Seven Mile Ranch

12/17/2025

The struggle with panic is often worse than the panic itself. Fighting the waves makes them higher. Try letting them rise and fall while you anchor in the present — notice your breath, the feel of your feet, the sights and sounds around you. The storm will pass. You don’t need to make it go away to keep moving toward what you care about.
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Do you have a question for me? Write it in the comments and I might answer it next.

12/15/2025

This is both brutal and beautiful.

It’s the Christmas season, and everywhere I turn, we’re hurting each other more than ever. People I never thought of as dismissive are hiding in their own comfort.

Maybe the pain we see is the equivalent of a neglected dog witnessed by a young boy. Maybe it’s just too much.

But when you can, and even when it’s hard, choose connection over silence, not just for those who need you, but for you too. ♥️

New blog article is live: "Lassie, June Lockhart, and a Lesson I Learned Too Late."

You can read the full article here: https://stevenchayes.com/lassie-june-lockhart-and-a-lesson-i-learned-too-late/

12/06/2025

11/28/2025

The core principle underlying over a thousand studies that are forever changing how we approach psychological pain.

You don’t grieve unless you’ve loved. You don’t feel fear unless you’ve hoped. The deeper the meaning, the more it opens you to hurt. Pain is proof that something in your life really matters.

11/14/2025

The great irony of “getting rid” of anxiety:

If anxiety is something to get rid of, then anxiety is something to be anxious about.

It might be time for a new approach 😉

11/13/2025

It’s time. I have to increase my rates.

ACT/Contextual Behavioural Therapists are probably the last ones to increase rates because we are values-driven.

I believe in free, accessible mental health care, so don’t worry, it’s still a low rate considering my skills and experience, particularly in all things trauma-related.

I’m also covered under many private health plans.

All those currently in some form of treatment with me will remain at the rate they are accustomed to (even those taking therapy breaks). I would never throw that hurdle at you after we’ve already started.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

11/07/2025

Your thoughts often show up dressed as facts, and they sound convincing. But most of the time they’re just stories—some useful, some not. The skill is learning not to buy every sales pitch your mind offers. You can hold them lightly instead.