Pop Psychology vs. Actual Psychology
The psychological terms and facts that you learn on social media can be very different when compared to actual psychological terms and facts. Let’s chat about the important differences, as well as the harm that comes from misusing (and misunderstanding) these concepts. Before we start, I want to define what “pop psychology” actually is. Short for popular psychology, self-help...Learn More
How to Find and Match With a Therapist
Most of us know that to find a therapist all it takes is to Google “therapist near me,“ click the first link, and then boom. You’re done. Or maybe you take it one step further and look up therapists on a database like Psychology Today and filter therapists to what you want them to offer. These are both great! And, there is also more to finding a great therapist that can foster communication,...Learn More
How to Get Comfortable with Talking About Mental Health
The treatment of mental health and its disorders has been a relatively recent thing. Because of this, mental illness is often stigmatized as a problem that doesn’t exist, can be fixed yourself if you “just try hard enough,” or it’s simply your fault for having this illness in the first place. How can we destigmatize discussion of mental health and educate people that it’s not the fault of the...Learn More
How Do I Know if Someone Has Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Do you or someone you know have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)? The good news is that it isn’t nearly as common as the media makes it out to be. The bad news is that people don’t have to have a diagnosis in order to be bad people. There has recently been a huge increase in the term “narcissist” floating around the internet, particularly on social media platforms. Let’s talk about what...Learn More
5 Common Misconceptions about Mental Health Therapy
1. You must have a mental disorder to see a therapist. Everyone could benefit from seeing a therapist! You don’t have to have a diagnosed problem; you don’t even have to have a specific concern! Similarly to your annual checkups at the doctor, you can see a therapist for maintenance and prevention. It’s important to take care of your mental health the same way you care for your physical...Learn More
What is a Therapeutic Approach Anyway? Understanding Experiential Therapy.
Welcome back! This week we will be discussing experiential therapy. This will be the last post of the series for now, but please leave a comment if there is another approach you would like to learn more about in the future! When you hear the word “experiential” what comes to mind? If your first thought was “it kind of sounds like the word experience” then good job, because that is what this...Learn More
What is a Therapeutic Approach Anyway? Understanding ACT
Let’s talk about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)! Similarly to DBT, ACT (pronounced “act”) takes aspects of CBT and adds its own unique, therapeutic twist. ACT focuses on a client’s individual beliefs and values, and whether or not they are living their life in a way that is consistent with those values. ACT works by building client awareness of their presenting concern (what they came...Learn More
What is a Therapeutic Approach Anyway? Understanding DBT, part 2
There are three main components that make up Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These components are mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. Mindfulness describes intentionally living with awareness in the present moment. This involves focusing on the here-and-now and paying attention to what you are experiencing without judgement. For example, a common mindfulness activity...Learn More
What is a Therapeutic Approach Anyway? Understanding DBT
Last week, we talked about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and how this approach to therapy focuses on changing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This week we will be discussing Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT. Similarly to CBT, DBT also focuses on cognitive behavioral approaches. Dialectical means that two opposing views can be true at the same time. For example, it can be raining...Learn More