Holding yourself appropriately accountable is a crucial skill to have. Inappropriate accountability occurs when you take an unnecessary amount of responsibility. Your automatic thought process comes up with associations and tells you what your responsibility is. Here, I introduce you to the six most common thoughts that I often encounter in the therapy room related to taking on unnecessary amounts … [Read more...] about Are You Taking an Unnecessary Amount of Responsibility?
How Are People Pleasing and Conditional Love Related?
People pleasing is a learned behavior. Often, it is treated as a trauma response. In some families or cultures, where the traditional gender roles are favored, females may be expected to be socialized to please their family members and mainly their spouses. This learned response is a result of receiving conditional love in childhood. Starting from a young age, a child learns that they are … [Read more...] about How Are People Pleasing and Conditional Love Related?
Parenting Toolkit: Strategies to Respond to Children’s Behavior Problems
It is important to be familiar with several behavior management strategies because what works on one child, may not work on another child. Similarly, one strategy may not be working in all occasions. Improving your parenting toolbox is helpful for you to have different strategies to use when they are needed. Before we dive into behavior management strategies, it is helpful to keep in mind: “A … [Read more...] about Parenting Toolkit: Strategies to Respond to Children’s Behavior Problems
Stuck at Home with Kids? Here is What You Can Do
Tips for Parents to Get Through Covid-19 Pandemic Dear parent, you have many roles during this Covid-19 pandemic. You are a teacher, cook, personal trainer, and entertainer for your child. This is a lot! I want to thank all of you for being there for your children when they most need you. You are all doing your best, thank you. Many of you are staying at home with your children … [Read more...] about Stuck at Home with Kids? Here is What You Can Do
How Can You Prioritize Your Relationships and Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Coronavirus, aka COVID-19, is causing a global concern. As a marriage and family therapist, I focus on your concerns at the personal and interpersonal level. Whether or not you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, your anxiety levels may increase during this outbreak. Fear and anxiety are expected responses in a situation like this. Every behavior has a function and your fear is … [Read more...] about How Can You Prioritize Your Relationships and Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Self-Compassion: The Key That Opens the Door of Loving Yourself
When you look at the definition of compassion, you see that in Latin “passion” means “suffering” and “com” means “with”. So compassion means “with suffering”. As you may guess, “self-compassion” means “suffering with myself”. All of us suffer, and therefore it is impossible not to be compassionate, no matter how hard we try. Self-compassion is all about asking yourself, “How am I suffering with … [Read more...] about Self-Compassion: The Key That Opens the Door of Loving Yourself