Personal boundaries are the lines we draw around our personal space. They help us control our emotions, behavior and interactions with other people. Healthy boundaries help us maintain mental and physical health. People who don’t take care of their boundaries often find themselves unable to cope with others’ actions. Anyone can learn to maintain healthy […]
Therapist Blog
Resolving to Make Life Better
Several years ago on a cold day in early January, I got up early to work out. The gym was packed. I went up to the front desk to chat with the owner until a treadmill became available. The owner assured me, however, that by mid-February, things would resume back to normal: “Jana, most people […]
The Power of Self Reflection
Self-Reflection is an important skill that I believe all people need in order to become emotionally healthy and for personal growth. Self-Reflection is the process of becoming more aware of our own thoughts and feelings and how they inadvertently shape our behavior. Without it, we may find ourselves wandering throughout life feeling uncertain, lost and […]
Go Outside
Within the last year I have noticed a common experience in my practice. An amazing number of people don’t realize the problem. The solution is simple, I tell them to “go outside.” it seems that we have normalized staying inside recently. Daily walks have become weekly or monthly walks. Even dog walking has been reduced […]
Reflections for the New Year
Here we are again! We are getting ready to close the chapter of yet another year. This year has been an interesting one to say the least. But then again the start of this decade was not exactly what any of us were expecting. But in the past two years since COVID came on the […]
Mindfulness
Certain things tend to make all of us nervous. For example, tests, the dentist, first day at school or on a job, or any anxiety. We can become so anxious that we have both emotional and physical responses. We can experience an inability to focus, ruminating thoughts, even abject fear. We can also experience sweaty […]
Developing and Building Trust in Relationships
In recent years the word “trust” has been at the forefront of my mind in terms of relationships. As a therapist, I deal with relationships on a daily basis in a clinical sense. Every person I work with, has to develop a sense of trust in me as a clinician and also as a human […]
Vulnerability Is The Birthplace of Change
Brene Brown is famous for her books on shame, resilience, vulnerability and more. Her words have dazzled and changed the lives of millions. One of my favorite quotes of hers is “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” I have certainly found those words to be true through my personal experiences. It seems […]
Boundaries
Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines a boundary as: something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent. Other words that might be used for the word boundary are confines, limit or limitation, or termination. We set boundaries in order to define comfortable limits and to delineate what is acceptable and what is not. Boundaries are an important […]
How to Talk to Your Partner About Polyamory
Polyamory can be a tricky subject and should be taken seriously when bringing up with a partner. This should not be talked about in unfamiliar environments when a partner is upset or anxious as this can alter their receptiveness to the topic at hand. Choose a time and place where you and your partner are […]