...A Sneak Peek at Mental Health Recovery Collages "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." ~ Mary Anne Radmacher Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is not something that I have personal experience with, but I know that it is a therapy… Continue reading The Ins and Outs of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and…
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When Talking Isn’t Enough:
Somatic Therapy, Mental Health, and Healing Trauma “Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” ~ Dr. Peter Levine I watched Dr. Peter Levine’s rare somatic therapy demonstrations. You can watch them on YouTube at https://youtu.be/_0QVKXU2wMI It is amazing how intuitive, gentle, and compassionate… Continue reading When Talking Isn’t Enough:
Challenge Your Thoughts, Improve How You Feel: CBT, Mental Illness, and Art Therapy
If you're self-compassionate, you'll tend to have higher self-esteem than if you're endlessly self-critical. And like high self-esteem - self-compassion is associated with significantly less anxiety and depression, as well as more happiness, optimism, and positive emotions. ~David D. Burns This is the month is all about therapies used to help improve mental health. Of… Continue reading Challenge Your Thoughts, Improve How You Feel: CBT, Mental Illness, and Art Therapy
The Body Image Blues: Challenging a Cultural Obsession with “Thinness”
Our light and power Have nothing To do with the Shape of our bodies That house us. Melody Godfred ~ Self Love Poetry Writing about body image, society’s ideals of beauty, and health is hard. Like many people, I have struggled with body image, and my relationship with food and exercise. My mental health journey… Continue reading The Body Image Blues: Challenging a Cultural Obsession with “Thinness”
Movement as a Mood Booster: The Role of Exercise in Mental Health
“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional and mental states.” ~Carol Welch I am thinking about this topic as I lie on my yoga mat in my studio. It is 9 pm and I have the twinkly star lights on, which bath my creative room in a warm glow. I… Continue reading Movement as a Mood Booster: The Role of Exercise in Mental Health
Bipolar and The Sleep Conundrum:
Exploring Causes of Insomnia and Creative Solutions “Sleep is the Best Meditation” ~The Dali Lama Insomnia can be one of the most frustrating and worrisome experiences when you have a mental illness. Insomnia can be the result of being anxious, depressed or manic or it can be a precursor to an episode. This post is… Continue reading Bipolar and The Sleep Conundrum:
Your Body as a Compass:
Discovering Your Body’s Wisdom about Wellness “...by having a healthier lifestyle, you can also improve your bipolar disorder. Eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping better, making healthier choices are all good for the brain.” Dr. Andrew A. Nierenberg Photo by Yannic Läderach on Unsplash Dear Readers, I believe one of the hardest lessons I have had… Continue reading Your Body as a Compass:
What Could Have Been: Grief and Mental Illness
“Grief never ends. But it changes. It is a passage not a place. Grief is not a sense of weakness or lack of faith. It is the price of love.” Author unknown I am writing this is the week of a new moon. A time of beginnings, a time of endings, and a time of… Continue reading What Could Have Been: Grief and Mental Illness
Coming Up for a Breath: Daily Walking, Community Art, and Nature
The dream of my life Is to lie down by a slow river And to stare in the light of the trees- To learn something by being nothing A little while but the rich Lens of attention. ~Mary Oliver, excerpt from Entering the Kingdom Before the next and final post in the emotional processing theme… Continue reading Coming Up for a Breath: Daily Walking, Community Art, and Nature
The Fear Continuum: Understanding Fear, Anxiety, and Psychosis
“The Best Use of Creativity is Imagination. The Worst Use of Creativity is Anxiety” Deepak Chopra This quote resonates with me because my anxiety is often about the worst-case scenarios that my imagination can create. It is so important to look at our thinking and how it fuels anxiety. But anxiety isn't just faulty thinking:… Continue reading The Fear Continuum: Understanding Fear, Anxiety, and Psychosis