Life By Design Therapy

  Happy International Day of Friendship from Life by Design Therapy ! 💙 Don't forget to express how much you appreciate each and every one of your friends, today and every day. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  We all have implicit biases that shape our perception of the world around us. By approaching these biases with curiosity rather than defensiveness, we can become better allies to others who need our support. Here are four ways to get to know and minimize your unconscious bias : 💙 Practice radical acceptance. We all have biases based on our unique life experiences. Accepting the fact that we are biased is the first step toward minimizing the effects of these biases on our lives. 💙 Self-regulate through challenging emotions. Confronting our biases can bring up uncomfortable feelings of guilt, shame, or frustration. Using grounding techniques or mindfulness are two effective ways to process these emotions constructively. 💙 Have compassion for yourself. You are a human being. By virtue of human nature, you will never be perfectly unbiased -- and that's okay, as long as you are doing the work to confront the biases in your life. 💙 See the work as ongoing. Never assume that you are

  It is normal for tensions to run high, even with those we love most, during a conflict. However, setting effective boundaries can help you prevent arguments from becoming nasty or poisoning the relationship. Examples of phrases you could use to set boundaries during a disagreement include: 💙 "Can you express that without name-calling?" 💙 "If there is more yelling, I will need to walk away from this conversation." 💙 "I would prefer to talk about this when I can give it my full attention." 💙 "Let's take a break and come back when we both feel calmer." Learning to set healthy boundaries and fight fairly takes time and practice. Couples therapy can offer you and your partner an outlet to explore boundary-setting in a safe environment. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about how couples therapy can help you transform the conflict in your relationship. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/marriage-counseling

  Memories or experiences can "trigger" us by reminding us of painful or traumatic events in our past. Sometimes, our triggers are clear -- a person who looks like our ex or driving when you've been in a traumatic accident. Other times, however, a trigger may simply be an intense emotion that reminds you of a previous situation. Common emotional triggers include feeling: 💙 Unloved 💙 Unheard 💙 Judged 💙 Blamed 💙 Unimportant 💙 Disrespected To begin identifying and healing from your emotional triggers, contact Life by Design Therapy for a free consultation with one of our qualified therapists. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/holistic-somatic-therapists

  Self-compassion describes the way we relate to ourselves when things don't go the way we planned. A self-compassionate person is accepting of their mistakes and able to forgive themselves when life goes wrong. Practicing self-compassion involves treating ourselves with the same kindness we would use to treat a friend or family member. By using positive self-talk and limiting self-criticism, we allow ourselves to be both happy and imperfect. Therapy can help you change your self-talk and develop more self-compassion. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to connect with one of our qualified clinicians on a free consultation call . https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/faq

  Have your emotions ever felt "wrong" or out-of-place compared with your thoughts or the situation at hand? We often judge ourselves for inappropriate emotional responses, but it can often be a normal byproduct of stress, trauma, or anxiety. For example, when a friend discloses a tragic family story, you may smile or laugh out of nervousness, rather than crying. Learning to feel comfortable experiencing uncomfortable emotions may help alleviate inappropriate emotional responses. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to find out how therapy can help you increase your tolerance for distress. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  Ever had someone who told you to "suck it up" when you were feeling sad, angry, or hurt? When we hold back our emotions, we may decrease the outward expression of those emotions, such as crying or yelling. But emotional suppression does little to repress our inner emotional experience. Only by allowing ourselves to feel our emotions can we process them effectively. Otherwise, our emotions will, as Dr. Marc Brackett writes, "pile up like a debt that will eventually come due." Therapy can help you recognize the physical symptoms of emotional suppression and work through challenging emotions. Contact Life by Design Therapy to learn more today. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  3 TIPS FOR EXPRESSING YOUR EMOTIONS EFFECTIVELY Speaking up for yourself is never easy. Even those of us who consider ourselves assertive people sometimes have trouble expressing our emotions clearly and effectively. And it can be even more challenging to speak up when you are worried that you will step on other people's toes, that you will start a conflict, or that you are being overly-sensitive. In these cases, it's important to remember that speaking up for yourself benefits you and all the other people involved. Repressing our emotions can only create worse problems later, by breeding resentment or causing anger to build up until it explodes. Not to mention, being honest about your emotions paves the way for others to be honest with you as well, deepening your interpersonal relationships. Even if you recognize the importance of being honest, it can be hard to know where to start when you aren't used to expressing your emotions. Next time, instead of holding in your em

  4 BENEFITS OF SOMATIC THERAPY Somatic therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes the mind-body connection.  Somatic therapists recognize that suppressed and unprocessed emotions are often stored in the body, showing up as physical symptoms like muscle pain, headaches, and nausea. Because of this, somatic therapy incorporates body awareness exercises into the healing process.  Here at Life by Design Therapy, we are passionate about practicing somatic therapy and strong advocates of its benefits for mind and body healing. In this blog post, we discuss four of those benefits, which may help you decide if somatic therapy is right for you. 1. CHANGE YOUR BRAIN, CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Our brains and bodies are creatures of habits. They internalize the thought patterns and belief systems we are taught from an early age. Much like a computer, these become the "programs" that run our lives. When we experience trauma or emotional distress, our brains and bodies become wired

  EMPATHS, HERE'S HOW TO STOP ABSORBING OTHER PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS Do you take on the emotions of others? When we have poor emotional boundaries, we may find ourselves feeling angry when others are angry or sad when others are sad. Or, alternatively, we may find that we are unable to feel happy when people we care about are not. Absorbing the emotions of others can be both a strength and a weakness. It can be a sign that you are an empath, gifted with the extraordinary ability to empathize with nearly anyone -- but it can also become exhausting and frustrating to constantly feel what others are feeling. Learning to empathize with others is a skill -- as is learning how to set emotional boundaries so that you are not constantly drained by taking on the emotions of others. Like any skill, setting emotional boundaries can be strengthened with practice. Here's how. HOW TO SPOT AN EMPATH Sometimes, we may be aware that we are taking on the emotions of others. Other times, however,

  If you are seeking relief from symptoms of depression and want to gain tools to create a life you love, our holistic therapists can help. Life by Design Therapy is committed to helping you build a new future, one that is founded on happiness and peace of mind. Our holistic and somatic therapists in Berkeley and Richmond have helped those dealing with depression for the first time find help. We have also provided a place of refuge for those that struggled to get answers from other sources in the past. If you’re ready to work on your depression with one of our holistic therapists, contact us today . https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/depression-therapy

  When coping with difficult emotions, it's important to feel your feelings, rather than repressing them. However, feeling all of these distressing emotions at once can quickly become overwhelming. In somatic therapy, we use a technique called pendulation to help ease you into processing difficult emotions. Gradually, a somatic therapist walks you through the process of "pendulating" between your distressing emotions and a safe inner state, until you are able to process them fully. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about how somatic therapy can help you process and cope with difficult or distressing emotions. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  IS TRAUMA EXPOSURE TRANSFORMING YOU? HOW TO KNOW AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT WHAT IS VICARIOUS TRAUMA? The term “vicarious traumatization” arose in the mid-1990’s when Laurie Anne Pearlman and Paula S. Mac Ian studied the effects of working with traumatized clients on therapists. They defined it as “a transformation in the helper’s inner experience, as a result of empathetic engagement with traumatized clients and their traumatic experiences, coupled with a commitment or responsibility to help.” Since then, conversations and awareness around “secondary” or “vicarious” trauma have increased and expanded. The sheer number of blogs, Instagram posts and YouTube videos about self-care and mental health has injected these terms into more spaces than before.Yet, at the same time, deeply held beliefs, values and cultural practices maintain the very structures that keep people guessing about whether they are qualified to deserve the care they need as caregivers themselves. I would argue that this

  Creating bodily awareness is one of the most difficult parts of healing, especially for trauma survivors. Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from your body, to the point where your body may be a stranger to you. When working with a somatic therapist, one of the most important ways you will learn to create bodily awareness is by describing your physical sensations. Using descriptive language to label the sensations you are experiencing will help you attach an emotional meaning to those sensations. By listening to your body in this way, you can learn a lot about your current emotional state and where you are in the healing process. Contact Life by Design Therapy to begin working with one of our somatic therapists today! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/getstarted

  Speaking up for yourself is never easy. Even those of us who consider ourselves assertive people sometimes have trouble expressing our emotions clearly and effectively. And it can be even more challenging to speak up when you are worried that you will step on other people's toes, that you will start a conflict, or that you are being overly-sensitive. Even if you recognize the importance of being honest, it can be hard to know where to start when you aren't used to expressing your emotions. Next time, instead of holding in your emotions for fear of offending others, try using these three tips from our latest blog post to express your emotions clearly and effectively. Link in bio! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/blog/3-tips-for-expressing-your-emotions-effectively/6/2021

  Change. Simply saying the word can sometimes make you feel anxious and nervous. You like your routines and the thought of making radical, drastic changes to your life sounds so uncomfortable that instead you retreat to what is familiar. But what is familiar in your life? Is it anxiety and fear? Do you feel stressed and worried all of the time? Do you feel uncertain and troubled about your future? Are you dealing with unresolved grief or lingering sadness? While these feelings are common, you do not have to accept them as your only reality. Your life is intended for so much more! Though pain and troubling feelings are a part of the human existence, they do not need to define you. Change IS possible, especially with the help of therapy . Free yourself from the hurdles that have blocked you in the past. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about the possibilities that change -- and therapy -- can bring! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/individual-therapy

  Somatic therapy treats trauma as a natural part of life, rather than an unusual experience that makes us defective or out-of-the-ordinary. While trauma may be a fact of life, it is not, however, a life sentence. Traumatic memories can feel debilitating, but these sensations and experiences are not permanent. By processing through the emotions and bodily sensations associated with traumatic memories, you can learn to put your trauma squarely in the past. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn how working with one of our holistic, somatic therapists can help you move forward after a traumatic experience. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/trauma-therapy

  When we develop an unstable attachment to our early caregivers as children, we may grow up to become adults who fear abandonment. This can create a pattern of instability and conflict in our relationships. Learning more about your attachment style can help you dissect your fear of abandonment and identify unhelpful patterns in your relationships. By working with a therapist to change these patterns, you can develop stronger connections to others as an adult. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about the fear of abandonment, how it manifests, and how holistic therapy can help. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  Our bodily sensations offer us insight into what is happening in our minds. When we are having difficulty identifying our emotions, we can look to our bodies for answers. The body speaks its own language in the form of somatic sensations. However, it can take time and practice to learn to translate these sensations into emotional experiences. Somatic therapy can help you develop a better sense of your inner emotional landscape by getting in touch with your bodily sensations. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn why we are so passionate about somatic therapy! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/somatic-therapy

  Communication lies at the heart of a healthy relationship. You’ve heard it before, but the key to a long, rewarding relationship is compromise. However, that is only possible with clear and effective communication, the biggest issue that brings couples in for therapy. It is naturally easy to get defensive and hurt when you feel like your partner may be attacking you, and not taking any responsibility for their own actions. A good voice of reason can help keep the conversation safe and productive, where no one gets attacked or victimized. Marriage therapy and couples counseling is effective because it often helps to have a non-judgmental, non-biased voice of reason to help mediate and oversee the open and honest conversations about the issues you both have with the relationship. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about our somatic, holistic approach to couples therapy and building healthy relationships. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/marriage-counseling

  Somatic therapists recognize that suppressed and unprocessed emotions are often stored in the body, showing up as physical symptoms like muscle pain, headaches, and nausea. Because of this, somatic therapy incorporates body awareness exercises into the healing process. Here at Life by Design Therapy, we are passionate about practicing somatic therapy and strong advocates of its benefits for mind and body healing. In our latest blog post , we discuss four of those benefits, which may help you decide if somatic therapy is right for you. Link in bio! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/blog/benefits-of-somatic-therapy/6/2021