DBT OC Blog
Make Self-Compassion Your New Year Commitment
Posted by Dr. Michele Lob PsyD., MFT, CEDS in Awareness, Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Wellness
As a New Year begins, it seems that many of us look forward to this time to recommit to diet and exercise plans, set new goals, and change behaviors. How many of us make these ‘vows’ at the beginning of every year, only to face self-doubt, self-judgment, and disillusionment when we fail to measure up to the changes we want to make? Or, the changes we feel others want us to make?
Mental Health Awareness Month: Suicidality, DBT and Hope
Posted by DBT Center of Orange County in Awareness, Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Mindfulness, News, Recent Work
During the month of Mental Health Awareness in May 2019, BetterHelp will be donating $50 to one of 20 different mental health organizations on behalf of anyone with a website that is willing to publish original content on their website that discusses a mental health & wellness topic. We at DBTOC wanted to increase awareness of mental health and support one of these amazing organizations for all that they do! An important mental health concern today is the rise of suicide in the United States. Suicide is now a leading cause of death (CDC, 2018). Rates have increased significantly since 1999. Many problems can contribute to suicide including challenges with one’s mental health, relationships, or physical health, and job, money, legal, or housing stress.
We Are Warriors!
Posted by Dr. Michele Lob PsyD., MFT, CEDS in Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Mindfulness
I recently returned from a Mindfulness training on the outskirts of Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. Being surrounded each day by the craggy, monolithic peaks, aware of over 250 million years of history woven into the fabric of sandstone striations, a thought emerged that we are both fragile and warriors simultaneously.
The Problem with Parenting: And What To Do About It
Posted by Cindy Finch, LCSW in Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Family Therapy
“I thought having kids would be easier. I thought we’d have kids who would grow up, make friends, go to school, fall in love, get married and live their lives…you know? I thought they’d be happy. But it didn’t turn out that way.” And so goes the lament of every parent who raised children that didn’t turn out the way they thought they would. Whether their child is on drugs, flunked out of school, can’t keep a job, engages in high-risk, scary behaviors, tells the parent they hate them, takes money from mom and dad but seems to exhibit little personal responsibility, is disconnected from the family or just doesn’t seem to be growing up and leading their own life, parents today are more flustered by raising children than ever before.
Relieve Your Stress with DBT
Posted by Nora Josephson LPC, RYT in Awareness, Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Mindfulness, Wellness
My Daily Skimm reminded me that it is Stress Awareness Month. Skimm writers shared wonderful ways to manage burnout and even highlighted the benefits of meditation! In our fast-paced environments, it is very important to be mindful of ourselves, our needs and to better manage the stress we face. In our day-to-day lives, it is easy to disregard the “normal” stress we feel from our jobs or school, traffic, relationships, finances and more. We push through in “survival mode” until we feel burned out, exhausted and often resentful. DBT has an entire module called Distress Tolerance to better manage stress and tolerate painful events, urges, and emotions. Mindfulness is another module in DBT, which provides the foundation for all of the other DBT skills. Mindfulness creates awareness of ourselves and our environment around us and returns our focus to the present moment.
Mindful Habits to Notice Your Needs
Posted by Nora Josephson LPC, RYT in Awareness, Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Media, Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the foundation of all of the DBT skills. As we practice mindfulness, we intentionally bring ourselves into the present moment and notice what is in the here-and-now. These skills are especially helpful to notice our emotions, sensations, thoughts and needs. Mindful eating can help reduce disordered eating and increase balanced, healthy practices. However, reducing disordered eating does not stop here. We must develop mindful habits around our eating behaviors as well. It is important to pay attention to our habits and our automatic response to internal cues and our environment.
Will You Be My Valentine? Did I Marry the Right Person?
Posted by Dr. Michele Lob PsyD., MFT, CEDS in Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Family Therapy
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” – Carl Rogers In my DBT practice, I come across many couples who feel that they are in joyless and unfulfilling marriages. Conversations in my office may revolve around complaints about lack of intimacy, ‘falling out of love’; not enough change, poor understanding of the others’ needs, and/or the other doing deliberate acts to cause marital conflict and continued unhappiness. The joy of thinking that they have found ‘The One’ is replaced by questions like, “What was I thinking?”, “I should have known better” and “Why did I marry you?”.
The Holiday Season…
Posted by Dr. Michele Lob PsyD., MFT, CEDS in Benefits of DBT, DBT Skills, Recent Work
The Holiday Season is upon us – this year it seems to have come far too soon. Several of my friends are putting up their holiday decorations BEFORE Thanksgiving and I heard Christmas music on my car radio today – with still 6 weeks to go until Christmas Day.
How do DBTOC Staff Self-Care?
Posted by DBT Center of Orange County in Benefits of DBT, Mindfulness, Wellness
We at DBTOC believe self-care is vital to our well-being. When we don’t take care of ourselves we can feel exhausted, depleted and resentful. On the other hand, when we are practicing self-care, we tend to have more energy, feel better, think more clearly and make steps to accomplish our goals and live a life aligned with our values. Our team has been revamping our personal self-care routines and learning new ways to support each other’s wellness. We attended a workshop to be curious about our current self-care practices and brainstorm ways to improve our regimens. We attended a yoga class as a team. We want to now share with you some of our team’s self-care tips!
Ten Signs Your Teen is Depressed
Posted by Nora Josephson LPC, RYT in Awareness, Benefits of DBT
With it being Suicide Prevention Month, I believe depression is an important topic to discuss. The CDC states suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (2016) 9th through 12th graders report that 17% seriously considered suicide, 13.6% made a plan for how to commit suicide, 8% attempted suicide and 2.7% made suicide attempts requiring medical attention. Sometimes an adolescent’s struggle with depression can be underestimated because of their age. Adolescence is a time when changing hormones can cause mood swings and it is often difficult to tell what is normal adolescent behavior and when a teen is clinically depressed. Your Teen May Be Depressed if They:
