Walk/talk therapy improves emotion regulation and the ability to cope with life transitions or feeling stuck. It reduces anxiety, anger, stress, depression, and both ruminative and intrusive thoughts. A recent research study found that 71% of people who engage in a nature walk felt an almost immediate decrease in depressive-related symptoms and an increase in feeling relaxed and grounded in the moment. Clarity of thinking helps synthesize new pathways of thinking that stem from thought-stopping and a sense of centering. Author Mary Davis says it best, “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.”

Interestingly, perception flows two ways, meaning we take it in and give it out. In other words, it includes how we see something/someone and how someone sees us. Worthy of note, there is no right or wrong perception. Perception comes from our own unique life experiences and what we bring to the table. This means that no two people have the perfectly exact same experiences and consequential responses.

Therapy is a process that begins with the first contact between the two parties and continues through the last contact. Interactions are important, and so are first impressions. Often times a client will know right away about fit based on a gut feeling. Experts say that if, by the 5th session, there is still no connection, the fit may not be conducive to successful outcomes. A client is looking for a meeting the hearts (bond) and meeting of minds (goals and tasks) (“Highly Effective Therapy,” Len Sperry). Taking these points into consideration, if you have had a less than positive experience with therapy, will you be willing to try again with another therapist? You may just find the “right” one. Yalom says therapist and client are like fellow travelers who set out on a long and winding journey until their destination is completed. Wouldn’t it be comforting to have a beneficial sidekick and companion while taking that voyage?

American psychologist and founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Albert Ellis wisely and humorously said, “Stop shoulding on yourself.” Logically, one can deduct then, based on Dr. Ellis’ remark, that the use of should is something to consider removing from our vocabulary. Doing so, however, is a tall order, as it has become ingrained in our comments to one another and ourselves:

As a therapist, I do not take these statistics lightly. In fact, I interpret them — as I would imagine all of my peers would — as motivation to do our jobs as professionally, thoroughly, compassionately, and intently as possible to reach more people. Unfortunately, over half (56%) of adults with a mental illness receive no treatment, which translates to over 27 million individuals going untreated. Of youth, 60.3% with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Even among the states with the greatest access for youth, 1 in 3 youth are still not receiving the mental health services they need.

Some of the many questions I get when working with individuals who have gone through challenging times in life are, “Why is this happening to me?”, “What did I do wrong to deserve this?” Or, “Why is God punishing me?” Of course, it is natural to think these things. Who hasn’t been through a troubling experience and pondered the very same questions, all while feeling anger, sadness, disappointment, confusion, frustration, and perhaps even chaos?

Most of us see anxiety as something unpleasant, that must be shoved aside, is not allowed, and certainly not helpful. It gets in the way of having a calm, peaceful life. It wreaks havoc on our schedules, not to mention our relationships. In some cases, anxiety makes us think we are unworthy of joy. It can rob us of hope, leading us down a dark path. The possibility exists, however, that we can reframe anxiety and see it in a whole new light.

“But” is a word most of us get into the habit of using quite often when engaging in dialogue. It sort of slips out as a way to link two separate phrases or defend our own beliefs or opinions. For example, “You know I love you, but…” or “I want to go to the gym, but…” or “You did a great job, but…” Well, you get the idea. What happens when you read these examples? Our response becomes emotional and we rationally ignore everything that was uttered before “but” and focus on the words that follow.

DBT has proven to be effective as an evidence-based practice for a number of mental health issues. DBT originally operated on a platform set out to tackle 4 main targeted modules: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance. Just recently a 5th, Middle Path, was added to help families and teens manage the relevant issues within their relationship.

The other day while putting dishes away, I dropped a ceramic serving platter onto the hard-tiled kitchen floor shattering it into what looked like a gazillion tiny pieces. There was no chance of trying to piece it delicately back together with several bottles of super glue. It was a goner. What a shame, right? One would think I would have simply swept up the remnants, tossed them into the trash, and planned on a way to replace the dish. Nope. Instead, I went on a couple-minute-long bash about my clumsiness and stupidity for being so incompetent. I really let myself have it.

Tone means the world when communicating. Experts say the comprehension of the message we deliver to others is contingent mostly not on our words, but in the way we say those words. In fact, according to “Psychology Today”, as much as 90% of communication is nonverbal. Specifically, 55% percent is body language; 38% is the tone of voice; only 7% is the actual words. With these figures in mind, we see how imperative it is to employ a positive and encouraging tone, even when discussing serious topics.