Mosaic Psychology

03/11/2026

One of the most challenging things about Anxiety Disorders can be the fear of the anxiety and panic attacks themselves. Fear of a panic attack often compels people to limit their behaviours and avoid potential discomfort. But leaning into discomfort, rather than avoiding it, rewires our brains and teaches us that we can tolerate hard things.
This article discusses this framework with the context of Panic Disorder and exercise. Because intense exercise simulates some of the physiological experiences of panic (for example racing heart and shortness of breath), it helps rewire the brain to tolerate anxiety and reduce the experience of panic attacks. While relaxation is also effecting in reducing overal stress and anxiety, new research is showing that vigorous exercise is more effective.

Exercise or relaxation—which truly lowers panic attacks? New research suggests one clearly outperforms the other, and the reason reveals a powerful key to lasting relief.

03/02/2026

Find the glimmers, and recognize your own ☺️

03/10/2022

There are some scary and deeply upsetting things happening in the world right now, and kids are asking questions. Sometimes we wonder what the right amount of information is... We want to keep be honest without overwhelming. I appreciate the suggestion of this post to frame "an honest response within a story of resilience and safety."

10/23/2021

The more time we spend living through a pandemic, the more we are learning of some of the impacts on our brains. This article discusses the concept of psychological hibernation - and why many of us are feeling so exhausted with coming out of it.

It’s not just you – the pandemic has changed our brain psychology.

04/27/2021

These days, many of us seem to be feeling a bit blah: low motivation, difficulty concentrating, not particularly sad but not really happy, either. This article describes the concept of languishing, and how it's an emotion that many people are feeling right now.

The neglected middle child of mental health can dull your motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.

03/22/2021

Child anxiety is a family affair. This blog gives a great description of the "dance" we often do to try to protect our kids (and ourselves!) from the discomfort anxiety causes. And how sometimes that protection can reinforce a pattern of avoidance. The need to build a tolerance for discomfort is something that comes up a lot in my practice (in my personal life, too!) - especially now, in the midst of a pandemic, when discomfort is all around us.

Child Anxiety, not a solo dance Child anxiety doesn’t like to dance alone…it’s a family affair. That’s because the more family members anxiety can draw onto its dance floor, the more powerful it can become.   Research indicates that 97% of children with anxiety have one or more parents

02/22/2021

02/02/2021

Many of us are feeling some hard days right now. It's covid, it's cold, and it's isolating, amongst other things. Here are some things to remember about hard days: