elotz@westsidedbt.com

By Ravi Chandra                                        Artistan/Adobe Stock It’s time to be clear about how social media affects our relationships and well-being—and what our intentions are each time we log on. It was no one other than Facebook’s former vice president […]

By Jeff Corbin, MD MPH “When I was depressed I couldn’t motivate myself to do the things that make me feel good. When I was feeling better, I didn’t think about restarting them. I guess I need to change how I think about my depression: there’s depressed; there’s not depressed; then there’s working to keep myself

By Laura Chang M.A., LPC “Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul.” – Henry Van Dyke Many people who grow up in an invalidating environment gradually internalize invalidating messages about the self.  This may happen with a child who was never taught to trust his own competency or ability to take care of himself.

 By Zawn Villines  Meditation offers time for relaxation and heightened awareness in a stressful world where our senses are often dulled. Research suggests that meditation has the potential for more than just temporary stress relief. Educators, spiritual leaders, and mental health experts have developed dozens of forms of meditation. The variety suggests there is a form of meditation

Basho by Kinkoku Yokoi (1761-1832) By Toni Bernhard J.D. Learn to skillfully respond to the cognitive distortion of catastrophizing. Cognitive distortions are errors in thinking. The phrase refers to our irrational and exaggerated thoughts: thoughts that have no basis in fact, but which we believe anyway. These distorted thoughts then become the breeding ground for stressful emotions. The result is anxiety and the

When the road gets rocky, what do you do? By Kira M. Newman A mentor of mine recently passed away, and I was heartbroken—so I tried my best to avoid thinking about it. I didn’t even mention it to my family because I didn’t want those sad feelings to resurface. In other words, I took

The truth is: we don’t know much about what “will be.” Here are six mindfulness tips for going with the flow—rather than losing ourselves in the undertow. By Elaine Smookler Change comes whether we want it or not. If we can stay open and curious to an ever-new landscape of life’s possibilities, change can actually be the

By Margarita Tartakovsky Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) comes with gifts — such as greater empathy — and some challenges. For instance, HSPs tend to get overwhelmed by their environments. We’re bothered by everything from big crowds to bright lights. (In an earlier piece we shared five ways to navigate this overwhelm.) HSPs also are keenly

By Lindsay Holmes We should all make time to disconnect from our devices, but sometimes technology can be a beautiful tool. Most of us use our smartphones to chat with loved ones, check our email or as a crutch when we’re bored — but there’s a better way to harness the power of our screens.