We’ve likely all been on diets; you might even be on one now! Throughout my lifespan, I’ve probably tried nearly every single one. Does anyone remember the old-school grapefruit diet, where basically you get to eat half a grapefruit and a slice of bacon every day? I was put on that diet in grade school. Dieting fads have been around since the beginning of time, and despite research letting us all know that 95% of all diets fail, we keep trying to be in the 5% of winners. Today, I’m going to talk about some of the reasons why diets…

Have you dealt with the loss of a loved one or have fears about it? If so, I have some ideas for how to cope. Grief Grief is a natural and normal response to loss. It is a complex and multifaceted experience that can affect individuals emotionally, cognitively, physically, and behaviorally. Grief can be triggered by a variety of losses, including the death of a loved one or pet, the end of a significant relationship, the loss of a job or home, or the diagnosis of a serious illness. However, for the purposes of today’s article, we are going to…

Have you ever wondered if you dissociate? Do you have moments where you feel out of touch with yourself, feel detached, or like time is passing too slowly or quickly? These are just a few of the signs of dissociation. If you want to know more about what it is and how to cope with it, I’m here to help! What is dissociation? Dissociation is a mental process that can occur in response to trauma, stress, or overwhelming situations. It involves a temporary disconnection between a person’s thoughts, feelings, memories, and sense of identity or reality. Dissociation can be a…

Dealing with entitled people can be challenging, as they often believe they deserve special treatment or privileges without having to put in any effort or show any appreciation. Their behavior can be frustrating and even harmful to those around them, especially if they expect others to cater to their every whim. However, there are strategies that can be used to cope with entitled people, both in personal and professional settings. My Savvy Psychologist predecessor Dr. Jade Wu talked about dealing with entitled people back in 2020. Today, we will explore some of these strategies and offer tips for dealing with…

Listeners to my Savvy Psychologist podcast really seemed to respond to my boundary episodes. I received so many comments and questions that I decided to respond to one of the themes that arose: unhealthy communication. Do you or people you’re close with engage in behaviors that break down communication and lead to more distance in your relationships? If so, this episode is for you. I’m going to share four communication errors that can ruin your relationships. These are commonly referred to as the “Four Horsemen” and come to us from relationship experts Dr. John and Julia Gottman. They have written…

I get asked all the time if New Year’s Resolutions actually work. This week, I will give you some quick and dirty tips to help you maximize your goal-setting.  There isn’t a ton of research on New Year’s Resolutions specifically and the studies that do exist leave room for interpretation. So, do we know what percentage of New Year’s resolutions fail? One longitudinal study on New Year’s resolutions found that 77% of people were able to maintain their resolutions for one week, but only 19% were able to keep them up for two years. Of those that were successful, the…

I’m so happy you’re here as I review these broad categories of resources. There are nine on my list. These are resources that can generally be helpful to anyone. Many times you already have access to these resources because no matter who you are, you have your own inherent strengths. When my patients show up for therapy with me for the first time, they may think the only thing I’m doing is categorizing perceived weaknesses, but that’s untrue. I’m looking for their strengths and how we can utilize those to help them build a worthwhile life. I’m going to help…

Today’s episode is all about neuroception and the window of tolerance. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard these terms before! I’m going to break them down for you. What is neuroception? Neuroception is your nervous system’s ability to scan your environment and label cues and behaviors as safe, dangerous, or life-threatening. In response to this, a level of arousal is activated that is best suited for the circumstances. Essentially, your nervous system is trying to scan your environment and promote the best adaptive response. As listeners of this podcast know, things don’t always work out the way they were intended.…

There are so many things happening in the world that are potentially triggering for folks. Events in the news, like people getting murdered or being the victim of serious bodily harm, or similar themes depicted in entertainment we consume can trigger us. What is a triggering event? Let’s definite what a triggering event is. A trigger or stressor is anything that can lead to a negative emotional reaction. When an individual says they are “triggered,” what they typically mean is that the stimuli brought on or worsened symptoms related to their mental health. These could be a wide array of…

We’ve spent quite a bit of time getting into our heads recently, so today we are going to talk about three skills that focus on the body. We’re going to break down the TIP skills—and yes it is an acronym! TIP skills target our body chemistry to reduce the feeling of overwhelm and other forms of high emotional arousal. The skills work quickly, often within seconds to minutes, for those of you looking for more instant gratification. These skills are easy to use and don’t require a lot of thinking, which is important when you’re in a highly stressful situation.…