Heather Edwards, Author at Heather Edwards Mental Health Counseling

Dear Trauma: EMDR changes lives

February 5, 2020

Dear trauma, I don’t need you anymore. You served a purpose and kept me safe in the face of danger. But now you’re getting in my way. I got this. Yours truly. When trauma happens, your central nervous system reacts in one of 4 ways to protect you: Fight - physically defending yourself Flight - running away Freeze - if I don’t move, they won’t see me - think deer in headlights Faint - playing dead It’s involuntary and automatic. It’s your body‘s way of protecting you in the moment. So, thank your body for doing that - and let it know you’re safe now. In the case of PTSD and limiting beliefs, it’s not enough to know you’re safe. Your body's protective mechanisms get frozen in time...

anxiety depression EMDR limiting beliefs mental health Psychotherapy ptsd trauma wellness

Ex Updates: Ace a messy breakup

January 30, 2020

Relationships

Audrey Noble reached out for advice on what to do when you're concerned about a friend's ex following a breakup. This article was posted on Tinder Swipe Life. 5 Ex Updates You Shouldn’t Tell Your Friend About — And The Only One You Absolutely Should “[A lot of] it has to do with the nature of the breakup,” says online dating expert and celebrity matchmaker Carmelia Ray. Breaking up is hard to do — and we’re not just talking about for the two people involved. What are friends on both sides supposed to do? Unless your pal’s ex was a trash human being, chances are high that you formed at least somewhat of a friendship with them. This leaves you to determine how many and what updates to share with...

#relationships breakup ex mental health psychology suicide prevention wellness

2020 Vision: 29 life-balance tips

January 7, 2020

Stress Management

Make 2020 a breakthrough year. Stress, fatigue, and overwhelm can keep your head spinning and your to-do list growing. Get off the hamster wheel in 2020 and begin taking corrective action. It’s counterintuitive but, it all starts with slowing down. Make 2020 the year of YOU. Follow these simple tips to hit the reset button. Build clarity, energy, and focus...

2020 calm clarity gratitude journal meditation mindfulness psychology stress wellness

Suicide Prevention: How to get help

December 13, 2019

Uncategorized

I was recently interviewed by a freelance writer for an article about suicide prevention for a dating website. When it goes live, I will post it here. For now, I’m sharing some important information about how to help someone who might be in danger. Have you noticed posts on social media that sound threatening? Or have you heard vague references to self harm? If so, take action. Definitely tell someone. This could be a cry for help. You can talk to your friend if you think it would be helpful or family members and friends who could reach out to them. Don’t gossip or blow it off. Take it seriously. This could be a life or death situation. Be prepared with phone numbers to crisis counseling services...

depression help Psychotherapy suicide prevention therapy wellness

Holiday Magic: Mindful strategies

November 13, 2019

Anxiety, Managing the Holidays, Stress Management

‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? Well, sometimes. If you take a mindful look at the way you approach the holidays, you'll find that you actually have a mixture of feelings - like joy and sorrow, pleasure and stress, boredom and excitement, for instance. The holidays can be bittersweet, especially for those who have lost someone they love. They are stressful for those forced to mingle with family members they don’t admire. And they are lonely for those who are alone. It’s a time ripe with celebration, gratitude, and giving. And it’s a time of wishing and grieving. So whatever your circumstances, how do you surf the waves of emotion that arise during the holidays? Mindful practices can keep you rooted in your truth, feeling ground, and present,...

holidays meditation mindfulness stress management wellness

Mind Tricks: Conquer your fear

October 10, 2019

Anxiety

Mind tricks, a.k.a. cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR distancing techniques, chunking, and meditation practices saved me at Huayna Picchu. Little did I know, I would be frozen with fear upon arrival at Machu Picchu. With each step along the Inca trail, I held onto the mountainside to prevent being sucked into the valley 8000 feet below. My legs felt shaky, my breath was shallow, and my head was dizzy. Welcome to acrophobia, the fear of heights. When my guide suggested I would be hiking the big black pointy mountain, Huayna Picchu the next day, I was stunned. Huayna Picchu is a 9000 foot mountain that overlooks Machu Picchu. The part we would hike is a 1000 foot vertical climb in less than one mile. It’s named...

acrophobia anxiety CBT claustrophobia EMDR panic phobia Psychotherapy

Tattoos for healing?

July 11, 2019

Trauma

Tattoos date back to neo-Paleolithic times, serving purposes both for good and for bad. They have been used to record history, brand prisoners and slaves, express self-identity, and reclaim control over one’s own body. For many today, clients are claiming trauma recovery benefits. This intriguing Psychology Today guest blog by Heather Edwards combines insight about what tattoos can mean to folks, along with an interview with an artist in the craft, Paul Booth. The notion of a mark on oneself is as ancient as the Mark of Cain, after murdering his brother, Abel in the Book of Genesis. Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Puritan-era “Scarlet Letter” may not have been a tattoo–it was sown to one’s clothing–but it did mark the community’s condemnation of an adulterer. Not surprisingly, there is another side to...

EMDR healing Paul Booth psychology Psychotherapy tattoo tattoos trauma

Insomnia Tips: Sleep like a baby

May 1, 2019

Articles, Health, Lifestyle

Insomnia wrecks your mood, energy, and focus. Kayla Johnson from Tuck realizes this and requested that I share sleep resources with my readers. A good night's rest regretfully eludes many of us. Consequently, the outcomes can be dire. Insomnia has many links to mental illness as a cause and an effect. I'll share a few of Tuck's insights and research findings here. Chronically sleep-deprived people, some 20 percent of Americans, are more prone to costly diseases, accidents, and workplace absenteeism, at a steep cost to our national and global economy. The cost of drowsy driving motor vehicle accidents alone is estimated at $56 billion per year. Shift workers, healthcare workers, long-haul truck drivers, military operators, and others in jobs with demanding hours are at higher risk for sleep deprivation and...

anxiety depression heather edwards insomnia mental health psychology Psychotherapy sleep

Hatred vs. Empowerment: Flip the Script

March 5, 2019

Stress Management

Sexual harassment. Terrorism. Racism. Genocide. Human trafficking. Dis - empowerment. The list goes on. We are divisive and rageful, hateful and blaming, exploiting and violent. You feel exhausted, disempowered, and depressed. Your power is not in what separates you, it’s in what connects you to others. It’s in being receptive rather than reactive. Your conscious mind’s ability to reflect, evaluate, and problem solve sets you apart from other animals. You choose how to think and behave. You crave empowerment, self worth, and purpose. You need to feel connection, love, and belonging - without it you suffer. These are basic human needs. As long as food, shelter, and safety are provided, you aspire for meaning and a higher purpose. It’s visceral and biological. Looking outward isn’t as...

#metoo empowerment harassment hate politics psychology racism terrorism

Valentine My Love: Let’s start over

February 14, 2019

Relationships

Oh Valentine, imagine a “diamond in the rough” - maybe as a rundown house, a rusty sports car, or your relationship. It’s dusty, decrepit, & deteriorating. Yet, you know that if you gave it a little TLC it could shine again. Houses and cars can be restored. And so can your relationship. All you and your valentine need is a little hope to get the ball rolling. See the potential. Use a little elbow grease. Take a chance. Do something different. Restoring a house or car requires plans, resources, and often a team. The same applies your relationship. First, get clear on what you want to change. Second - and this is the hard part, consider your role in the problem. And lastly, develop a strategy. If communication...

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Author: Heather Edwards