Emotion Regulation — What’s That?

by Deborah Tucker on June 14, 2013

ANGRY-ANNAll of us need the ability to regulate our emotions.  Put simply, what this means is learning how to identify and manage our feelings, even under stress.  In a great post from her blog on Psychology Today,  Dr. Alicia Boyes writes about 10 Essential Emotion Regulation Skills for Adults.

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“Fighting Fair” — Is it possible?

June 13, 2013 Marriage and Relationships

Sue Johnson is a researcher and author in the field of couples’ therapy, and the developer of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.  She is very well regarded by professionals, and is also the author of “Hold Me Tight”, a great book for couples seeking to deepen their emotional connection. In a recent Psychology Today article, she [...]

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Persistent pain after stressful events may have a neurological basis

June 12, 2013 Chronic pain management
pain after trauma

Many clients come to therapists reporting that they have severe, persistent pain after traumatic events, like car accidents or sexual assaults.  Many times their pain doesn’t seem to be related in a physical way to the event itself, and often doctors will discount it or think that the patient is exaggerating their pain. A new [...]

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ACES and your health — what does it mean?

June 11, 2013 Anxiety

Have you heard of the ACES study?  It’s a study that began in 1994 that looked at Adverse Childhood Experiences and their relationship to current physical health.  The results are sobering,  and point to the need for treatment of childhood trauma, even when we are adults. An Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) is defined as experiencing [...]

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No chance to say goodbye

May 28, 2013 Grief

Here is a great post by a friend on how we never really know when “the last goodbye” might be http://www.widowsvoice-sslf.blogspot.com/2013/05/no-goodbye.html

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Help for families of the mentally ill

April 28, 2013 Uncategorized

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great organization aimed at helping those with mental illness, and their families and friends, as well.  Their website is packed with useful information, and so is their newsletter.  Please check it out, and be sure to forward the information to anyone else you know who may need [...]

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The transformative power of a baby

April 28, 2013 Children
Baby with mother and father

This morning  a columnist in our local paper published a story on how beautiful it is to  watch his adult children become parents.  It is one of the most touching things I’ve read in a long time.  Every new life in this world is a blessing, no matter the circumstances.  I believe it is up [...]

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Insomnia linked to increased thoughts of suicide

April 27, 2013 Depression

Here is an interesting article on the NAMI website.  If you or someone you know suffers from insomnia, it’s important to seek out both a medical evaluation and also therapy to help resolve the problem.

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Suicide Prevention Awareness at College of the Canyons

April 26, 2013 Depression

College to Host Suicide Prevention Awareness Event May 7 and 8 The College of the Canyons Health & Wellness Center will host a Suicide Prevention Awareness Event designed to provide students and community members with access to important mental health resources, while bringing attention to the staggering amount of college students who commit suicide each [...]

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A Free Webinar on Sane and Centered Parenting

April 17, 2013 Parenting
5 Weeks to Transform Stressed Out into Sane & Centered | Marcy Axness PhD

Here’s a great opportunity — Dr. Marcy Axness is offering a free webinar on “Transforming Parenting from Stressed Out to Sane and Centered” .  Take a look, and give yourself a treat by signing up.  Click here to see the entire post. *** This post is your invitation to an empowering FREE webinar next Wednesday [...]

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Boston Marathon trauma recovery

April 16, 2013 Trauma and PTSD

Many people will be impacted by the horror of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.  What makes this especially difficult is that many of the wounded and witnesses are from outside the Boston area.  Right now, and in weeks to come, there will be trauma treatment professionals available in Boston to help people who are [...]

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Anxious kids — a gentle push, or shielding — which is best

April 14, 2013 Anxiety

Today’s Ventura County Star as a great article called Feeling Fear Now … (Or Later?).  It’s based on a recently released study from the Mayo Clinic that concludes that children who avoid anxiety producing situations end up more anxious later on.  What’s your opinion?

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Job and Career Expo by Youth Employment Service

April 12, 2013 Career and jobs

Don’t miss the Job and Career Expo on Saturday, May 4, 10 am – 1 pm, at the Boys and Girls Club of Simi Valley.  It’s geared toward youth ages 15-22.  Come “dressed for success” ready to apply and interview.  (Short skirts, shorts, jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes are not appropriate for this event.) For [...]

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For widows and widowers — when it’s hard to go on

April 9, 2013 Grief

Here is a great website, and most especially a post from someone who’s been through it. http://widowsvoice-sslf.blogspot.com/2013/03/for-times-that-you-want-to-stop.html

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Parenting 101 in a 2.0 world

April 6, 2013 Children
Parents and children

It’s always been tough to be a parent, but it seems that it’s getting harder and harder to do what’s good for kids in our “me-first” culture. Parenthood necessarily means a transition out of the self-orientation of the teenage years and young adulthood, and that in itself is sometimes tough. It means sacrificing our own [...]

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Premarital counseling : How to know if this person is right to marry?

April 3, 2013 Marriage and Relationships
Wedding Rings

Sometimes it just seems to happen by luck, and other times it seems like it will never happen. It is certainly a topic that gets discussed often in a therapist’s office: how will I meet the right person to marry? And, how will I know if that person is right for me? How to meet [...]

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Treat your spouse the way you treat your friends

April 2, 2013 Marriage and Relationships

Here’s a great column on how one couple is trying to solve the age-old problem of feeling “taken for granted”. Take a look and see what you think.  

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Job hunting for college grads

March 28, 2013 Career and jobs
Graduation Girl

It’s not too soon for prospective college grads to begin their job hunt. We’ve pulled together several good articles that will help you in your quest. Above all, don’t get discouraged! There are jobs out there, but they have to be found. If you find a company for whom you’d like to work, don’t discard [...]

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How to Break a Habit — Don’t Try Harder — Try Differently

March 27, 2013 Health and Fitness
Exercise habit

The April 2013 issue of Psychology Today (so new I can’t yet find a link to it) had a great article on how to break old habits by doing something different, written by Thomas Plante.  If someone finds the link, please comment below and I will add it.  It’s such a good article that I [...]

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How to be married — keeping it all in perspective is the key

February 2, 2013 Marriage and Relationships
Valentines Heart Rings

Here’s a great letter from Annie’s Mailbox (successor to Ann Landers) from a man who learned what’s important in marriage. Great advice for all of us, just in time for Valentine’s Day. And for me, just in time for Lent, when the most productive fasting is to fast from what comes out of my mouth! [...]

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Mediation for divorce — lower conflict, lower costs, better outcomes

February 1, 2013 Divorce

Divorce is never a happy thing, and all too often going through the process of divorce can exponentially add to the pain, damage and financial costs of splitting up. Something to consider is the process of mediation. There are professional mediators who are very experienced in helping divorcing couples come to agreement about how to [...]

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The Zone diet — time-tested, balanced approach to healthy eating

January 22, 2013 Health and Fitness

I have lots of opportunities to talk to clients and other about how to eat in a healthy way. I always end up recommending checking out the Zone way of eating. It’s been around for many years, and is quite similar to what doctors recommend for people battling diabetes. For many people, it really helps [...]

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12 most powerful words for parents

January 21, 2013 Children

Here is an excellent post on the 12 Most Powerful Words for Parents. Take a look, and let us know what you think. Powerful!

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Training for mental health issues coming to Simi Valley

January 11, 2013 Depression

With the massacre at Newtown still fresh in our minds, as well as other similar events more recently, the topic of how to spot mental health issues before they become an emergency is a big one on everyone’s mind. Concerned citizens in Simi Valley will have the opportunity to take a free 12 hour course [...]

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A fresh start for a New Year

January 1, 2013 Holidays
Photo used under Creative Commons by bayassaa, on Flickr.com

I’ve been waiting for New Year’s Day for quite some time, I realize. 2012 has been a rough one in multiple ways, for my family and for so many others, and I know I’ve been waiting for the calendar to flip over. Surely 2013 will be better, I’ve thought.

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