Anxiety- friend or frenemy?

This video just crossed my path and it is absolutely AMAZING! I have been known to encourage people to name their anxiety- i.e. “Hi Gloria, I have no time for you today” sort of naming, but this takes takes it to a whole new level.

You can read along with Jae Nichelle here.

Let me know your thoughts or, as always, feel free to reach out if you want to take some new steps to KNOCK OUT your own anxiety.

why all the F-bombs?

After a recent website re-vamp, you might have noticed that there are a couple F-bombs circulating around. For awhile, I used to censor myself (once editing out a rogue FUCK from a past blog post). Over the years of being a therapist (now, well over a decade), I would often work especially hard to not say certain words in sessions, fuck very often being one of them. I don’t swear more than your average New Yorker, but I do swear. And I’m done hiding it. How can I help you be authentically you, and not fully embrace my own goddamn self?! I can’t.

I also cannot count on my fingers & toes the number of times I’ve heard from people about previous bad therapy experiences they had- where they felt judged for swearing, and one person said the therapist even asked they did not swear in session. I was and am so appalled by this. And want you to know, I will not be that therapist.

I have worked with people who will quickly apologize after swearing, or ask permission to say a bad word in session. Again, 100% not necessary. There will be plenty of other things you need to give yourself permission for, that will likely come up in sessions (hint hint: taking care of yourself and your needs and making this a priority in your life), but swearing will never be one of them.

So, this week I got my new office toy- the photo cover here. And I fucking love it!