Category Archive

therapy

Float Tank Therapy: Why it’s awesome & you should force your friends to try it

Relaxing in a meditative float tank is one of those things that I’ve always wanted to try but, due to a combination of anxiety and guilt, I just figured it was something I’d never get to do. Until my friend gave me a spa gift certificate good for a float tank therapy session.

And HOLY GUACAMOLE, GUYS, I’m so glad I went. I need to tell you about my float tank experience, and also let you know why you should force your friends to do it too (especially if they’re moms)…

Why electroconvulsive therapy was the closest thing to a magic bullet I’ve found for my depression

When I requested electroshock (also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) from my psychiatrist, she was shocked that I was actually requesting it. Nearly every medical professional I spoke to on my ECT journey made a concerted effort to sing its praises and try to convince me to stick with it. I didn’t need convincing, and I am incredibly glad that I stuck with it. ECT has helped me in ways that no other treatment has, lifting me out of a 15+ year fog of depression and making me much more capable of functioning like a “normal” adult.

Microdosing pain: how to make things suck less, by sucking more

The truth of my anxiety is revealed: I invested all my time in building little walls all over the place to try to shelter myself from pain, but what I was actually doing was denying myself opportunities to learn and become more capable.

So what if I choose to expose myself to pain in small doses so that I can get better at managing it?

Bob Ross Calm App: This meditation app is using Bob Ross magic to lull you to sleep

This meditation app is using Bob Ross magic to lull you to sleep

If you’re a fan of meditation/relaxation apps like Headspace and Meditation Studio, and ALSO a fan of the dulcet voice of Bob Ross, you’re in luck. The meditation and sleep app Calm is introducing PBS fave Bob Ross’ voice as part of its Sleep Stories, using the audio from his super relaxing painting episodes to lull you into repose.

Opposite Action: using negative emotional prompts for positive outcomes

We all have so many things we know we SHOULD do, but ug it’s so hard to make the time to do new things… especially when we’re all so busy being stressed out, restlessly bored, vaguely miserable, generally unhappy, dealing with floating rage, or whatever your personal favorite miserable brain loop is.

But what if you used that misery to help you do something awesome?

I’m a therapist with self-harm scars

I am a Residential Therapist and a recent graduate. And I have concern about how to address my self-harm scars to my clients.

I have considered surgery for the major scars and tattoos for the minor scars. Looking for insight from others in the professional or helping field.

How I stopped using nicotine and alcohol (+6 useful resources if you wanna do the same)

In the past seven months I’ve stopped using nicotine and alcohol for the first time since starting nearly ten years ago!

Letting go of using alcohol and cigarettes feels like everything I was chasing when I started using them — it feels radical, new, exciting, scary.

Here’s how and why I did it…

What I’m learning from dancing poorly

Inspired by a local dancer’s athletic performance in a show I saw years ago, I asked her if she would teach me some stuff. She said she would, and then I cried a lot because it’s really hard looking stupid and learning new things. METAPHOR ALERT!