Discovering the Depths of Your Anger with the Iceberg Method
Anger is a natural human emotion that all of us experience at some point in our lives. It can be triggered by a variety of situations, such as feeling threatened or frustrated, experiencing disappointment or betrayal, or perceiving an injustice or unfairness. While anger in itself is not necessarily difficult to identify, it is often […]
10 Key DBT Skills to Survive and Thrive with Everyday Emotions
DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy and it’s a form of therapy commonly used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is a mental health condition that includes symptoms like intense emotions, unstable sense of self, impulsive behaviors, and difficulty regulating emotions. DBT works by teaching people how to manage their emotions, improve interpersonal skills, […]
The Power of DBT for Managing Borderline Personality Disorder
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT, is a type of therapy developed in the late 1980s by Dr. Marsha Linehan, a psychologist who struggled herself with extreme emotional distress in her youth. It was originally developed out of necessity for helping individuals in their diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Researchers were noticing that individuals diagnosed […]
Why do People with BPD Have a Fear of Abandonment?
For people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), abandonment is often a terrifying thought, leading to intense emotional reactions and repeated attempts to avoid it. These include frantic efforts to maintain relationships, making unrealistic sacrifices to keep others close, excessive dependence on others for support, and engaging in impulsive behaviors such as reckless spending or substance […]
Love-Hate Relationships: The Push and Pull Dynamics with Borderline Personality
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex mental illness characterized by intense and unstable emotions, impulsive behavior, and difficulties in maintaining stable relationships. One of the key features of BPD is the push-pull dynamics, which occur when individuals have a strong urge for intimacy and deep connection with someone, but their fear of rejection and […]
Thriving with Bipolar: How Structured Routines Can Make a Difference
Routines refer to a habitual pattern of behavior or activity that is performed regularly in a set order or sequence. Although they are often associated with mundanity, they play a crucial role in maintaining mental wellness, stability and balance. Routines have been found to be particularly helpful in regulating and improving mood, which is why […]
Identifying and Understanding Common Bipolar Triggers
Bipolar disorder causes extreme fluctuations in mood, energy, and activity levels. It is characterized by alternating periods of mania or hypomania and depression. These mood episodes can have a profound impact on an individual’s life, affecting their ability to function and engage in daily activities. Understanding the symptoms and triggers of bipolar disorder is essential […]
The Problem with Saying “I’m OCD” When You’re Actually Not
Sometimes people use the term OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) in a casual manner to describe their traits related to cleanliness, organization skills or perfectionism. However, using this term inappropriately can have significant consequences. First, using the term OCD casually often minimizes the real struggles and hardships that individuals diagnosed with OCD face on a daily basis. […]
Breaking Down the Top 8 Myths Surrounding OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive thoughts or images, which cause anxiety and distress, and behavioral compulsions that attempt to reduce the distress. While OCD affects millions of people worldwide, it is often misunderstood, and misconceptions about the condition continue to persist. At River Oaks Psychology, we are […]
ADHD Got You Stressed? Try these 10 Life Hacks for Ultimate Success
Life hacks can be a game-changer for individuals with ADHD, making daily tasks more manageable and less overwhelming. Incorporating small changes into your routine can lead to significant improvements in daily life and allow you to better manage your time while decreasing feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Let’s talk about some common life hacks that […]
Similar but Different: How to Spot ADHD in Children vs. Adults
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects people of all ages. However, ADHD presents differently in children compared to adults, due to varying factors, including their stages of development, environments, and skills. In children, ADHD symptoms usually begin in early childhood and persist through adolescence. They often struggle with completing tasks, […]
Healing Is Not Linear: Understanding the 5 Stages of Grief
Grief is a natural and necessary emotional response to loss. It is a complex process that involves various psychological, social, and physical aspects that differ from person to person. Grief can occur when someone experiences the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant change in life circumstances. While most […]
How to Recognize and Address the Signs of Stress-Overload
Stress is a natural part of our lives and it comes in various forms. A little bit of stress is actually beneficial as it helps us perform better and stay alert. However, when stress becomes overwhelming, it can be detrimental to our health and wellbeing. Stress overload can have serious consequences on our mental, emotional, […]
The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating
Intuitive Eating is an evidenced-based approach to eating that was first introduced in 1995 by two dieticians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. This approach to eating focuses primarily on the individual’s relationship with food, eating, and their body. It’s a non-diet approach that encourages people to trust themselves and their bodies rather than external rules […]
Tips for Parents: How to Support Eating Disorder Recovery at Home
As a parent, it is your responsibility to look out for the physical and emotional wellbeing of your children. But when your child is struggling with an eating disorder, this often means taking extra precautions and learning the ways that you can support their treatment journey, which can be one of the most difficult parenting […]
How to Talk About Your Eating Disorder with Friends or Family
Talking to your friends and family about your eating disorder can be daunting and overwhelming, but it can be helpful for building a strong support system. Having a support system is an essential part of recovering from an eating disorder. Eating disorders involve a wide range of physical and emotional difficulties that require a great […]
Disordered Eating Patterns vs. Eating Disorders: What’s the Difference?
What’s the difference between having “disordered eating patterns” and having a diagnosed eating disorder? Each must be taken seriously, as both are valid and should be addressed in treatment. Both conditions share similar characteristics but it is important to differentiate between them to gain insight into the proper course of action for treatment. Someone who […]
Body Shaming: Everything You Need to Know
Body shaming is harmful and should be avoided at all costs. But we live in a society where body shaming has become a social norm. At River Oaks Psychology, we firmly reject the culture of commenting on one’s outward appearance and we urge our patients and families to challenge any tendencies to give into the […]
Here’s How Trauma Can Impact Your Relationships
Many people think of trauma in terms of military time, car accidents, experiencing crimes, cruelty, aggression, witnessing death, and other large-scale events. Trauma can also be valid and equally impacting on a smaller scale. Sometimes experiencing chronic feelings of discouragement within our family can be traumatic. Going through a tough breakup with a partner can […]
The Effects of Substance Use on Family Members
Some people view substance use as an individual behavior that can be done in isolation, away from family members who may not approve. But in most cases, a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) affects not only the person using drugs or alcohol, but everyone around them as well, particularly their family members. Because a person’s physical, […]
Trauma Responses: How Does My Trauma Impact My Current Behavior?
When we experience trauma, it can leave a lasting imprint that affects the way we perceive and respond to things around us, even long after the initial traumatic experience. We may develop behaviors that served us well at the time but now hinder our ability to form healthy relationships or cope with stressors in a […]
Learning How to Recover After Trauma
Trauma brings the most vulnerable parts of ourselves to the surface. Most people think of trauma in terms of large events that have a great deal of visibility, such as a major car accident, a natural disaster, or military service – but it’s important to also recognize trauma that occurs on a smaller scale that […]
Why Journaling is Good for Your Mental Health, plus 10 Journal Prompts!
Journaling is one of the easiest things that you can do for yourself to reduce stress, help with anxiety or depression, organize your life, build self-awareness, achieve clarity, and overall enhance your sense of inner peace. It’s a great coping skill that you can do privately to make sense of your everyday experiences. For people […]
Easy Tips to Improve Your Family’s Eating Habits
Are you trying to eat healthier but struggling with family dynamics and getting everyone to agree? You’re not alone. Many families disagree about food preferences and it’s easy to argue about what to make for dinner. Preparing wholesome meals for the whole family can be a challenge, especially for those with busy lifestyles. At River […]
4 Food Categories Known to Boost Your Mental Health
From a young age, we’re taught that eating well is good for our bodies. But what we are not always told is that good nutrition actually affects our mental health, too. One way that our food intake impacts our mental health involves the close relationship between our brain and our gastrointestinal tract, often called the […]
8 Things Not to Do If You’re Struggling with Depression
No two people with depression will have identical experiences. Every person’s journey is unique and the methods to recovery will vary from person to person. Often, working with a mental health therapist is the first step to creating a treatment plan that will work for you. However, there are common themes that we typically see […]
Depression Is Not Your Fault: How to Stop Blaming Yourself
People living with depression are some of the strongest people in the world. They are constantly fighting an internal battle that others often misunderstand. Sometimes it feels like you are treading water just trying to stay afloat. Other times it may feel like a thousand pounds are weighing on your back. Some people feel hollow […]
Hope is Always Possible: How to Overcome Feelings of Hopelessness
When we experience overwhelming disappointment in life, or when we are dealing with depression, it is common to experience a sense of hopelessness and feel like your situation will never change for the better. By definition, hopelessness is a feeling of despair or the absence of believing that life can become better. When you feel […]
It’s Okay to Feel Sad: How to Relieve Social Pressure to “Cheer Up” When Feeling Down
Do you ever feel pressured to be happy? Or have you ever felt like you “shouldn’t” be sad? Sadness is a painful – yet normal – part of life and fighting against it or expecting to be happy all the time only makes our sadness feel more intense. Nobody wants to feel sad, but it […]
40 Ways to Manage Anxiety When You Only Have 5 Minutes or Less
Does it feel like you have too much to do and not enough time to manage anxiety in your life? You’re not alone. Many people with anxiety struggle to manage it and feel overwhelmed by having little time for coping skills. Responsibilities relating to our family, friends, work, health, and more can become very demanding […]
Living With Anxiety: 15 Examples of What It Might Look Like
How do you know if you have anxiety? Sometimes, it’s easy to identify that we are feeling anxious. Anxiety often feels like nervousness, fear, worry, uneasiness, insecurity, or even panic. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless, or have a rapid heartbeat. Some anxiety can be a normal reaction to something that causes stress, […]
Is Your Life Too Busy? Important Questions to Ask Yourself
Many people feel pressured to keep busy. Parents of kids and teens often run from school pickups to sports practice to music lessons to family dinnertime to homework, bedtime, and repeat the next day. Working professionals are often praised for hustling harder with a jam-packed schedule. Some people also feel pressured to maximize weekends with […]
Important Self-Care Strategies for the LGBTQIA+ Community
We all struggle at times. Life is complicated, messy, and unpredictable. No one is immune to challenges and we have to be mindful of the unique experiences of each individual person. We also want to be mindful of the unique struggles of minority groups. Holding a minority identity can feel very isolating at times. Being […]
Stress vs. Anxiety: Knowing the Difference Can Help You Cope
Stress and anxiety share a lot of similarities, especially in terms of their symptomology. People who feel uneasy, nervous, overwhelmed, drained, agitated, tense, or generally upset may use the terms “stressed” or “anxious” interchangeably. Physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, sweating, difficulty sleeping, or jitteriness can also exist with both stress and […]
Achieving Substance Use Recovery: Questions to Keep in Mind
Substance Use Disorder is a serious mental health disorder that affects millions of people around the world. The impacts of substance use and addiction are often detrimental to an individual’s physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Understanding the root cause of your substance use, identifying and addressing triggers, developing healthy coping mechanisms, and having a strong […]
7 Harmful Myths About Depression
Depression is a treatable condition, but unfortunately it is widely misunderstood. Myths and stereotypes about depression leave people wondering if their experiences are valid, which is damaging to your mental health because ALL depression is valid. Being educated and understanding the misconceptions can be helpful for taking control over your mental health and breaking down […]
15 Important Reminders for Everyone Recovering from Trauma
Healing from trauma of any kind takes enormous effort. Some people only think about trauma in terms of car accidents, time in the military, abusive experiences, or other major life impacts, but the truth is that trauma is ANY experience that leaves you feeling emotionally affected in some negative way. This means that trauma can […]
Overcoming Social Anxiety is Possible with the Right Skills and Support
We all get nervous around new people from time to time, but does the fear of social judgment keep you from making new friends? Do you struggle to put yourself in social environments because there may be someone you don’t know? Is it hard to be out in the community because of fear that other […]
How to Make Healthy Decisions to Maintain Control in Your Life
Life is full of choices. Whether we like it or not, we all have to spend time and energy figuring out how to navigate things like our education, employment, relationships, housing, budgeting, family, parenting, hobbies, travel, and more. Simultaneously, we are constantly forming our values, beliefs, and opinions that may vary drastically from one person […]
A Simple Reminder for ALL Relationships This Mother’s Day
To Those on Mother’s Day: To the mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers To the children celebrating with their mothers To the mothers celebrating with their children To the mothers and children who cannot be together To the children who have lost their mothers To the mothers who have lost their children To the […]
How to Gently Tell Someone They Should Go to Therapy
There is nothing worse than seeing a friend or loved one struggling with their mental health and not knowing how to help. It feels like your hands are tied. You want to just wave a magic wand and “fix” their struggles, but you can’t. Mental health is highly complicated and there are a myriad of […]
What Is Workplace Burnout and How Can We Maintain Mental Wellness at Work?
Have you ever had a stressful day and you came home feeling drained, but after a good night of sleep, you wake up the next day and feel refreshed? With a little self-care, you were able to recover from your stress relatively quickly. On the other hand, burnout is a chronic state of mind – […]
Do You Love Yourself? Here’s How To Reflect On This Tough Question
We spend a lot of our time focused on relationships. From music lyrics, movies, television, books, magazines, gossip, and more, we are flooded with stories about dating, finding love, breaking up, engagements, marriages, soulmates, relationship advice, and countless other romance-oriented ideas. And with social media, sometimes it seems like everyone else has it all figured […]
Not Feeling So Merry? Here’s How to Cope with Holiday Stress
It’s okay if you’re not feeling so merry this time of year. Many of us struggle with our mental health around the holiday season. Even though we are “supposed to be” enjoying the season of giving, sometimes the best thing we can do is give ourselves a break. Be gentle with yourself and remember that […]
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You matter.You’re never alone.We care about you. Online therapy that actually feels personal. GET STARTED KIDS TEENS ADULTS COUPLES FAMILIES We want you to feel accepted, valued, seen, heard, and understood. Here, being your whole authentic self is celebrated and honored. GET STARTED Get cozy in your home. No driving. No traffic. Private. HIPAA-compliant. Confidential. And no, we won’t […]
Blogs
Here’s Why Being Highly Sensitive Might Be Your Greatest Strength
Through online blogs and in the academic literature, you may have come across the label “highly sensitive person.” Individual qualities can vary a great deal depending on a person’s environment, mood, or emotions, so sometimes I struggle with the binary implications of this term. Can we really say that people are simply “highly sensitive” or […]
30 Ideas For Fall-Themed Self-Care Activities
It’s time for warm drinks, cozy sweaters, abundance of blankets, crisp air, and rustling leaves. For many people, the fall season is a strange combination of comfort and discomfort. We enjoy embracing the fall colors, snuggling close to a fireplace, reflecting on summer, and maybe enjoying a pumpkin spice coffee. But as trees are changing […]
How Do You Know If You Have a Good Therapist? 20 Questions to Ask Yourself
Therapy is where you should feel completely safe to be your authentic self. You should be able to shut out the rest of the world and just focus on YOU – your happiness, frustrations, challenges, dreams, desires, fears, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and whatever comes to mind. Therapy is the one space in your life where […]
Sleep is Self-Care: Its Impact on Your Mental Health
Rest is critical. Sleep gives your body and mind time to restabilize and recharge for the next day. Many people struggle with the idea of slowing down and may find prioritizing sleep to be unnecessary or non-important because they value extra time awake more than they value sleep. For example, have you ever sacrificed your […]
Movement is Self-Care: Using Exercise to Improve Your Mental Health
Have you ever felt a natural high after an amazing workout? You may have heard before that these positive feelings are thanks to endorphins, neurochemicals released by your body during and after exercise. But regular releases of endorphins can also lead to lower levels of depression and anxiety, help improve self-esteem, and boost your confidence […]
7 Important Eating Tips to Nourish Your Mind and Body
Food is fuel for our bodies. Like any other body part, the brain also functions best with proper food consumption. With so much confusing information out there about nutrition from magazines, commercials, social media, from who are jumping on the latest fad diets, and other sources, it’s important that you actually understand the facts about […]
Create Time for Self-Care to Be the Best Version of Yourself
In this day and age, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed with political divides, heartbreaking news coverage, and economic changes. Feeling stressed and mentally drained has almost become a “new normal” for many people struggling to navigate social and systemic challenges on a daily basis. With mental health concerns rising in our communities, we must […]
It’s Time to Stop Verbally Abusing Your Body
Somehow, (no thanks to the media and unrealistic standards of beauty), we’ve ended up as a society obsessed with the shape, size, weight, curvature, shade, and smoothness of our bodies. Too thin, too big, too muscular, too scrawny, too tall, too short – it is sickening how much criticism pours from media influencers (and sadly, […]
8 Things Never to Say to Someone with an Eating Disorder
Oftentimes, those who live with an eating disorder can be subject to unsolicited, insensitive comments from well-meaning people around them. Though it can be difficult to think of the “right things” to say in such a sensitive situation, it is vital to keep in mind that eating disorders can be incredibly complex and that approaching […]
Debunking Myths: Exploring the Real Truths About Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have been around for centuries, and yet myths and misunderstandings still persist. Although eating disorders are now more common than ever before, there is still a stigma attached to them. Many people don’t understand the true facts of an eating disorder and their views are often misguided or simply untrue. Let’s talk about […]
10 Key Things Everyone Should Know About Therapy
Are you thinking about therapy? That’s great! It means you’re focused on your wellness and interested in living your best, most empowered life. At River Oaks Psychology, we want to normalize therapy so that it is accessible and convenient for everyone. With our telehealth services, getting help is easy and secure. If you have a […]
Learning to Trust Yourself Matters More Than You Think
Trust is a concept we often only think about in relation to other people. You probably understand the importance of trusting others in committed relationships. You may have had to learn how to rebuild trust with someone who previously broke your trust. Or you may have experienced a time when you had to slowly allow […]
Winter Blues or Seasonal Depression? How to Know the Difference and How to Cope
Surviving winter means dealing with snow, cold temperatures, dreary skies, and greater isolation. Many people struggle with winter boredom, missing their regular spring/summer/fall outdoor activities, such as bike riding or running. Some people struggle with anxiety on icy roads, strong winds, wearing multiple layers, or the situational events in the winter season, like post-holiday stress […]
Healthy Tips and Strategies for Achieving New Year’s Resolutions
Are you ready to work on your New Year’s resolutions? Perhaps one of the most important questions that you can ask yourself is, what are your natural strengths that may be useful in goal attainment? Maybe you excel at list-making, organization, communicating with others, resourcefulness, finding balance between work and play, journaling, or self-reflection – […]
How to Survive the Holidays and Keep Yourself Grounded
The holiday season brings a lot of excitement with gift shopping, preparing family recipes, enjoying bright lights and decorations, and spreading love among each other in numerous ways. But for some people, the holidays can also bring feelings of grief, overwhelm, anxiety, or general feelings of chaos that make us feel overwhelmed and scattered. It’s […]
What Are Panic Attacks and How Can We Cope With Them?
Let’s talk about panic attacks. Have you ever felt like your heart is pounding so fast that it’s hard to breathe? Or maybe you quickly felt dizzy or lighthearted as your anxiety suddenly skyrocketed. Maybe you even felt like you were dying in the moment. Your body likely began sweating as adrenaline consumed you. These […]
What to Expect From a First Therapy Appointment
If you scheduled a first therapy appointment, congratulations! This means you are committed to your wellness and are taking steps to improve your quality of life, heal from emotional pain, strengthen your relationships, develop better coping skills, and feel more empowered. Therapy is the one space in your life where the focus and energy is […]
How to Set Boundaries for Better Mental Health and Self-Care
Do you ever find yourself consumed by the needs of other people? Do you ever sacrifice your own needs to show up for someone else? Or have you ever felt socially drained or overextended when you are supposed to be enjoying time with people? It’s important to remember our reasons for engaging in activities. Are […]
Is Therapy Justified? And What Can I Get Out of It?
Sometimes it’s hard to determine if therapy is right for you. Movies like Girl, Interrupted (1999) and TV shows like Shameless (2011) portray individual or family problems that leave some people thinking, “my problems are like that, I don’t need therapy.” Some feel as though they have to be experiencing a certain level of emotional […]
What Does Self-Care Actually Mean?
Your laundry basket is overflowing, you don’t have a clue what’s for dinner, your kids are fighting over the remote, and you’re wondering how to get grape juice stains out of carpet. Then your phone lights up and you see a new article posted on self-care with pictures of bubble baths, candles, and wine. Yeah right, […]
21 Reasons Why We Love Telehealth – And Why You Will, Too
We love telehealth and we think you will, too. We want every person to make their own decision regarding the type of mental health treatment they pursue. After all, accessing therapy is a personalized choice and we support all decisions that are right for you. But for those who are curious about telehealth and want […]
