Feeling unmotivated? Check your "VITALS"
We all struggle with motivation. It seems to evaporate so easily. Learn to use the VITALS acronym to assess and improve your motivation.
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Heather M. McKenzie, Therapist
(919) 744-8335
Online Counseling and Clinical Supervision
I hope that you find the content here helpful! This blog is meant to provide ideas, tips, and insights and is not meant to replace a relationship with a therapist or to serve as medical advice for your specific needs.
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- Nov 16, 2022
- 6 min
11 Holiday Permissions to Give Yourself
The closer the holidays draw, the higher the stress and worry. As you navigate holiday dynamics, give yourself these 11 permissions.
- Oct 21, 2022
- 8 min
What to expect & do after a sudden trauma
We each respond differently to traumatic situations. Learn what you might feel, the way you might act, ways you can cope effectively.
- Aug 8, 2022
- 8 min
Beyond bubble baths - 16 ways to do self-care
Self-care is anything we do to help ourselves stay physically, emotionally and mentally well. Learn 16 ways to do ongoing self-care.
- May 28, 2022
- 9 min
What you need to know about making difficult changes
It's hard to change! Learn the 6 stages of change to help you implement specific strategies for making your difficult changes successful.
- Apr 20, 2022
- 7 min
Your 3 crucial needs and how to manage emotions by filling them
All humans are driven to seek 3 basic needs: safety, connection, and comfort. Learn how understanding & filling needs helps manage emotions.
- Feb 24, 2022
- 8 min
Why it’s hard asking for help and how to get better at it
We need interconnection with others but it can feel so uncomfortable accepting care and help. Let's look at why it's hard and how to do it.
- Nov 18, 2021
- 6 min
12 ways to manage family holiday visits
Family gatherings are nearly always complicated. Consider these 12 strategies to help minimize the distress for yourself.
- Oct 23, 2021
- 7 min
Like yourself more: the power of self-validation
Validation is a human craving. We all want to matter. Since external validation isn't guaranteed, learning to self-validate is essential.
- Sep 24, 2021
- 8 min
How do I know what I’m feeling?
Emotions are crucial to our success, so it's important that we are able to identify exactly what we're feeling. Learn your body clues here!
- Aug 27, 2021
- 7 min
How to get started with mindfulness
Mindfulness is an effort to have intentional awareness of what is going on inside of you at the present moment. But how do we do this?
- Jun 22, 2021
- 4 min
Quick strategy for managing intense emotions - the STOP skill
Emotions dictate where our attention goes. The more intense an emotion gets, the more it narrows our focus. Use the STOP skill for control.
- Mar 23, 2021
- 7 min
Why do we have emotions?
Emotions are crucial to our survival. But if we don't have great strategies for managing them, they can get us into a world of pain.
- Jan 26, 2021
- 5 min
What can I eat for better brain health?
Brain health impacts emotional health. Eating brain healthy foods can increase your mental clarity, emotional management, and overall health
- Nov 3, 2020
- 7 min
How to practice self-compassion (or “Would you say that to a friend?”)
Self-compassion is about the practice of treating yourself with kindness, just as you would treat a friend you cared about.
- Sep 15, 2020
- 6 min
How much do you really know about suicide?
Suicidal thoughts do not mean you are crazy or that you are broken.
Suicidal thoughts DO mean that you are human and that you are in pain.
- Jun 7, 2020
- 5 min
How to cope when the nation is in crisis
The U.S. is going through intense and emotional turbulence. There's no roadmap and this is new for all of us. Some tools to help you cope.
- Apr 14, 2020
- 8 min
Surviving Stay Home Orders with your Sanity Intact
There's no roadmap for what we're experiencing right now. Here are 19 strategies to help us emerge on the other side with our sanity intact.
- Mar 31, 2020
- 11 min
How a quarantine can impact your relationships and interactions (and what to do about it)
If you live with other people, you will be dealing with some unprecedented experiences in your environment over the next weeks and months.
- Mar 10, 2020
- 6 min
Your (understandable) anxiety about the Coronavirus COVID-19
Feeling overwhelmed about a novel pandemic killing people worldwide is perfectly fitting. But letting anxiety control or paralyze you is not
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