The teen years aren’t easy for anyone. Research shows significant increases in anxiety, depression and other mental health issues during this time for both boys and girls. Recent studies, however, suggest that adolescent girls – especially those who spend a lot of time on social media – tend to be particularly susceptible to the social and emotional upheaval.
Anyone who has teens in their life knows how important friendships are to this age group. But you may not know that a significant body of research suggests close friendships are essential to a young person’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Cognitive Defusion, one of the core concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a therapeutic approach that I use in my practice to help people cope with the negative thought patterns that fuel depression, anxiety and other mental and behavioral health challenges. Through a series of exercises my clients and I work to limit the power of negative thoughts and see them for what they really are: Just thoughts.
People often consider perfectionism a positive attribute. But it’s important to make the distinction between conscientiousness and a level of perfectionism that can have a terrible impact on an individual’s mental health. ‘Toxic’ perfectionism is linked to depression, anxiety and numerous other mental health issues. This week’s blog, talks about why perfectionism can be harmful and how to combat these unhealthy thought patterns.
Are you stuck in a cycle of negative emotions or behaviors? If so, I encourage you to investigate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a treatment option. ACT is a highly effective approach that I have used with clients for years. In this week’s blog, I focus on ACT’s core principle of Acceptance and explain how Acceptance can help clients handle the negatives and move forward.
