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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

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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:

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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

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The Art of Being Yourself…to the World

“When you share how you feel, you are creating trust. You can trust yourself because you are honouring your feelings and others can trust you because they know you are being honest.” Meegan (inspired by David Richo’s book Daring to Trust: Opening Ourselves to Real Love and Intimacy) Dear Readers, Congruence, in a therapeutic context,… Continue reading The Art of Being Yourself…to the World

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My Grounding Routine: Integrating Grounding into Your Recovery Journey

 “I am grounded, supported, and safe.” Mindful Zen website This last post in this month’s series of grounding takes you through major aspects of my grounding routine to review grounding practices and to help you envision how you would like to incorporate a grounding practice into your day. I will also discuss some challenges to… Continue reading My Grounding Routine: Integrating Grounding into Your Recovery Journey