My 2 year old daughter absolutely loves the opening credits to the movie Elf, released in 2003. (Side note – I can’t believe it’s that old already!) As I watch it with her, I realize how much I have learned from watching the movie (now for the likely 15th time). I believe there is always something to learn from what we see, hear, and read. So, I come to you today with four valuable lessons I gleaned from the film.
Read MoreWhat is sand tray therapy? Sand tray therapy is a type of therapy where creative expression takes the place of verbal expression. The client and therapist can talk, of course, but talking is not the main focus. Instead, the client makes a “scene” or “world” in the sand tray using miniatures and figurines. The client can recreate their own unique, fictitious world, a scene from their life, or an event that happened that’s bothering them. Once the client is finished, the therapist and client can talk about what they created if they want to do some emotional processing of the scene.
Read MoreYou probably ask or are asked a version of this question multiple times a day. You probably respond with “good” and don’t think twice.
Someone recently asked me what the key to good mental health was – they guessed maybe healthy relationships, good genetics, or perhaps spirituality. I did have to stop and think for a second but then my answer was “it all starts with your feelings”. I believe that understanding your emotions is the key to good mental health.
Read MoreDBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dialectic means two opposites can both be true. For example, if a loved one did something that was hurtful to you, you can be angry with them, maybe even hate them, and still love them. Balancing two things helps keep us from experiencing emotions in extremes. Sometimes this is as simple as changing “OR” into “AND”. Instead of being happy OR sad, we can be happy AND sad. It’s hard to stay calm when you’re thinking in extremes, and dialectics allow us to stay balanced by noticing two truths at once.
Read MoreWhen I get emails or phone calls from men who want to start therapy with me, I get giddy. I really do! I am so grateful that we seem to be on the upswing as a country where overall, more men are seeking therapy now than ever before. The stigma around folks seeking mental health treatment, especially men, is slowly disappearing and I want to be a contributing factor in that trend. In order to support my current male clients, and encourage more men to seek help, I am writing today about what you can expect from high quality mental healthcare and why treatment is important.
Read MoreOffering mental health counseling for adolescents and adults near Lancaster, PA
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