Crafting a Dopamine Menu: A Recipe for Balanced Well-being
Dopamine plays a significant role in our brain’s reward system, offering feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. In today’s digital age, many of us habitually seek dopamine boosts through social media and constant phone use. Diversifying our sources of dopamine can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.
Power of Poetry
The month of April is the National Poetry Month and was created in 1996 to celebrate the importance that poetry–and poets–have in our lives. Poetry’s place in mental health is long and storied, and you don’t have to look hard to find that connection.
April Showers
You’ve probably heard the phrase “April showers bring May time flowers.” What you might not have heard is that April is National Stress Awareness Month.
Spring into Mindfulness
It's the perfect time to take advantage of resources that nature has to offer us in support of furthering our mental well being. In DBT, we emphasize mindfulness as the foundation to acting skillfully, being effective, and finding our wise mind. Here are several mindfulness activities you can engage in just by going outside.
Success Isn’t All or Nothing
Success, in its true essence, is not absolute. It’s relative and subjective, and it certainly isn't black and white. And herein lies the danger. As life unfolds, you will invariably fall short of goals or expectations, regardless of your effort, capability, or intent. When these expected results don't materialize — the fall can be shattering.
Supporting Mental Wellness in Students Under Pressure
In the most recent Peachtree DBT Webinar, Nissa White, discusses how to support students mental health in the academic environment. She explores the development of mental health in adolescents, ineffective coping skills including self harm, outlines strategies for students who are experiencing elevated stress, and how students’ support systems can help in times of need.
MindfulKids DBT-C Bootcamp
We are excited to present the MindfulKids DBT-C Bootcamp, a program committed to nurturing Emotion Masters in kids aged 7-11. This four-day bootcamp will occur during the summer, while on break from the usual stressors of school and extracurricular activities.
DBT Bootcamp 2024
Our team is excited to offer another round of DBT Boot Camp for Summer 2024! This version of the DBT skills is designed to provide you with all the DBT skills in a shorter period of time – the summer!
Ins and Outs for 2024
As the first month of the New Year draws to a close, we might have a good idea on what is working for us and what is not. In 2024, let’s take a turn into things that are filling our water cups and planting seeds rather than drying up everything.
May the Force (and some Animal-Assisted therapy) be with you!
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a type of psychotherapy that includes animals in treatment to achieve therapeutic goals. It can also be utilized as a complementary treatment modality to supplement other traditional types of therapies.
The Start of Something New
With the new year fast approaching, it’s only natural to think about starting something new, and with that often comes fear and self-doubt. Right now, my Instagram feed is rife with influencers touting their virtual 2024 vision boards, fitness gurus pushing the newest “Hard 30” fad, and plenty of high school acquaintances sharing about their new jobs, new houses, and growing families.
DBT Skills for the Holiday Season
As we participate in the holiday season, there are a lot of happy things and events coming up for many people. However, that is not the case for everyone, and some might struggle more around this time. The holiday season can also bring up complicated feelings around grief and loss, or even discontentment that life is not as you hoped.
Holiday Expectations
With the holidays quickly approaching, expectations and the pressure we all put on ourselves to “do it right” have been on my mind. Whether it's getting the perfect gift for a loved one or planning a get together with old friends, the holidays can be wrought with expectations.
Procrastination Season
Procrastination is often a product of feeling overwhelmed, intimidated, incapable, and/or uninterested. Since this can be boiled down to emotional experiences, we can feel more hopeful and empowered to break this pattern when we acknowledge that it’s actually not a product of an inherent personality trait.
Childhood Attachment and Relationship Functioning
Attachment theory suggests that the way in which children bond with their primary caregiver(s) impacts current and future relational functioning. Being securely attached means having a caregiver who is available for support and comfort, and responds appropriately to a child’s physical and emotional needs.
It’s SPOOKY Season
With the holidays coming around, the season can be spookier than we’d like. Events, traveling, and even more time with family can cause stress and anxiety that we don’t usually have during the rest of the year.
Self Compassion
How often do you stop and allow yourself the time and space to really feel your emotions? Our lives are full of action and we often find it difficult to stop and ask ourselves what is this emotion and what does it need from me.
Back to Life, Back to Reality
The transition out of summer and back to school and reality can be challenging for kids and parents alike. We can find ourselves feeling super stressed out and far more emotionally vulnerable as we settle into our “new normal” for the year ahead.
Finding Hope and Healing
Suicide is a complex issue that touches countless lives and communities. Individuals who experience suicidal thoughts often grapple with emotional dysregulation, overwhelming distress, and a sense of isolation. Peachtree Comprehensive Health stands united with communities worldwide to raise awareness, spread hope, and offer support to those who may be struggling with their mental well-being.
When and How to End a Therapeutic Relationship
Depending on the relationship and the reason it is over, endings can affect us in number of ways. This is the same for our therapeutic relationships. Regardless of the why, having a healthy ending to a relationship, can be even more impactful than the relationship itself.