COUNSELING - PSYCHOTHERAPY - MyHope

Autism

Definition Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. Alternative Names Pervasive developmental disorder – autism; Autistic spectrum disorder Causes, incidence, and risk factors Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. […]

Awakening From the Trance of Unworthiness

During high school, I consciously struggled with not liking myself, yet it was during college that I became distressed by the intensity of my self-aversion. On a weekend outing, a roommate described her inner process as “becoming her own best friend,” and I broke down sobbing, overwhelmed at the degree to which I was unfriendly […]

Courage

Courage By Michael H. LeBlond, PhD, MBA Licensed Psychologist How often have you heard “just feel the fear and do it anyway.” This actually is not far from the definition of courage. What courage is not is the absence of fear. When most people think of courage they think of it in one […]

Eliminating Life Clutter

Your closet may be a mess, but what does your life look like? It may be time to shed your objects and obligations with an eye toward something greater than just throwing things out. You can learn to simplify your space and your life, focusing on what you need to move forward. That’s the theme […]

Mindfulness and Six Key Elements of Psychological Well-being

What does it mean to be a psychologically healthy person? Many people assume that good mental health means feeling happy most of the time. Indeed, studies show that positive emotions have many benefits. They increase resilience to stress and encourage us to learn, grow, and bond with others. However, there’s much more to good mental […]

Moving Toward

Moving Toward At front and center stage of Buddhist psychology is mindfulness: moment-to-moment non-judgmental awareness. By bringing neutral observation to life, the habitual tendency to categorize into good versus bad or like versus dislike gives way to open exploration, understanding, and wisdom. Mindfulness is to know and see things as they are arising and passing. […]

Learning to manage your life more effectively

Learning to manage your life more effectively Meeting life’s challenges with resilience Some people call it having thick skin. For others, it’s “resilience.” No matter what term you use, developing the ability to overcome life’s setbacks, problems, stress, hassles and challenges can clearly enrich your life. More than 50 years of research shows that resilience […]

The Fine Art of Focusing

Just as you were starting to read this, did you suddenly stop, deciding to quickly check for that email you were expecting? No, it wasn’t there. So you’re back to the article. Then a text message calls for your attention. You send off a quick reply. And now, it’s time to focus. But, it’s not […]

Learning How to Trust and Honor Your Own Voice

You have to love, respect, and honor yourself (and others) before you can really tackle reaching your unique potential. This is not to say that the ones you love aren’t important, that spirituality doesn’t matter, or that others don’t have wisdom you need. Instead, it’s simply to point out that you have been gifted with […]

Can You Learn to Be Kind to Yourself?

Do you ever feel like your sense of self-worth goes up and down like a ping-pong ball, depending on whether you’re feeling successful or more like a failure? Do you sometimes tell yourself “nobody’s perfect,” but you don’t really believe it? You might benefit from developing what is called “self-compassion.” It’s learning to be kind […]

Being True to Yourself – In This Moment

Ask yourself how often you experience life, rather than going through the motions, pretending to feel differently than you do, engaging in distractions, chasing altered states, trying to cooperate with someone else’s agenda, or wanting everyone to understand you and your problems. Imagine releasing yourself from that facade and opting instead for an encounter with […]

Setting – and Achieving – Goals

You may have heard the old saying, “Nothing succeeds like success.” While true, it can be frustrating. How do you get your first big win anyway? According to Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, research shows there are a broad range of things you can do and attitudes […]