I referenced my anxiety during a session this week and my client was surprised that a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety still struggles with it! Just wanted to take this opportunity to challenge the belief that therapists “have it figured out”!
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We are all works in progress and have good days and bad days. No one is perfect! 🌿
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What assumptions do you have about therapy or therapists?? ⬇️

counseling, mental health, therapistEmelie DouglasAugust 17, 2018mental health, counseling, portlandtherapist, portland, anxiety

it’s monday!

It’s Monday again which means I’m doing the best I can to focus on getting back into the work week! ☀️

This weekend I was able to get out into nature with loved ones and our pets! The weather was perfect and I even had a chance to stand professionally next to this tree! 😂

Anyone else not ready for summer to end??

mental health, therapist, counselingEmelie DouglasAugust 13, 2018bipolardepression, anxietyhelp, breakthestigma, authenticity, anxietyquotes, awareness, anxious, anxietyattack, advocate, anxietymeme, anxietyrelief, anxietydisorder, albertaarts, cityofportland, anxietywarrior, counseling, counselinglife, dailymeditation, anxietysupport, believeinyourself, anxiety, bipolarawareness, anxietysucks, counselor, Self care #selflove #flower #flowers #flowerstagram #takecareofyourself #selfcaresaturday #saturdayvibes #selfcaretips #hiking #hike #mentalhealth #explore #hiker #getoutside #yesatherapist #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthwarriors #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalillness #anxiety #anxietyhelp #depression #depressionrecovery #depressionhelp #anxietyrecovery #ptsdrecovery #pdx #portland, anxietyquote, beinghuman, anxietyawareness, dailyinspiration, badasswomen, bipolardisorder, anxietymemes, bekindtoyourself, counselingpsychology, albertaartsdistrict, couples counseling, bipolardisorderawareness Comment

don’t believe everything you think!

Let’s talk anxiety. I believe anxiety in part comes from our attachment to believing everything we think is true. Just because a thought feels true doesn’t make it true.

The average person thinks between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day. In the moment, our thinking seems logical, but when we start looking more critically at the content of our thoughts, we notice thinking errors- therapists call these cognitive distortions. We tend to believe many of our thoughts- but we are not our thoughts.

I love this idea: “You are the consciousness (the ocean) from which your thoughts (the waves) arise.”

Here’s your goal:

1) Be the observer. Listen to your thoughts without judgement! Practice mindfulness.

2) Train your brain. Say goodbye to thoughts your don’t like. Decrease your attachment that your feelings are true!

For more help with anxiety, contact me!

mental health, therapist, counselingEmelie DouglasAugust 9, 2018bpdproblems, copingskills, dbtskills, abusesurvivor, bekindtoyourself, cityofportland, anxiety, depressionhelp, beinghuman, borderlinepersonalitydisorder, anxietydisorder, bodypositivity, dailymeditation, compassion, anxietysucks, calming, bipolardepression, depressionquotes, anxietyrelief, depression, depressionmemes, authenticity, cbt, counselor, anxietyawareness, anxietyquote, anxietyquotes, believeinyourself, depressionawareness, anxious, bipolardisorder, bpd, awareness, childhoodtrauma, anxietymemes, dbt, counseling, anxietyhelp, anxietyattack, anxietymeme, breakthestigma, depressionrecovery, anxietysupport, anxietyrecovery, depressionsupport, anxietywarrior, dailyinspiration, depressionquote, bipolardisorderawareness, coping, bipolarsupport, bipolarawarenessComment