wilson counseling blog posts
Why hugs make you feel happy
Science is cool. It teaches us many things including how to live more joyful, healthier lives. Being a therapist, I get really excited when I learn about the science behind what makes people happy. This sounds like flaky stuff, but to me, it is some of the most worthwhile stuff of life. Scientists are confirming something that we inherently know on an intuitive level. Hugs are good for you! Okay, this is not exactly breaking news, but what is interesting is how healing hugs can be and how many benefits you get from this simple, beautiful gesture.
Eating Disorder Conferece Coming Up on Febraury 28th
Houston Eating Disorder Specialists is hosting an eating disorder conference which will focus on realizing recovery. This is a great opportunity for family members, those struggling with eating disorders or eating disorder professionals to learn more from some of the foremost experts in the field.
Finding freedom in brokenness : One woman's story of recovery
One of the reasons I think people find counseling so helpful is that they find acceptance even when revealing the parts of themselves they may feel ashamed of. Most of us are not very honest about our struggles because we don't want to be rejected or judged. It is a brave and difficult thing to open up, so most people choose to just keep their problems to themselves as long as they can.
Be Yourself to the Happy End
Sometimes I like to pass along things that I find inspiring. If you have spent time with me, you know I encourage people to learn to live authentically and to embrace and celebrate the person they were created to be. Researchers who study happiness consistently have found that people who live authentically are more likely to experience happiness and feel a general sense of wellbeing. When I talk about living authentically, I am talking about living in line with your values, ideals, sensibilities, creative instincts, etc.
When you screw up, do the next best thing
Have you ever caught yourself saying, "Where has the year gone?" I feel this way at the end of every year. I don't know what happened to 2014. A full year gone. What have I done in that time? What do I wish I had done? This can be a pretty reflective time of year--the passing of one year, and the beginning of the next.
How to stop catastrophizing
One of the common traits of anxious people is that they tend to catastrophize events in their lives. For example, I might be worried that something I said to a co-worker might be construed as unprofessional and that might lead to me having a bad reputation on the job which might lead to me not being promoted, or even fired. I don't necessarily have any evidence to back this up, but I just feel like it is true. That is catastrophizing.