The inimitable Fred Rogers often stated: “Anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.” This simple sentiment on the importance of naming emotions has become an important aspect of helping children develop healthfully, productively and creatively. In fact, renowned neuropsychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel calls it “mindsight.” What Our Children Need According to Siegel, some basic childhood needs…

There are many ways to set boundaries. Often, the tricky part is enforcing them. The boundaries we choose to set and how we implement them say a lot about who we are. What Are Boundaries and How Do We Set Them? While “boundaries” has become trendy as a word, especially in big cities such as…

I’m Alexandra Marshall, a DBT trained Therapist in Houston. I help people develop skills to manage emotional reactions better and to start building healthy and connected relationships. I find that frequently, people come to me saying they want to stop overreacting when they get emotional. Or they want to start feeling heard and feeling more…

Written by freelance writer: Brandon Butler There is a reason you call dogs man’s best friend. Their companionship can help us become calmer, happier people. Some research (and plenty of anecdotal evidence) suggests that companion animals greatly improve our mental and physical health.  Formally trained therapy dogs, registered emotional service animals, personal pets, and even other…

What are you living with? Anxiety? Depression? Something that you can’t name but feel deeply every day? Does it keep you from resting well at night? Has it been a long time? Are you ready for a change? You don’t have to “cheer up”, “get over it,” or” shake off” your pain for others. You…

Did you know that fatigue is the most common issue women bring up with their doctors? Of course, no matter what your gender, it always seems like there’s too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do it all! Although there’s no way to magically get more time, there are things…

Being the parent of a teen can be challenging. Your teen is struggling to develop an identity separate from yours and to move toward adulthood. Butting heads on occasion is a normal part of the territory. But sometimes the situation is a little more intense than that. Your teen seems out of control, flying into…

  The Battlefield Houston arcade and laser tag facility has always been a favorite of your teenager. But today, their half-hearted participation and utter lack of enjoyment catch your attention. It seems lately you have seen them in this mode more and more often. Are they just being a typical moody teen, or do you have more…

The moment you open your eyes every day, you engage in a fight. You protect yourself from pervasive, negative thoughts that inundate your mind. That battle rages, draining you of time and energy, until you finally fall back asleep at night. Is this the way your days go? What can help you struggle less? Things…

You can’t have a relationship without arguments. Occasional disagreement is part of having any contact with another human being. The goal of relationship therapy isn’t to teach you how to avoid all arguments, but to teach you a better way to argue. In relationship therapy, you can learn how to minimize your role in unnecessary…

You’re an adult. But deep down inside you carry with you a hurt that seems to be etched into your mind and heart. All too often, you feel hollow and empty within, as if something is missing, but you have no idea what. And at times, rejection hits you so hard that you feel like…

Millions of people all over the United States are dealing with anxiety. Their lives are dominated by an emotional roller coaster – with scary highs and dangerous lows – as they suffer from phobias, anxiety disorders, or post-traumatic stress In particular, one study suggested that those living in large U.S. Cities – like New York,…

We’ve all heard the saying “we’re our own worst critic,” and in most cases it couldn’t be more true. Most of us have negative thoughts, and this is normal. Having negative thoughts isn’t the problem, the problem is that we start believing them. Get those negative thoughts out of your head! Here’s how to get…