Deep breathing is a foundational skill for most other relaxation exercises. And, for many people, it can be an effective coping skill on its own. Why is Deep Breathing Important? Many difficult emotions also have a body response that changes our breathing. Anxious worry or panic can cause fast, shallow breaths that make us feel…[Read More]
Coping Skills
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
What is Grounding? From a mental health perspective, grounding is the process of refocusing your attention on the present moment, your here-and-now reality. Grounding techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise described below, can help to create space from distressing thoughts or emotions. Grounding is a self-soothing skill, that is, something you can do to…[Read More]
Psychiatry: More than Medication Management
If I asked you to create a scene in your mind of a session with a psychiatry provider (psychiatrist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner), how would it look? Would the provider ask a few questions about your main mental health symptoms and write a prescription? Would the follow-up visits involve nothing more than asking…[Read More]
How to Forgive Yourself
Having close relationships with other people is beneficial for our emotional, mental, and even physical health. However, personal relationships can also involve hurt, pain, and betrayal. Sometimes we are on the receiving end of that pain because of something hurtful done by a friend, family member, or partner. Other times we are the ones who…[Read More]