If you are searching for how to lower cortisol, understanding your nervous system matters more than chasing quick fixes. Learn what actually helps long-term stress regulation and what keeps your body stuck in survival mode.

How to Empower Students to Overcome Social Anxiety that is Impacting Their Functioning Level at School Navigating social anxiety in a mainstream school setting is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right strategies and support, you or your child can not only manage your anxiety but also cultivate a successful academic and social experience. Below are some tips to help if you or your child experience social anxiety: 1. Practice Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety: Immerse you

In short: Complex trauma comes from repeated or prolonged trauma, often in childhood or close relationships, and can affect emotions, self-worth, and relationships. Simple tools like slow breathing, bilateral tapping, and short, trauma-sensitive meditation can help calm the nervous system between therapy sessions. (Updated October 2026) If you’re old enough, you probably remember the way technology was not always so wireless, neatly designed, and aesthetically pleasing. You k

Starting college or returning to school after a break can be an exciting yet daunting journey. It's a time of new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and personal growth. However, along with these positive aspects, life transitions can also bring about significant changes in mental and emotional well-being. In this article, we'll explore the impact of life transitions on college students' mental health and provide valuable tips to help ease the process and ensure a smooth transi

In short: Music helps us heal because it directly affects the nervous system, mood, and memory. Listening to or making music can lower stress, help us feel understood, and give painful emotions a safe outlet, which makes music one of the most accessible coping skills available. (Updated October 2026) It’s common these days to hear someone preface any information they’re about to share with the fact that it’s from a study. And sometimes this is necessary to distinguish opinion

I’ve written before about some of the spoils of the modern world and their effects on our mental health. We trade quality nourishment for time with the foods we eat, unique memories for story posts and external validation that we do, in fact, attend events, and healthy human curiosity for instantaneous misinformation from search engines and social media. Unfortunately, we also trade decisiveness for the abundance of choice, which leads to what is known as decision fatigue. By

If your anxiety or depression symptoms feel worse after an EMDR session, you are not alone. EMDR therapy can activate the brain's natural healing process, which may temporarily increase emotional distress between sessions. Learn why this happens and discover 5 practical tips from an EMDR therapist in Westchester, NY to help regulate your nervous system and support healing between EMDR reprocessing sessions.

Are you ever overwhelmed by all the things on your to-do list and feel like you'll never get it done? We've all been there, especially if goal setting seems overwhelming. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. By breaking down big goals into smaller tasks and stacking healthy habits, you can make larger strides in achieving the things that are most important to you without feeling discouraged or burned out. Let's explore how goal setting and stacking healthy ha

The what, why and how of the window of tolerance & 3 ways to practice widening your window of tolerance What is the window of tolerance? The “window of tolerance” is a term coined by Dan Seigel, MD. It is defined as: "the optimal zone of 'arousal' for a person to function in everyday life". It is the autonomic nervous system state in which we can tolerate and function through certain experiences, emotions, and situations. Being in your window of tolerance does not mean that y

Over the last few years, actor Jonah Hill was working on a movie that is currently streaming on Netflix about his therapist, Phil Stutz. He decided to make this movie because his therapist has helped him so much that Jonah wanted to share his teachings with the world and make therapy a bit more accessible to people. As a mental health professional, I watched this movie to see how mental health and therapy were portrayed. There are many books, movies, documentaries about menta

One of the latest trends in mainstream society is the Ancestral Lifestyle. Its followers broadcast a simple message – to do as our early ancestors did and rise above the blanket of depression and anxiety that covers every part of the modern world. Our ignored primal instincts do in fact echo loudly in our minds in the form of negative thoughts, self-hatred, crippling anxiety, and unnecessary violence today. And based on evolutionary psychology, much of what we perceive to be

Every now and then, we need a little help explaining things to kids. Trying to change the language to kid-appropriate lingo can be hard at times and there’s no shame in needing a bit of help! Mental health is becoming more prominent in our society and parents/care-givers want to teach their children about mental health issues earlier in life and sometimes don't know how (which is totally understandable and relatable).There are tons of books explaining emotions, coping tools,

"So, when are we going to start doing EMDR?" I think I can speak for most EMDR therapists when I say: We get this question all the time....

Overthinking is not a flaw, it is often a protective response shaped by stress and past experiences. Learn the 6 signs you’re an overthinker and how trauma-informed support can help your mind feel safer and more settled.

In short: Anxiety is intense, persistent worry or fear that shows up in both mind and body, with symptoms like restlessness, a racing heart, shallow breathing, and trouble concentrating. Quick coping strategies include square breathing, changing your body temperature, short mindful breaks, music, and tackling one task at a time. (Updated October 2026) If you are someone who experiences anxiety (like a lot of us do), welcome! My goal for this blog post is a refresher on anxiet

Have you have ever been told to "just breathe" or "relax" while amidst a highly unpleasant emotional experience and found yourself becoming more agitated? Yeah, me too. Simply relaxing can be far more difficult than our peers suggest, despite the ease with which they arrived at that magical, instantly curative advice. And if you've experienced any degree of emotional invalidation throughout life, being told to breathe or to "just" do anything for that matter, only drives home

Have we turned into Human "Doings"? One of the ways the technological revolution has created difficulty for human beings to experience joy is by stripping away the awareness to also be human doings. Scientists have proven that instantaneous reward, tightly woven throughout society, has fundamentally shifted the machinery responsible for dopamine production and maintenance. This was demonstrated by classically conditioning subjects to expect a taste of sweet fruit juice upon t

Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga, Third Eye, Higher Self, Inner Self, Spirit, Soul, Healing – we see these concepts spread just about everywhere today, and not only in environments focused on health or spirituality. We no longer must visit a fitness club, yoga center, or place of worship to engage matters of the mind and body on a deeper level. Various professions offer, and even broadcast on the forefront of their brands, opportunities for cultivating a sense of wellness and r

One thing I often suggest to my clients is buying a journal. I get mixed responses of "Okay, sure!", "I hate journaling" or "journaling doesn't work for me". I try to encourage clients that are skeptical about journaling to get one and give it a chance. There are multiple reasons why I suggest journaling and I'll go over a few below: A place to dump your stuff Everyone needs a place sometimes to dump their thoughts and emotions. Journaling can be beneficial when we don't ha

Grounding techniques are enormously helpful when dealing with anxiety. Grounding techniques are used to help your body and your mind slow down when your anxiety has gotten the best of you. They are used to distract your mind from whatever is overwhelming it. Grounding strategies can typically be done within a few minutes. Some of them may take a little getting used to, so I definitely suggest testing these out and practicing them when you are not in a hyper-aroused state. P