The Yogi Therapist

    Welcome new folks, and welcome back returning folks. I wanted to dedicate some time and energy to talking specifically about emotions. You may have noticed in my post about mental health that I did not really include emotions as a symptom for any particular disorder. That was intentional. As humans, we experience a full range of emotions. That is healthy. That is normal - albeit uncomfortable. So let's talk about emotions. The Concept:     Let's just start with the obvious. Emotions are hard. They're confusing. They're overwhelming. And a lot of times they're uncomfortable. But what are emotions? This may sound strange, but an emotion is a label for a state of mental and physical being. First, let's separate emotions from feelings using the example of sadness. So let's say you're feeling sad. How do you know  you're feeling sad? What is it that made you draw that conclusion? Maybe your body and/or your heart feels heavy, maybe you're tired or...

    Welcome back! I've decided it would be best to start with the most basic question: what is mental health? As a mental health therapist, when I ask people what they want to work on or why they've come to therapy, I get answers like "because of my depression" or "my PTSD" or "my anxiety". Don't get me wrong, those are all valid answers, but to me it shows a need for more education about mental health. So let's get started. It's easiest to think of mental health as a parallel to physical health. You have a physical body, and let's say for the sake of argument that you have an emotional body (kind of a yogic idea, but stay with me here). In both cases, when you notice a problem then you go to the doctor. When the doctor asks you what's wrong, what do you tell them? a gall bladder infection or that you have pain in your side? Strep throat or that you have a fever and a sore throat and maybe even white polyps? You may tell the doc...

          Welcome, all! I'm so honored that you've taken time out of your day to check out my new blog. First, a little bit about me. Academically, I have B.A.s in Psychology and Social Work, a Master's in Social Work, and am currently working on a PhD in Psychology (a focus on learning and cognition). I am also a licensed master's level social worker working as an outpatient mental health therapist. I have 3 years of clinical experience working with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Additionally, I am a certified yoga instructor - at the 200 hour level - and have been practicing yoga for about 2 years now. Oh, and I'm 22 years old. That's just a bit of background so you know a little bit about the person behind the posts. Feel free to ask any additional questions in the comments section.  Now on to the good stuff....     My vision for this blog is to be a space for me to share practical knowledge of everything from mind...