Mindful Transitions

When we can accept ourselves and the life around us, things begin to change.  It's the commitment to acceptance and then ACTing that propels us into something new! Check out this metaphor:

The concept of differentiation in everyday terminology would be defined by a person's ability to stand on their own two feet, especially when with the people that they are closest too. The word represents an ability to balance the needs and desires we all have as individuals with the needs and desires we have to be close to others. Our freewill and independence often comes into direct conflict with our desire to be attached to another. If we are too independent or focused on our own desires, wants and needs, we can come off as tyrants, over controlling, insensitive and self centered. If we never stand up for what we want or believe in and we most often give into the desires of our friends, family and loved ones, we come off as weak, easily controlled and spineless. It's the balance that allows us the freedom to express who we are and take into account how we come off and take care of our relationships. The four point that help us become more differentiated are: #1) Having...

Radical Acceptance is the acceptance of things as they actually are... This means that we detach ourselves from any wants or desires regarding our life situation and we participate fully in the process of our lives. Radical Acceptance likens itself to taking into account our past and present situation with an attitude that there is nothing going wrong (or right). We are so much a part of the present moment in a non-judging way that we free ourselves from our conceptions, old thought patterns and "attached" emotion. This allows our experience to be fresh and new, even when we don't like how we feel. Just because we accept something, doesn't mean that we don't do anything about our situation, that is resignation. Radical acceptance is allowing everything to be as it is and trusting that our unattached awareness will guide our decisions. This is not easy, but it truly is allowing the doing to come from our true being or essence. In my counseling and therapy pr...

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a psychological method developed by Marsha M. Linehan to treat patients with borderline personality disorder. (BPD)[1] Research indicates its application to also be effective in treating patients who represent varied symptoms and behaviors associated with spectrum mood disorders, including self-injury.[2] Key elements DBT practitioners emphasize include, behaviorist theory, dialectics, cognitive therapy, and, DBT's central component, mindfulness. There are two essential parts of the treatment, and without either of these parts the therapy is not considered "DBT adherent." An individual component in which the therapist and client discuss issues that come up during the week, recorded on diary cards and follow a treatment target hierarchy. Self-injurious and suicidal behaviors take first priority, followed by therapy interfering behaviors. Then there are quality of life issues and finally working towards improving one's life genera...