In our series of cognitive distortions, sublimation is one type of distortion that at first appearance does not seem like a negative ‘distortion’. Sublimation is, in essence, turning something that is perceived as a weakness or inappropriate to the society/culture, into something that is good and acceptable. It is adaptable as somewhat of a strength, […]
We are starting a blog series that talks about defense mechanisms, or the ways in which we try to protect ourselves from fear or pain. However, before we dive into the different defense mechanisms, it is important to look at how we get there in the first place. This is where the nervous system comes […]
It is not unusual for parents to experience challenging behaviors that their child has and not know how to communicate to meet that need or resolve the conflict without finding it turns into a power struggle. Often we know it is a power struggle because it’s coming across that either your child is ‘winning’ or […]
Transitioning into a new year tends to bring desire for change. While culturally some of those transitions are defined by New Years Resolutions, some of those changes might include a move, redefining boundaries with friendships or family, a job change, etc. Transitions can bring up a mixture of emotions and thoughts. During these transitions, we […]
I cringe as I say and write the word, LIMITATIONS. We live in a culture that frowns upon boundaries, saying no, and “weakness”. We continue to add more to our to-do lists and fear not measuring up or failure, so we say “yes”, we keep busy. Many of us growing up were told we could […]
New Years has become known as a time for resolutions, which is great (when they actually happen). So often, however, life gets in the way. This year instead of shaming yourself into change, I want to invite you into a different approach: reflection. Let me be clear, reflection is not about judgement. When we are […]
Having lived in Colorado most of my life, an observation I have made is that “Denverites” are often transient people. We move quickly from one thing to the next. We seek out the new hip coffee shop or the popular brewery around the corner. We spend large amounts of money on new ski-wear and attempt […]
Ten years ago, after my older sister had died in a car accident, I received a package in the mail from a friend. I was beaten down with grief, feeling hopeless and confused as to how to navigate the sorrow. To my surprise, when I opened the box, I read the title of a book: […]
We all know the importance of a good night’s sleep. However, it has become more and more obvious that it is not always easy to get those 8+ hours of shut eye. In fact, recent research has shown that even more than one-third of children, ages 4 months to 17 years old, are not getting […]
A Better Way to Breathe- The Benefits of Nasal Breathing Breathing- it’s something we do every day yet rarely think about. Many of us have never been formally taught how to breathe, nor do we think it is very important. Breathing is breathing, right? Surprisingly, that is far from the truth. The way in which […]