Sentient Psychotherapy Blog
5 Steps to Survive and Thrive Through Holiday Family Gatherings
The holidays are here, and with them comes the inevitable family gatherings. Ah, yes—the food, the fun, the festive spirit… and, of course, the drama. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of gratitude, mindfulness, and self-compassion. After all, if you can make it through a family gathering with your sanity intact, you can conquer anything.
How to Beat Stress When You Can’t Stop Freaking Out
By Joy Ripplinger LMHC Whether it’s an overwhelming workload, a sudden personal crisis, or just the weight of the world feeling a bit too heavy, stress can hit hard and fast. I'm not going to lie: for me, stress is usually subway- or kid-related, but right now, it's...
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE
It’s the end of summer, which for me always signals that bittersweet “back-to-school” feeling. On one hand, I’m sad to let go of the longer sunny days, trips to the beach, and summer Fridays long weekends. On the other hand, I look forward to cooler fall weather in New York City, and the structure of the school year for my teenagers. Put more simply, what I struggle with is the challenge of change. If you do too, read on to learn 3 powerful ways to better handle transitions that I hope will provide a more easeful shift from summer to fall for you and your family.
Mindfulness Wins Big at the Olympic Games
By Joy Ripplinger LMHC
Informal mindfulness, or “everyday mindfulness” is an efficient, effective way to reduce the internal experience of stress and anxiety, without the added pressure of having to formally sit down to meditate. You may not be competing in the Olympic Games, but improving your day-to-day focus, attention span and drive can be a serious game changer with the help of informal mindfulness practice.
Bona Fide Coping Skills for Life’s Painful Ups and Downs
By Joy Ripplinger LMHC
In childhood, we have very limited resources and power, like riding a single-speed, fixed-gear bike. Blaming ourselves or blaming others is a very effective way of coping. In adulthood, we have way more resources and personal power to deal with adversity in more adaptive ways. Like riding a 10 speed bike, with practice we can learn to shift gears depending on the road, and enjoy the ride no matter what’s around the corner.
Courage to Create the Conditions for Healing
By Joy Ripplinger LMHC
When you resist, judge, control or dismiss your unwanted thoughts, feelings and experiences, you remain locked in a destructive pattern that works against you. By learning to see, accept and care about your own suffering, on the other hand, you develop a compassionate stance that gives rise to your body’s innate capacity to heal old emotional and psychological wounds. It takes courage to create the conditions for healing, but therapy can help.
3 Ways ACT Therapy Enhances Well-being
By Joy Ripplinger LMHC
ACT Therapy, also known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is an evidence-based approach that is considered a “third-wave” form of CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. If you’re shopping for a therapist, it can get confusing wondering which approach or style will work best for you. Therapy is a big commitment of time and money. You deserve to understand how your therapy will work and what to expect before even walking in the door.
You Can Shine
By Joy Ripplinger
When my daughter was 8 years old, she made a sign out of construction paper stating, “You Can Shine” and taped it to our kitchen wall. Over 10 years later, this work of art remains fixed on our kitchen wall and it acts as a daily reminder that it is, indeed, okay to shine!