Life By Design Therapy

  The events of the past few weeks have triggered a flood of emotions in all of us, but especially in members of the BIPOC community. The Derek Chauvin trial has left many individuals struggling to navigate their mixed emotions. While the Derek Chauvin verdict provides a sense of accountability, it does not represent true justice. Justice would be George Floyd alive and able to go home to his family at the end of the night. It's normal to experience a range of emotions, including both relief and anger, at events like these -- especially when we continue to hear of additional police killings, such as that of Ma'Khia Bryant, in the news. As a result, your BIPOC friends may need additional support during these challenging times. You can be a supportive ally by listening to and validating your friends' experiences with racism and current events, by offering them a safe space to vent about all they are feeling right now, and by giving them what they need right now, whether that

  Generational trauma is historical trauma that is passed down through families, or even entire races and ethnic groups. Even if you are not the person who experienced a traumatic event directly, you can experience the effects of generational trauma if your parents, due to their trauma or the trauma of their parents before them, adopted certain behaviors and coping mechanisms that were passed down to you. The good news is that generational trauma is not a cycle that needs to continue. All it takes is one person in a family to decide it is time to address generational trauma. By pinpointing and working on the behaviors associated with generational trauma, you can prevent yourself from passing on these behaviors to your children, interrupting the vicious cycle. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/trauma-therapy

  Trauma bonding occurs when someone in an abusive relationship develops a deep sense of caring and attachment for their abuser. Because trauma bonds are built on a cycle of abuse, followed by a shower of affection, the victim may not necessarily be aware that the relationship is harming them. They may focus on the moments when their abuser is kind and loving toward them, devaluing the moments when they are cruel or even violent. Trauma bonds are a normal psychological response to abuse, and they are not your fault. There is nothing wrong with you if you love and care for your abuser, as long as you recognize and walk away from the person and their harmful behaviors. The process of leaving a trauma bond does not occur overnight. Therapy can help you devise a plan to stay physically and emotionally safe while ending an abusive relationship. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about how we can help you recognize and interrupt trauma bonds in your life. https://www.lifebyd

  Our emotions have physical effects -- especially when we try to suppress them. Unexpressed emotions can show up in our bodies as tension, chronic pain, headaches, and illness. Sometimes, we may not even be aware of the emotions we are suppressing until we are already experiencing somatic symptoms. Somatic therapy aims to draw suppressed and unexpressed emotions out of the body by noticing our physical sensations and emotional experiences. Ways to do this include mindfulness and grounding techniques, which bring us back into our bodies in the present moment. To learn more about our somatic, holistic approach to therapy, reach out to Life by Design Therapy today. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/holistic-somatic-therapists

  Now that the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown has come and gone, many of us are reflecting on the ways our lives have changed as a result of the pandemic. Some of those changes may be positive, such as spending more time on hobbies while we're at home. However, many of them may be the result of pandemic-related stress that we're still navigating, more than 365 days later. And, with the vaccine becoming more widely available, many of us are facing renewed anxiety around COVID-19. In other words, just because there is hope on the horizon does not mean that pandemic-related stress is going to disappear overnight. We still need to develop healthy ways to cope with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The five essential tips outlined in Life by Design Therapy's latest blog post will help you navigate pandemic-related stress in a proactive way -- click the link in the comments below to check it out! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/blog/5-tips-for-navigating

  3 COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PLAY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN by Dr. Nia Play is often called “the language of children.” How many times have you had a feeling and struggled to put it into words? Like adults, children experience a full range of emotions but they don’t yet have the words to express them. They are still developing the skills to be able to recognize and tolerate their emotions, especially the uncomfortable ones.  Maybe you’ve heard of play therapy but aren’t really sure what it is and how your child can benefit from it. Of course you want the best for your child and want to make sure you are paying for a treatment that will support them. In addition to my work with adults, I’ve been doing play therapy with children for several years. Play therapy is a useful treatment approach due to children’s developmental level. Here are three of the most common questions I receive from parents and caregivers: 1. How is playing with my child actually therapy?   Although it looks different from

  Financial stress is, unfortunately, very common. In fact, according to CNBC, 73% of Americans rank finances as their number one source of stress. Stress around money can lead to feelings of inadequacy (around not earning enough or not being "good with money"), anxiety (about where your money will come from or if you will have enough), and other mental health challenges. If you are experiencing financial stress, Life by Design Therapy can help you change your thought patterns and ground yourself in the present moment to reduce anxiety around money. We also offer flexible options around payment to alleviate financial worries about coming to therapy, including out-of-network reimbursement and a sliding fee scale for individuals experiencing financial hardship. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/