• It’s World Mental Health Day today. And I feel really compelled to break some stigma today and share something with you. Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m a licensed mental health therapist and I still take anti-depressants. I run a successful therapy business and still struggle with depression and anxiety. I’ve played around with trying to get off of them, but the truth is my brain and life works much better when I am on them. Maybe I will get off of them in the future, but right now I don’t have any interest in that. They are one is the most important tools in my mental health toolbox. When I was in grad school I remember being terrified that someone would find out I took meds. I thought they would think less of me as a therapist. Although I work to normalize therapy and fight mental health stigma, I sometimes still feel like a fraud for this because my job is also to help those who feel the same. ⠀ I still go to therapy and sit where you are sitting. Mental health is a journey not a simple destination. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.⠀ ⠀ Just wanted to pop in and share this with you in case you forgot that your therapist is a HUMAN who also still struggles with life. I also know I have a ton of privilege. Not everyone has access to mental health tools. Whitney Goodman @sitwithwhit creates an amazing post today on how privilege and access to resources and systems negatively impacts mental health. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about sharing free resources on Instagram, and sharing my own story here — it breaks down stigma. And stigma (and the institutionalized stigma that exists in our society) is one of the biggest barriers to mental health. I’ve tagged some of my favorite IG therapy accounts for you to follow! ✌🏻 Will be completely signing off this weekend until my wedding. Much love to you guys + see you soon! #worldsmentalhealthday #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealthmatters #breakthestigma #wedorecover #edrecovery #addictionrecovery #soberaf #suicudeprevention #edwarrior #traumarecovery
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    It’s World Mental Health Day today. And I feel really compelled to break some stigma today and share something with you. Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m a licensed mental health therapist and I still take anti-depressants. I run a successful therapy business and still struggle with depression and anxiety. I’ve played around with trying to get off of them, but the truth is my brain and life works much better when I am on them. Maybe I will get off of them in the future, but right now I don’t have any interest in that. They are one is the most important tools in my mental health toolbox. When I was in grad school I remember being terrified that someone would find out I took meds. I thought they would think less of me as a therapist. Although I work to normalize therapy and fight mental health stigma, I sometimes still feel like a fraud for this because my job is also to help those who feel the same. ⠀ I still go to therapy and sit where you are sitting. Mental health is a journey not a simple destination. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.⠀ ⠀ Just wanted to pop in and share this with you in case you forgot that your therapist is a HUMAN who also still struggles with life. I also know I have a ton of privilege. Not everyone has access to mental health tools. Whitney Goodman @sitwithwhit creates an amazing post today on how privilege and access to resources and systems negatively impacts mental health. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about sharing free resources on Instagram, and sharing my own story here — it breaks down stigma. And stigma (and the institutionalized stigma that exists in our society) is one of the biggest barriers to mental health. I’ve tagged some of my favorite IG therapy accounts for you to follow! ✌🏻 Will be completely signing off this weekend until my wedding. Much love to you guys + see you soon! #worldsmentalhealthday #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealthmatters #breakthestigma #wedorecover #edrecovery #addictionrecovery #soberaf #suicudeprevention #edwarrior #traumarecovery
  • I created this account in January 2019 and never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to grow this much. I hoped maybe I could get to 10k, that was my goal. I am so honored, humbled and INSPIRED by all you that are showing up for yourselves and your healing. It’s truly amazing to see therapy making a difference in this time platform and see that people WANT healing! I love connecting with you guys AND as my wedding approaches it’s so clear to me that I need to fully log off so I can be present. I don’t want it to pass me by while I’m wondering if I should have posted the day before or not. I’m learning more and more that it’s okay to step away. It’s okay to rest. I don’t need to keep posting out of fear that I will be forgotten or fall behind. This is my life and I get to choose what works for me. I also think it’s important for you all to see that *yes* I am completely human. *yes* I take breaks and I still struggle with setting boundaries and to model it for you guys anyways. In the meantime my question is, would you like to see some wedding content on my stories (only) that the lovely @hitchedwithahashtag is going to take on my wedding? Would love to know what you guys would like! If there isn’t enough interest, and those of you are curious (like me, I LOVE stalking weddings online 😂) be sure to follow our hashtag #cantwhitetobeahudome ! Those of you that had a wedding what is some advice you have for this girl so that I can soak it up?! Would LOVE to hear from you! 😘
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    I created this account in January 2019 and never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to grow this much. I hoped maybe I could get to 10k, that was my goal. I am so honored, humbled and INSPIRED by all you that are showing up for yourselves and your healing. It’s truly amazing to see therapy making a difference in this time platform and see that people WANT healing! I love connecting with you guys AND as my wedding approaches it’s so clear to me that I need to fully log off so I can be present. I don’t want it to pass me by while I’m wondering if I should have posted the day before or not. I’m learning more and more that it’s okay to step away. It’s okay to rest. I don’t need to keep posting out of fear that I will be forgotten or fall behind. This is my life and I get to choose what works for me. I also think it’s important for you all to see that *yes* I am completely human. *yes* I take breaks and I still struggle with setting boundaries and to model it for you guys anyways. In the meantime my question is, would you like to see some wedding content on my stories (only) that the lovely @hitchedwithahashtag is going to take on my wedding? Would love to know what you guys would like! If there isn’t enough interest, and those of you are curious (like me, I LOVE stalking weddings online 😂) be sure to follow our hashtag #cantwhitetobeahudome ! Those of you that had a wedding what is some advice you have for this girl so that I can soak it up?! Would LOVE to hear from you! 😘
  • A bunch of you guys shared about how you agree that things are trauma but wish there was another word. I think sometimes this can come from the belief that trauma is severe and means we are never going to be the same. However, if we all understand that almost al of us will have trauma because trauma is anything that shakes our identity and sense of safety, we may feel less afraid of the term. Whenever possible, I find it’s much more therapeutic to look at things as a spectrum rather than this is X and this is Y. It decreases polarity and allows us to connect more and understand each other. Although we all are likely to experience trauma in some sense (and of course some may experience it much more severely and unfortunately devastatingly than others), one thing we do have in common is that we are ALL capable of healing. Your Brain is literally hardwired for it. It’s adapted for it, it’s how we’ve survived as a species during so much change and difficulty. Does this make talking at trauma or looking at yours any easier? Let me know! 😘 . #trauma #ptsd #traumatherapy #emdr #brainspotting #traumatic #traumarecovery #traumainformed #traumatherapist #traumasurvivor #traumahealing #edrecovery #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth
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    A bunch of you guys shared about how you agree that things are trauma but wish there was another word. I think sometimes this can come from the belief that trauma is severe and means we are never going to be the same. However, if we all understand that almost al of us will have trauma because trauma is anything that shakes our identity and sense of safety, we may feel less afraid of the term. Whenever possible, I find it’s much more therapeutic to look at things as a spectrum rather than this is X and this is Y. It decreases polarity and allows us to connect more and understand each other. Although we all are likely to experience trauma in some sense (and of course some may experience it much more severely and unfortunately devastatingly than others), one thing we do have in common is that we are ALL capable of healing. Your Brain is literally hardwired for it. It’s adapted for it, it’s how we’ve survived as a species during so much change and difficulty. Does this make talking at trauma or looking at yours any easier? Let me know! 😘 . #trauma #ptsd #traumatherapy #emdr #brainspotting #traumatic #traumarecovery #traumainformed #traumatherapist #traumasurvivor #traumahealing #edrecovery #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth
  • Many of my clients are very surprised to learn that they have experienced trauma. There are different types of trauma. And there is a misconception that everyone with trauma has PTSD. Or that trauma happens from a single, acute incident. However chronic trauma, that compounds over time can be equally devastating and since our society tends to invalidate this type of trauma, it often goes untreated which can cause huge issues for us. You also can develop PTSD from chronic trauma. This is by no means a comprehensive list and I also want to be clear that I am not invalidating the experience of those who have more acute trauma. What I AM saying is that your body cannot tell the difference between physically being in danger and emotionally being in danger. Our bodies react physiologically the same way and the same hormones are released, even if we logically understand that we are not in danger. Trauma is often not about what ACTUALLY happened to us (because that happens once and is over) it is more about how it impacts us, how it shapes how we see ourselves and what we are capable of. Have you experienced any of these? Has this made you rethink your definition of trauma? As a trauma therapist , I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences. Happy Saturday! . #trauma #traumarecovery #traumainformed #traumatherapy #traumatherapist #ptsd #ptsdawareness #traumas #mentalhealthmatters #childhoodtrauma #weightstigma #haes #proudhaesprovider #intuitiveeating #intuitiveeatingofficial
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    Many of my clients are very surprised to learn that they have experienced trauma. There are different types of trauma. And there is a misconception that everyone with trauma has PTSD. Or that trauma happens from a single, acute incident. However chronic trauma, that compounds over time can be equally devastating and since our society tends to invalidate this type of trauma, it often goes untreated which can cause huge issues for us. You also can develop PTSD from chronic trauma. This is by no means a comprehensive list and I also want to be clear that I am not invalidating the experience of those who have more acute trauma. What I AM saying is that your body cannot tell the difference between physically being in danger and emotionally being in danger. Our bodies react physiologically the same way and the same hormones are released, even if we logically understand that we are not in danger. Trauma is often not about what ACTUALLY happened to us (because that happens once and is over) it is more about how it impacts us, how it shapes how we see ourselves and what we are capable of. Have you experienced any of these? Has this made you rethink your definition of trauma? As a trauma therapist , I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences. Happy Saturday! . #trauma #traumarecovery #traumainformed #traumatherapy #traumatherapist #ptsd #ptsdawareness #traumas #mentalhealthmatters #childhoodtrauma #weightstigma #haes #proudhaesprovider #intuitiveeating #intuitiveeatingofficial
  • The next time you have a strong emotional reaction, ask yourself this question. Evolutionarily speaking, our brains don’t just react to what is happening...they are PREDICTING what may happen next so we can react appropriately. This makes us able to take action much more quickly. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, consider are you reacting to being cut off or the threat or feeling of what MAY have happened (ie being hit by a car). The next time someone says something that appears cold and distant, are you reacting to what they say or your prediction that your relationship may deteriorate and get worse? In my relationship with my significant other, I often get in this trap. I assume things will continue to go negatively and often react to my imagined assessment of the future rather than what is ACTUALLY happening. See if you can use this skill this week to regulate your emotions. Would love to know your thoughts! Tell me below! #dbt #dbtskills #projection #cognitivedistortions #emotionalintelligence #emotionalregulation #edrecovery #edwarrior #anxiety #anxiousmommy #anxietyrelief #anxietyrecovery #depression #depressionhelp #depressionrelief #spirituality #holistichealing #holistichealth #mentalhealthawareness
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    The next time you have a strong emotional reaction, ask yourself this question. Evolutionarily speaking, our brains don’t just react to what is happening...they are PREDICTING what may happen next so we can react appropriately. This makes us able to take action much more quickly. The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, consider are you reacting to being cut off or the threat or feeling of what MAY have happened (ie being hit by a car). The next time someone says something that appears cold and distant, are you reacting to what they say or your prediction that your relationship may deteriorate and get worse? In my relationship with my significant other, I often get in this trap. I assume things will continue to go negatively and often react to my imagined assessment of the future rather than what is ACTUALLY happening. See if you can use this skill this week to regulate your emotions. Would love to know your thoughts! Tell me below! #dbt #dbtskills #projection #cognitivedistortions #emotionalintelligence #emotionalregulation #edrecovery #edwarrior #anxiety #anxiousmommy #anxietyrelief #anxietyrecovery #depression #depressionhelp #depressionrelief #spirituality #holistichealing #holistichealth #mentalhealthawareness
  • DID YOU KNOW?! ⠀ Anxiety and excitement manifest physiologically in the same exact way in your body. ⠀ Sweating, increased heart rate, shaking, difficulty sleeping, racing thoughts. ⠀ The difference is what is going on your life. The difference is the context of the situation. I’ve been reminding myself of this A LOT recently as I prep for my wedding. When I catch myself saying how anxious I am about everything I have to do, I remind myself that I’m actually really excited!! ⠀ Emotions are tricky and often involve us factoring in what’s going on in our lives in order to appropriately assess what emotion we are feeling. ⠀ Today if you start to feel anxious, I want you to notice how you react different to those body sensations when you are EXCITED. ⠀ Do you tolerate them better? Do you get frustrated or are you so excited they don’t really bother you? See if you can create the same reaction and relationship to your anxiety as your excitement! #anxietyhelp #anxious #anxiousmommy #anxietyrelief #anxietyproblems #anxietyattack #anxiety #anxietyquote #anxietytips #anxietyrecovery #anxietyfighter #parenting #mentalhealthtips
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    DID YOU KNOW?! ⠀ Anxiety and excitement manifest physiologically in the same exact way in your body. ⠀ Sweating, increased heart rate, shaking, difficulty sleeping, racing thoughts. ⠀ The difference is what is going on your life. The difference is the context of the situation. I’ve been reminding myself of this A LOT recently as I prep for my wedding. When I catch myself saying how anxious I am about everything I have to do, I remind myself that I’m actually really excited!! ⠀ Emotions are tricky and often involve us factoring in what’s going on in our lives in order to appropriately assess what emotion we are feeling. ⠀ Today if you start to feel anxious, I want you to notice how you react different to those body sensations when you are EXCITED. ⠀ Do you tolerate them better? Do you get frustrated or are you so excited they don’t really bother you? See if you can create the same reaction and relationship to your anxiety as your excitement! #anxietyhelp #anxious #anxiousmommy #anxietyrelief #anxietyproblems #anxietyattack #anxiety #anxietyquote #anxietytips #anxietyrecovery #anxietyfighter #parenting #mentalhealthtips
  • If you’re interested in real change, MOST of the work it requires will not happen in the office with your therapist. ⠀ Sure, your therapist may give you tools, skills, ideas, homework. They may help you process some deep emotions or trauma which cannot be done alone. ⠀ But the real change happens when you start implementing the work yourself in your life. ⠀ It looks like calling someone when you feel alone, using coping skills when you’re feeling emotionally triggered, reading books that we’re recommended, moving your body in healthy ways, setting boundaries, saying no, journaling, actively engaging in many types of healing. ⠀ Your therapist is simply your anchor in this process, but it’s up to you to try things out, implement them and share with me how it’s going so we can adjust. ⠀ If you are in therapy and don’t feel like it’s “helping” I would ask yourself, am spending the time and putting in the effort outside the office? Am I taking suggestions? Am I trying things on? ⠀ As a therapist I do not have the answers of things that will definitely work for YOU. I give recommendations, ideas and point out things I see, but it’s up to you to try them out and then tell me how it goes. ⠀ Only when you’re doing this, can we then try other new things and adjust what works for you versus doesn’t... Otherwise I’m just giving you hypothetical ideas and we have no idea if they actually don’t work or you haven’t fully tried them out. ⠀ I know this is a hard topic. I myself was in therapy for 4 years and didn’t do any of the recommendations and blamed therapists for my lack of change. I really get it. But I also think it’s super important we talk about this so we can de-mystify the process of therapy! ⠀ What do you guys think?👇🏻 #therapy #therapyiscool #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #anxietyattack #anxietyproblems #depressionhelp #depressionrelief #edrecovery #edwarrior #bulimiarecovery #anorexiafighter #anorexianervosarecovery #haes #proudhaesprovider #addictionrecovery #sober #sobriety #thereishope #recoveryispossible
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    If you’re interested in real change, MOST of the work it requires will not happen in the office with your therapist. ⠀ Sure, your therapist may give you tools, skills, ideas, homework. They may help you process some deep emotions or trauma which cannot be done alone. ⠀ But the real change happens when you start implementing the work yourself in your life. ⠀ It looks like calling someone when you feel alone, using coping skills when you’re feeling emotionally triggered, reading books that we’re recommended, moving your body in healthy ways, setting boundaries, saying no, journaling, actively engaging in many types of healing. ⠀ Your therapist is simply your anchor in this process, but it’s up to you to try things out, implement them and share with me how it’s going so we can adjust. ⠀ If you are in therapy and don’t feel like it’s “helping” I would ask yourself, am spending the time and putting in the effort outside the office? Am I taking suggestions? Am I trying things on? ⠀ As a therapist I do not have the answers of things that will definitely work for YOU. I give recommendations, ideas and point out things I see, but it’s up to you to try them out and then tell me how it goes. ⠀ Only when you’re doing this, can we then try other new things and adjust what works for you versus doesn’t... Otherwise I’m just giving you hypothetical ideas and we have no idea if they actually don’t work or you haven’t fully tried them out. ⠀ I know this is a hard topic. I myself was in therapy for 4 years and didn’t do any of the recommendations and blamed therapists for my lack of change. I really get it. But I also think it’s super important we talk about this so we can de-mystify the process of therapy! ⠀ What do you guys think?👇🏻 #therapy #therapyiscool #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #anxietyattack #anxietyproblems #depressionhelp #depressionrelief #edrecovery #edwarrior #bulimiarecovery #anorexiafighter #anorexianervosarecovery #haes #proudhaesprovider #addictionrecovery #sober #sobriety #thereishope #recoveryispossible
  • Some of you asked me... “How do I know if I’m experiencing shame?” Remember, shame is different than guilt. It’s a more paralyzing emotion. When we feel guilty and feel as though we’ve made a mistake, if we display a small and healthy amount of emotion, we may feel motivated to do something different or change our behavior. The problem is, shame robs us of the possibility of change. It says you ARE a mistake, rather than you made a mistake, which leaves us feeling helpless to change. If you are struggling to identify if you are feeling shameful, these are some *potential* symptoms that may help you. Anything else you can think of? What does shame look like in your life? #shame #brenebrown #brenebrowninspired #guilt #emotionalhealth #anxiety #parenting #anxiousmommy #anxious #depressionhelp #anxietyrelief #anxietyproblems #edrecovery #edwarrior #sobriety #addictionrecovery
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    Some of you asked me... “How do I know if I’m experiencing shame?” Remember, shame is different than guilt. It’s a more paralyzing emotion. When we feel guilty and feel as though we’ve made a mistake, if we display a small and healthy amount of emotion, we may feel motivated to do something different or change our behavior. The problem is, shame robs us of the possibility of change. It says you ARE a mistake, rather than you made a mistake, which leaves us feeling helpless to change. If you are struggling to identify if you are feeling shameful, these are some *potential* symptoms that may help you. Anything else you can think of? What does shame look like in your life? #shame #brenebrown #brenebrowninspired #guilt #emotionalhealth #anxiety #parenting #anxiousmommy #anxious #depressionhelp #anxietyrelief #anxietyproblems #edrecovery #edwarrior #sobriety #addictionrecovery
  • Yesterday we talked about ways to combat shame... Today I wanted to tell you about some reasons why you may experience shame and not even realize it. Please please note I use the word *may*. This is not an attack or a rule by any means. This is a list for you to explore. It’s a list of some common causes of shame but it is by no means comprehensive. I am also not saying all these necessarily cause shame. However, almost every human being experiences shame this it is a very important topic for us to talk about and explore. Anything I missed? How have you been impacted by shame? #shame #brenebrown #guilt #familydynamics #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #wellnessblogger #mentalhealth #anxietyhelp #depressionhelp #anxiousmommy #parenting #edrecovery #edwarrior
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    Yesterday we talked about ways to combat shame... Today I wanted to tell you about some reasons why you may experience shame and not even realize it. Please please note I use the word *may*. This is not an attack or a rule by any means. This is a list for you to explore. It’s a list of some common causes of shame but it is by no means comprehensive. I am also not saying all these necessarily cause shame. However, almost every human being experiences shame this it is a very important topic for us to talk about and explore. Anything I missed? How have you been impacted by shame? #shame #brenebrown #guilt #familydynamics #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #wellnessblogger #mentalhealth #anxietyhelp #depressionhelp #anxiousmommy #parenting #edrecovery #edwarrior
  • YOU GUYS ASKED!! Here are 5 ways to combat shame! The first one is most important in my opinion. Shame THRIVES in the dark. It’s like mold. One of the most important ways to combat shame is to share with a trusted loved one or find people who are dealing with what you are dealing with. I used to have SO much shame about having an eating disorder or struggling with an addiction. I used to not share about these things at all, even with some of the closest people in my life. Part of the reason I am so open on this account is to combat shame not only for myself but for you as well. I want you to remember you aren’t alone. Having shame doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you are confusing what you do with who you are. The more you practice processing this feeling the easier it will be to work through it. It also helps to get to know your common shame stories so you can understand your triggers better and be more prepared. Keeping your word to yourself is also super important in being able to develop self trust. We ALL deal with shame. And learning how to process your emotions and taking care of yourself helps make this process easier. What are some ways you combat shame? What questions do you have? #shame #brenebrown #connection #vulnerability #anxiety #depression #depressionhelp #anxietyrelief #mentalhealthmatters #anxiousmommy #momguilt #edrecovery #edwarrior #sobriety #sober
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    YOU GUYS ASKED!! Here are 5 ways to combat shame! The first one is most important in my opinion. Shame THRIVES in the dark. It’s like mold. One of the most important ways to combat shame is to share with a trusted loved one or find people who are dealing with what you are dealing with. I used to have SO much shame about having an eating disorder or struggling with an addiction. I used to not share about these things at all, even with some of the closest people in my life. Part of the reason I am so open on this account is to combat shame not only for myself but for you as well. I want you to remember you aren’t alone. Having shame doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you are confusing what you do with who you are. The more you practice processing this feeling the easier it will be to work through it. It also helps to get to know your common shame stories so you can understand your triggers better and be more prepared. Keeping your word to yourself is also super important in being able to develop self trust. We ALL deal with shame. And learning how to process your emotions and taking care of yourself helps make this process easier. What are some ways you combat shame? What questions do you have? #shame #brenebrown #connection #vulnerability #anxiety #depression #depressionhelp #anxietyrelief #mentalhealthmatters #anxiousmommy #momguilt #edrecovery #edwarrior #sobriety #sober