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As a therapist, I often hear things like, “You must have it all together,” or “I’m sure you don’t deal with anxiety.” All I have to say to that is: WRONG. I’m a therapist who lives with anxiety—and I’m human, too. Over time, I’ve learned to accept that both truths can exist side by side. My anxiety isn’t something I can just “turn off..." Not even in Disneyland. Actually… especially not in Disneyland. Between the crowds, the noise, the overstimulation, and the pressure to "make every moment magical," anxiety can sneak in before I’ve even scanned my Disney Magic Key pass. But here’s the twist: Disneyland is also the very place that’s taught me how to pause, ground, and regulate myself in ways I didn’t even expect. Over time, it's become my own kind of therapy, offering real-time present moment opportunities to practice the same tools I often share with clients as well as with my own work.

"Was this movie inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?" If you’re not familiar with it, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all interconnected. Basically, CBT says that what we think affects how we feel, and how we feel affects what we do—and vice versa.

Being sick forced me to stay home, rest, and eventually slow down. I found myself wanting to bounce back quickly, to return to my usual routine: workouts, work, coffee dates, travel. But my body asked me to pause. In that stillness, I realized how much I was living in the future, always feeling anxious, and thinking, “what’s next”. This helped bring me back to the present and realign my values to actions of living slowly and more intentionally.

Passive recharging falls into the activities that don’t require a whole lot of planning or energy, i.e., sleep, watching a tv show or movie, listening to music, etc. These are activities that are needed to just shut my brain off and have some space to do nothing. Active recharging requires an energy cost. Think about exercising or engaging with a hobby you’ve been putting off to “not having enough time.” It requires planning and engagement. A barrier can be an automatic thought, such as, “I’m too tired… I don’t want to spend more energy.” But, this can be an unfounded thinking trap! I often forget about how energized I feel after going on a walk after a long day.

Does your morning have a similar flavor? Maybe you don’t have kids but you hit the ground running as soon as your alarm goes off. Maybe the thoughts start their racing hamster wheel as soon as you open your eyes. Especially in today’s culture of do more with less, I find it hard to cultivate a sense of peace and calm in the midst of life’s daily activities.

Anxiety can be perplexing. Sometimes anxiety helps out by motivating us to plan ahead and be thorough when arranging a trip or completing an assignment at work. Other times it can sabotage us with fear and keep us from asking for a raise or from going out to meet new people.

You can practice mindfulness by taking even just a few seconds out of your day to notice what your five senses are telling you. The classic example that is often talked of in books on mindfulness involves using all your senses one by one to examine a raisin with curiosity, treating it as the first time you’ve ever experienced a raisin.

Calling all superheroes! Are you ready to unlock the secrets of optimal nutrition? Picture this: your mighty powers, unyielding determination, and unbreakable spirit. But there's one crucial element that can take your heroism to unparalleled heights

Think of your brain as a superhero headquarters. Mental health is like having a team of well-rested, focused, and emotionally stable superheroes working for you

Exercise is the secret weapon that will take your mental health to epic proportions! Are you ready to embark on an epic superhero fitness journey? Here are some tips to help you develop an exercise routine that suits your superhero lifestyle

Calling all mental health heroes! In the quest for optimal well-being, there's a mighty power that rivals even the most extraordinary superhuman abilities...