October 20, 2020

6 Ways to Cope When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

October 20, 2020/ Amanda Ruiz MS, LPC

2020 has been a roller coast of a year for many, including myself! It was the year of big plans, changes, and aspirations all squashed due to the pandemic, and the many challenges and alterations it brought to life. The minute we seem to get answers or figure out a routine in this new normal, something changes, and we must pivot and draft a new plan of how to function in a new way of life. Trying to manage within a pandemic can be very overwhelming. On top of worrying about normal problems and life issues, there are now bigger matters at hand, most of which we do not have concrete answers to. Not knowing or having a plan of action can cause us to feel emotionally overwhelmed and fear the worst. These feelings are normal and can be addressed and worked on. However sometimes they become overbearing, feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Let’s discuss 6 ways to best move forward when those feelings begin to take over and it feels like you against the world with no end in sight.

July 21, 2020

EMDR In Real Life

July 21, 2020/ Becca King LCSW

In my first blog called EMDR 101, I talk about the basics of trauma and how EMDR functions to help resolve it. Next, I’d like to talk more personally about why I needed EMDR as a therapist, who I find can get benefit from it, and what to expect if you choose to pursue it with me.

July 07, 2020

EMDR 101

July 07, 2020/ Becca King LCSW

By now you may have heard of a therapy technique called EMDR. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The title sounds complex, but the explanation isn’t: simply put, basic eye movement can stimulate the brain and body to finish healing itself from traumatic memory. Discovered and honed in the late 80s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, the technique has been empirically tested, endorsed by the Department of Veteran Affairs, and even touted by a few celebrities who’ve been vocal about mental health. In this blog I’ll break down what each letter means and give a simple explanation of how each facet works.

June 23, 2020

Dealing With Uncertainty

June 23, 2020/ Amanda Ruiz MS, LPC

Uncertainty is really hard for us. As humans, we love knowing. We love knowing what to expect. We love routines. We love being certain of things. We love structure. Our brains are hard-wired to create these shortcuts for us that help us to understand our world. We are bombarded with information and stimuli to our senses every minute of the day. Our brains have developed an ability to filter out unimportant information, make judgment calls about what's not important. Based on our previous experiences, it’s a shortcut for our brain so it doesn’t have to pay attention to everything. I wrote about these shortcuts in this blog. We look to the things we are certain of to help us make sense of our world.

March 21, 2020

Taking Care Of You

March 21, 2020/ Amanda Ruiz MS, LPC

Likely many of us are experiencing worry these days. Worry about finding toilet paper at the store when our family needs it. Worry about staying healthy. Worry about being off of work and our income being affected. Worry about being isolated from others. This new reality feels very different for us all-it’s very shocking. I want to remind you to take care of you. I’d like to offer a few tips to care for your mental wellbeing during this time:

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