Ever wonder why cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy start with an evaluation? Psychological assessment isn’t just paperwork—it’s the foundation of effective treatment. Without it, therapy is like trying to fix a problem without knowing exactly what’s wrong. Psychological assessment helps pinpoint cognitive patterns, emotional responses, and behavioral tendencies. It’s based on standardized tools—questionnaires, interviews, […]
Category Archives: DBT
Don’t Block Positive Emotions
Did you know some people avoid positive emotions? Studies show that happiness can cause some to feel ill at ease or distrustful. And, as a result of this discomfort, they tend to block or suppress their positive emotions, rather than fully experience them. This emotion regulation strategy obviously puts a cap on happiness. But it […]
No Toxic Positivity
Doing things to increase positive emotions and cultivate a positive mindset like gratitude practice and positive reframing can increase happiness and bolster resilience. But too much of a good thing can be harmful. And, when taken to an extreme, staying positive can become toxic. Toxic positivity is the denial of negative experiences, thoughts, and emotions. […]
Diversify your values
Life feels more meaningful when it reflects your values. If you value knowledge, you’re more likely to feel satisfied with life when you’re actively learning, whether it’s studying a foreign language, or exploring a country you’ve never visited before. If you value fitness, you probably feel more engaged and alive when you’re training than when […]
Embrace Change
With the pandemic, we’ve all experienced changes in how we live, how we work, and socialize. This can be distressing. It’s human nature to prefer things stay just as they are if we like how they’re going. As a result we may find ourselves fighting change or bracing against it. But change is the nature […]
Create meaning
So often it’s the case we’re on a quest to find meaning in life. We assume there’s an inherent meaning and it’s our job to discover it. Alternatively we may look to others to tell us the meaning. And, if we don’t find it or learn it, we might assume it’s meaningless. In DBT we […]