ACCEPTS is a DBT distress tolerance skill that offers practical ways to shift attention when emotions feel unmanageable.

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

Happy Mother’s Day! Be kind to yourself today. Affirmations by themselves are not all that need to do to enact change within yourself, but are a wonderful enhancement to positive self-development. Positive parenting and feeling well and confident take conscious, daily effort. The conscious processing of perceived hurts and events helps clear out old habits, making way for new thoughts and ways of being. Pursuing the development of the self and being gently and consciousl

Originally posted July 28, 2014. Different cultures acknowledge the postpartum period in different ways. In the United States, postpartum is viewed as a time when the new mom is expected to quickly recover and become mobile and get back to “normal” life. There’s a lot of emphasis on healthy pregnancy and birth and how to care for a newborn. However, the physical and emotional transition of the new mom and family are not part of the postpartum conversation in the US. Thi

Throughout this series, we have explored how a woman’s emotional health and perinatal mental health is shaped not only by hormones, but by the ongoing interaction between brain biology and lived experience. As explored in our discussion of brain biology and mood before pregnancy, the limbic system continuously integrates hormonal signals with lived experience — and that integration continues into the postpartum period. The limbic system — the brain’s emotional center — doe

Originally posted March 12, 2014. Expectant mothers are worried about sleep deprivation once their little angel arrives. What most of...

Originally posted January 6, 2014. January is International Child-Centered Divorce Month. Did you know that more divorces are filed for...

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 26, 2013. #lifelist Birdwatching! I’m a lifelong birdwatcher. I started when I was 12, on Long Island where I...

Originally posted June 19, 2013. Creating with your hands is a wonderful way to enter into the experience of the essential flow state....

Originally posted May 22, 2013. This is my creative arts workspace. 52 years ago, my mom, who is now 92, created this beautiful...

Be kind to yourself today. Affirmations by themselves are not all that need to do to enact change within yourself, but are a wonderful enhancement to positive self-development. Affirmations are not a substitute for professional care, but they can be a gentle, supportive practice for emotional regulation and self-compassion. Positive parenting and feeling well and confident take conscious, daily effort. The conscious processing of perceived hurts and events helps clear out

Originally posted January 24, 2013. #LifeWellLived Did it. Done it. BOOM. I’m joining a small group of my bloggy friends, including Yuz...

Prenatal Yoga: A Mind-body Practice to Benefit Your Pregnancy For pregnant women seeking safe, evidence-informed mind–body practices, prenatal yoga has been studied for its potential benefits. In 2008, 66 pregnant women were randomized into two groups of 33. The experimental group underwent 6 one-hour classes of prenatal yoga, inclusive of asana (yoga poses), breathwork and meditation, from gestation weeks 26 – 37. This group was also practiced yoga at home 2 -3x a week,

Originally posted June 7, 2012. ”Positive feeling systems must be built and maintained intentionally (as part of couples therapy or...