How to Find a Therapist That is Right for You
A positive relationship between a client and therapist is based on trust and open communication. When you feel comfortable and connected to your therapist, the therapy itself improves. You will likely allow yourself to be more vulnerable because you know the person on the other end is trustworthy and cares for you. Every therapeutic relationship […]
Goal Setting: How to Envision the Future
We are taught that setting goals helps us progress in life, but are rarely told how to set them. Goals are nuanced, and our circumstances impact the types of goals that we can create. Two people may have the same goal of ‘being a CEO’, but depending on their identity, and taking intersectionality into account, […]
Moving Through Anxiety
Anxiety is a common and natural feeling. It can arise when we are uncomfortable, unprepared, or worried. Anxiety manifests in the body through a series of symptoms including elevated heart rate, strained breathing, trouble concentrating, and more. Take a moment to reflect on your physical symptoms when you feel stressed. Some people develop subconscious self-soothing […]
How to Set Boundaries at Work
When we read self-help books, inspirational social media posts, or read about self-care activities, one phrase is always present: ‘work-life balance’. We are told how important it is for our mental health. We are told that without it we will develop anxiety or fall behind on taking care of ourselves. Sometimes it feels like a […]
How to Balance Family, Work, and Living in Today’s America
Today’s America looks very different from America pre-pandemic. It’s important to acknowledge the difficulties in balancing and living as there are times where the two struggle to co-exist. While battling inflation, possible layoffs, health scares, and the upcoming holiday season, the looming stress can feel like a burden. So here are some tips to preserve […]
5 Negative Habits to Change Today
As we move through the world, we develop coping mechanisms for everyday situations. We create narrative and behaviors to deal with our circumstances. Some coping mechanisms are positive and healthy. The coping mechanisms that we should work on are the negative ones that lead to harming ourselves or others. What are your positive coping mechanisms? […]
How to Stop All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking places our behaviors and thoughts into two categories: good or bad. It only assigns value in these two extremes; there is no gray area. An example of this type of thinking is saying, “I failed that test so I will never be successful”. One bad moment turned into something larger with consequences for […]
The Power of Sharing: Activating Your Network
It is easy to feel lonely in our fast-paced, technology-centered world. These feelings of loneliness can bring about anxiety, social isolation, and depression. Building your community is the antidote to loneliness. Connecting with the people around you is healthy and necessary for a balanced life. When you build relationships that allow you to share and […]
Wellness and Work Life Balance: When the Problem Isn’t Your Schedule
Wellness and Work-Life Balance: When the Problem Isn’t Your Schedule You’ve color-coded your calendar, set firm work cutoffs, and promised yourself you’d stop checking email after 8 p.m. You still lie awake replaying a meeting you think you mishandled or rehearsing tomorrow’s presentation line by line. Most advice about wellness and work-life balance treats this […]
Does Expressing Your Feelings Actually Help?
Before jumping into a quick answer, let’s discuss feelings in general: It is important to remember that emotions and feelings are not bad. They often derive from met (or unmet) expectations based on set values or boundaries. These can be both expectations for yourself or for others. Expressing feelings can: Increase confidence Provide insight into your […]
Dear Perfectionist, You Have Nothing to Prove
Perfectionism is a greatly misunderstood phenomenon. Perfectionists are perceived as people who need things to be done to the highest standards. In some ways, this can seem like a good thing; people who focus on achieving often do so, no matter what the cost. Perfectionists often feel pressure to perform at the highest levels. This […]
The Function of Focus
“Let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that.”-Dalai Lama What comes first when you are writing your to-do list? We all have different priorities based on our life circumstances. Prioritizing is an essential part of maintaining a […]
Valuing Your Time: Work vs. Productivity
It takes work to create a product, whether that be tangible or something else related to your industry. That being said, not all work is productive. This distinction is important because we are often praised for working longer hours by employers, which helps create the misconception that more work equals more productivity. We all work […]
Giving Your Brain a Break: Tips to Effectively Relieve Stress
In the constantly changing landscape of our lives, it can feel counterintuitive to quiet your brain. More thoughts equal more progress, right? But this isn’t necessarily true. Burnout extends beyond the workplace. You don’t have to work a 9-5 job to feel overwhelmed and overextended. In a society that over-values productivity and under-values personal growth, […]
5 Positive Affirmations for High Achievers
At Refresh, we work with high-achieving individuals who are committed to doing the work of therapy. Part of this ‘work’ is building confidence in yourself. High achievement does not equate to confidence, as many would assume. High achievers often feel immense pressure to continue to perform well; whether it be in their personal lives or […]
Therapy Fatigue: What to do when therapy becomes exhausting
Therapy can be rejuvenating. Therapy can be cathartic. Therapy can also be exhausting. Each session is different; some will require focus, honesty, and raw emotions, while others can be filled with humor or casual discussions. Not all sessions will produce an emotional breakthrough. The work can be a slow process, and some sessions are about creating a strong relationship between therapist and client.
5 Tips for Discussing Your Preferences in the Bedroom
There is no script for how to talk about sex with your partner. Communication about sex is not often taught, so it requires practice. The safer a relationship feels, the easier it can be to talk about sexual preferences. Exploration with your partner can be fun, but it requires trust. Below are a few tips to communicate your sexual interests with your partner:
Overthinking
Overthinking. We all do it; some more frequently than others. We fixate on an awkward interaction or an upcoming event. It can be uncomfortable to feel the tornado of thoughts that swirl in your head when you are overthinking. This type of thinking can breed anxiety, which leads to further fixations. This is a cycle we can break by recognizing the signs of overthinking and actively managing them before they become overwhelming.
Managing Your Time in a Hectic World: When the Real Problem Isn’t Your Calendar
Write out your to-do list. How does it feel to see it? Is it long? Does it feel overwhelming? Between in-person and online tasks, we all have a lot going on. Our lives are expansive because of sheer access to information, connection, and communication. Maybe you have kids. Maybe you are caring for a loved one. Maybe you are trying to balance personal, social, and professional life. No matter what your circumstances, it is ok to feel overwhelmed. It is not uncommon for us to overextend ourselves for the purpose of pleasing others.
Refresh’s Celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month
Each of us experiences mental health in a different way. For some, it is a constant struggle to balance. For others, it is an afterthought. It is hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those around us; even those we love. Mental Health Awareness month can be about so much more than recognizing the signs of illness or discussing stigmas. That work is important, but there is more. It can be a time to celebrate the hard work of taking care of your mental health, or supporting others in their efforts. To be aware of mental health is not just to be aware of its dangers and downsides. It is also to shed light on the powers of thinking differently, or to celebrate human strength and resilience.
How to support friends and family struggling with their mental health
Being honest about mental health issues can be challenging for anyone. Even with the people closest in our lives, being vulnerable takes courage. Though the cultural conversation surrounding mental health has opened many up to subject, these thoughts and feelings can be intensely personal and hard to communicate. Creating a vocabulary surrounding mental health is important for all of us. When we normalize talking about our emotions and mental health challenges, we invite others to do the same.
Treatment Fatigue
Do you ever find yourself asking the question, “Should I continue doing therapy?” Sometimes we hit a point in therapy where it seems less fruitful than it once was; or worse, maybe we even start to feel distressed at the idea of preparing for our weekly sessions. I get it! I have been there, and trust me…it absolutely can be cyclical.
5 ways to talk to your partner(s) about your dislikes in the bedroom- Effective communication for the win!
We all have grown up hearing the saying, “Communication is key”. It couldn’t be more true, especially when we are talking about the communication between you and your partner(s) in the bedroom. This is a topic, in society, still viewed as taboo. Schools still struggle to navigate conversations around sexual education and forget about freely […]
Keep Your Mind Clear: Daily Habits for Organization When Anxiety, ADHD, or Burnout Are Underneath the Overwhelm
Cleaning your personal space can often feel like a positive, proactive measure to clear your mind. Michelle Newman, the director of the Laboratory for Anxiety and Depression Research at Penn State University said, ‘if you can exert some control over your inbox or your office space, these are small things you can attend to and feel good about’. This type of behavior can improve self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment. It can be empowering to feel like you are accomplishing goals and taking items off of your to-do list.
What to expect from using hypnosis in therapy
Hypnosis used in therapy can have wonderous effects in healing and achieving a sense of wholeness and feeling aligned within oneself. Hypnosis allows clients to enter a trance like state to conduct a deep dive into the unconscious to bring awareness to what needs to be healed, released, processed and validated. Ultimately hypnosis allows clients to deeply understand underlying thoughts and behaviors and emotions that need to be processed in order for them to remove blocks or feel a sense of wellness mentally, physically and emotionally.
