Life By Design Therapy

  Meet Tiana Brawley ACSW, our featured therapist for the month of May 2021! Tiana Brawley is an Associate Clinical Social Worker. She works holistically blending Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Narrative Therapy, and Attachment. Her specialties include working with BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and nonbinary individuals and communities. Tiana works with Adults, Couples and Families in our Berkeley Office (currently telehealth). She has limited daytime and evening openings on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Schedule your free phone consultation with Tiana to learn more about how she can support you! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/tiana-brawley-asw

  Those of us who have lost a loved one are familiar with the experience of survivor guilt, or the feeling that "it should have been us" who passed away in their stead. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking so many lives, many people recovering from the coronavirus are having a similar experience with survivor guilt, feeling bad that they survived the illness while others did not -- especially if they personally lost loved ones during the pandemic. Individuals experiencing survivor guilt should seek counseling from a mental health professional to help them navigate the process of grief and loss. Contact Life by Design Therapy today to learn more about how we can help you recover from survivor guilt. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  How can we help ourselves get through a challenging, anxious moment ? Repeating positive affirmations is one way to flip the script on negative thoughts and begin to work past the anxiety. Some affirmations you can repeat to yourself when you are feeling anxious include: 💙 "Anxiety isn't dangerous. It's just uncomfortable." WHY IT WORKS: The bodily sensations we experience during anxiety can scare us, but it's important to acknowledge that they will not harm us -- they are just frightening and uncomfortable. 💙 "I've felt this before; I'll get through it again." WHY IT WORKS: You have survived every other anxious moment you've experienced in your life. Reminding yourself of that strength can help you get through this moment more easily. 💙 "I don't have evidence to support these thoughts." WHY IT WORKS: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a proven strategy for anxiety that states that our thoughts have a powerful effect on the wa

  May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth. While not everyone struggles with a mental illness, we all have mental health -- and it's important for everyone to take care of their minds! Stress and other mental health challenges are a normal part of life for all of us. Self-care and other preventative strategies can help you maintain good mental health despite these challenges. But at what point should you worry about "normal" challenges becoming mental health disorders? If you are experiencing changes in your mood, severe anxiety that is difficult to manage, distressing thoughts or hallucinations, substance abuse, or social withdrawal, it may be time to schedule a mental health check-in with a therapist. Contact Life by Design Therapy to learn how we can help you stay on top of your mental health -- and handle any challenges that come your way! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  Brene Brown is a well-known psychologist who has become famous for studying shame. As this quote attests, Brown's research has found that shame hinders our healing process and makes it more difficult to get through times of struggle. Shame can come from external sources, such as family or media messaging, but also from within. We cannot control what others do, but we can look within ourselves to find and stem the sources of this shame. https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/

  May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, making it the perfect time to start therapy! If you have been thinking about beginning therapy for a while now, whether due to a specific mental health challenge or because you want to get on top of your mental health before it gets bad, Life by Design Therapy has openings for virtual therapy sessions via phone or video chat. Contact us today to learn more about what our holistic therapists have to offer! https://www.lifebydesigntherapy.com/holistic-therapy

  Hello, My name is Tiana Brawley and I am an Associate Clinical Social Worker. I work holistically blending Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Narrative Therapy, and Attachment work in therapy. I specialize in working with BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ and nonbinary individuals and communities.  HOW I WORK  By utilizing mindfulness techniques , we will work together to develop strategies and coping skills that will create more calm, invite more present thoughts and feelings, alleviate and quiet intruding thoughts and feelings which disrupt your wellbeing and moving forward. Negative thoughts can trap you in a vicious cycle. I utilize CBT to help you disrupt, shift and challenge these negative thoughts and feelings . CBT will assist you in developing healthy problem-solving skills, and to effectively cope with conflict and uncomfortable situations.  Narrative therapy focuses on helping you find your voice, identify your values, and can support you in owning your unique story.  I