiety as well as other mental illnesses.

It is normal to have feelings of anxiety, stress and depression immediately following the birth are not uncommon—these feelings are often re

Everyday pleasures and absorbing hobbies can have lasting effects on well-being. How effective are everyday stress management techniques in helping keep a person healthy? How strongly do everyday happy events affect you? Let’s take a look at one of my favorite studies! Dr. Arthur Stone found that a small pleasant everyday event boosts the immune system for two to three days, while a small, everyday stressful event depresses the immune system for about a day. For example, D

The ABC PLEASE skills are the first floor in the house of happiness. Think of the ABC PLEASE skills as extreme self-care, to help you manag

Originally posted November 19, 2018. Veterans Yoga Project Yoga for Emotional Healing PTSD Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) is a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping veterans gain access to the healing benefits of yoga with a program called Mindful Resilience. Thanks to the efforts of VYP, the Mindful Resilience yoga program is being used to help veterans and active-duty military personnel heal from the emotional, physical and psychological aspects of war t

Originally posted July 24, 2018. Mental Health: Veterans Yoga Project Healing PTSD I wanted to share with my readers a very positive effort full of positive energy taking place in the world. In 2017 in Hoboken, New Jersey, I first came into contact with the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) organization. Tam Terry and Helene Graff, residents of Hoboken, arranged a fundraiser. Stevens Institute of Technology graciously offered the use of the university’s Walker gymnasium. Dr.

Dyane Harwood, author of Birth of a New Brain. Dyane's lifelong healing journey with bipolar Dyane Harwood battled depression her whole life and then bipolar disorder after she gave birth. Therapy, lifestyle changes, medication and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) got her life back. Birth of a New Brain , by Dyane Harwood is a very important book. Dyane’s autobiographical account of her life with bipolar disorder is as stunning as Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison’s autobiographica

Originally posted June 8, 2018. You are sorely missed… You matter more than you think… There is always another way…. I guess you all know by now that the two celebrities, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, took their own lives this past week. Of course, these two celebrities were not in my social circle, but their deaths affected me. As a person and as a therapist, of course I understand that wealth and success don’t inoculate a person from suffering and suicidal thoughts

Originally posted March 9, 2018. I believe cultivating the habits of thought and action that nurtures mental health is an ongoing,...

What Is the EPDS? Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of childbirth. Approximately 15–20% of women experience symptoms of depression or anxiety during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum. While “postpartum depression” (PPD) is the most widely used term, perinatal mood disorders include: Postpartum depression (PPD) Postpartum anxiety (PPA) Postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Bipolar disorder Postpartum psychosis Birth-related

Updated August, 2021 Goodness, if mindfulness was a drug, there would be ads everywhere about its effectiveness! And it’s free and available to us at all times. Mindfulness is the heightened awareness of inner and outer experiences through focused attention in the present moment. Mindfulness and positive intention can be purposefully cultivated and used for healing. Current research confirms this ancient belief. Today there is a big movement to incorporate mindfulness and

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And yet, for something that affects so many people, it can still feel strangely invisible. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Just a few decades ago, it ranked much lower. The rise is not because people are weaker—it’s because we are finally measuring and naming what has always been there. Former WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called these statistics “a wake-up

Originally posted May 2, 2017. Can insomnia be treated without medication? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you so tired that it’s ...

Originally posted June 22, 2015. Expressive Art – A Mindbody Practice Using mandalas as a healing expressive art form is a merging of Eastern and Western practices and thought. “Mandala” is Sanskrit for “circle” and is a spiritual symbol used ritualistically to represent universal wholeness. It is used a focal point in meditative practice. In Western practice, the mandala has been adopted as a tool for healing and self-discovery. The endless interlocking patterns can be

Many people in my psychotherapy practice struggle with coming to terms with childhood sexual abuse. Flashes of their silent past and the effects of the splitting of the self in order to survive, intrude on their present day life, so they come for support. I’m humbled to witness their heroic, creative work through their inner labyrinth of pain and love gradually towards integration and wholeness. When I met Ms. Jane Rowan on Twitter, her lyrical book title, The River of F

Originally posted June 24, 2013. Guest Post: Today I am pleased to have Leighann Adams of Multitasking Mumma guest posting here today. Leighann is a mom and a self-identified Postpartum Depression blogger. She says the Postpartum Depression blogging community helped her a whole lot when she needed information and support. She found blogging to be therapeutic for her; now she gives back to others via blogging and awareness campaigns. Leighann’s post is about her inner pr

Spring was a great time for Women’s Reproductive Health events in New Jersey. I was fortunate enough to attend and also was invited to present at La Leche League of the Garden State’s Annual Conference in Jamestown, New Jersey. I also went to an event hosted by St. Clare’s Hospital and the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. I had so much fun meeting and seeing some virtual colleagues/friends, such as Ruth Callahan and Colleen White at LLL

Originally posted January 4, 2013. As you go through your divorce, do you think you are acting out your unconscious hurts and anger on...

There are no easy tips for coping with the tragedy of the loss the families in Sandy Hook, Connecticut are experiencing. It is normal to feel a lot of strong emotions: grief, anger, helplessness, loss, guilt. To feel strong emotion is to be normal. The northeast United States hasn’t recovered from the massive destruction of Hurricane Sandy. And yet another event brings epic grief to our area and our country. There are no easy fixes for all of these normal feelings, as the