Dr. Karin Schwartz - Clinical Psychologist

09/24/2022

Sit with your emotions…

Sit with your emotions as they arise. Notice where in your body you’re feeling them. Listen to them, feel them, appreciate them… If, like most people, you have a pattern of running from your feelings (or attempting to distract/numb with food, shopping, drugs/alcohol etc) they WILL track you down and keep showing up in different forms and circumstances… until the lesson they hold is listened to and learned!

As long as you’re human, and alive, you’re going to feel! Stop being fearful and trying to run away from (or CONTROL) your most powerful tool. Feelings provide us with the strongest sense of insight and information re. who we are, what/who we like/dislike, why something/someone may be triggering us, and what our heart and body TRULY wants and needs. Your heart & emotions hold the key/answers. Attempting to “think” through your feelings often only leads to anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts and sleepless nights.

Therapy can help you learn to pay attention to the signals and get in touch with your feelings and authentic self.

Learning how to listen to & honor your feelings may lead to Ah-Ha moments, where you suddenly understand a situation or it becomes more clear. Listening to and understanding your truth can give you insight to know how to manage a situation better, or suddenly you’re feeling lighter, less heavy, or just more at peace. It may show up in making healthier decisions, reduction of anxiety or depression; letting go of people or relationships that no longer serve you.

07/08/2020

Scientists have discovered that the subconscious mind controls up to 95% of our lives. Only 5% of our memories & other data reside in the conscious mind. Our lives are basically being run by the subconscious, which is functioning using a set of “rules” that were created during early childhood. Once you find out exactly what these rules are, you’ll see why you’ve been stuck for so long. Getting these answers from your subconscious mind is essential to your healing, because you can’t change what you’re unaware of.

The actual experience may seem insignificant now, but a lot of how an experience AFFECTS us is connected to our capacity to handle and process it at the specific age it happened.

Your body speaks to you and is one way to get clues, as your symptoms are often your body’s emotional guidance system.

03/05/2020

Whenever you experience a mood there is typically a thought (belief) connected to it. Different thoughts or interpretations of a situation, event, person etc. can lead to different moods and reactions in the same situation.

For ex:: people w/anxiety see danger and loss of control in situations; people w/depression often think about how difficult & hopeless life has become.

It doesn’t necessarily take traumatic events to influence beliefs. Beliefs are influenced by your cultural/ethnic/religious background, gender, family beliefs & practices, social circle, or (social) media. What you believe about yourself, your future, other people, & your life experiences is strongly influenced by parts of your past & current environment.

This also doesn’t mean your thinking is wrong when you experience an intense mood... it means that when you experience things in a profound way, youre more likely to disregard, discount or ignore some really pertinent information, or evidence, that contradicts your moods and often (core negative) beliefs...Keeps you stuck and often feeling horribly.

If you have difficulty identifying how you feel, notice changes in your body. Where does it feel tight, stuck, heavy or uncomfortable? Tightness in your shoulders or chest area, may signal fear or anxiety; heaviness or fatigue throughout your body may signal depression or disappointment.

Positive thinking is not the solution to life’s problems. Anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, etc can certainly tell you that “thinking positively” isn’t as easy (or possible) as it sounds!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you look at ALL of the information that is available, identify your automatic thoughts and core beliefs, look at evidence that supports or doesn’t, identify (and learn to tolerate) your feelings, and find alternative balanced thought patterns, ultimately finding inner peace and happiness. It’s all a matter of Perspective!

10/18/2019