Therapy with Lindsey

04/30/2024

Grateful to be featured in Bold Journey Magazine discussing Overcoming Imposter Syndrome!

We were lucky to catch up with Lindsey Cooper recently and have shared our conversation

01/25/2022

Maternity leave begins mid-March! It’s been an exciting year so far and I can’t wait to return in a few months (May) launching my private practice as an LMFT and continuing the work I love!

01/21/2022

Gotta love .den

12/22/2021

Let me re-introduce myself. My name is Lindsey Cooper, LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

03/10/2021

Check The Facts for Emotion Regulation

Check the Facts encourages you to think before you react on your emotions. It allows you to step back, assess the situation, and determine if what you’re feeling is appropriate given the context. Ask yourself, “Is the way that I am feeling and thinking about a situation factual?” Then, find the proof to figure out if your response is fitting or not. Use the questions above to help check the facts!

03/09/2021

Are you anxious? Do you over think? Try one of these tips and let us know how it worked:

1. Notice when you're over thinking. Literally say out loud "right now I'm overthinking" or "right now I'm having this thought." Mindfulness and noticing it is the first step in shifting.
2. Challenge negative thoughts-- find an alternative to the thought. We're not talking toxic positivity, something reasonable. Find a flaw in the logic. Ex. "I have no friends" to "I have one or two people that really care about me even when I feel disconnected."
3. What can I do? Identify what is in my control and take action where possible, if there's nothing i can do, sit back and do something else!
4. Schedule time for reflection. journal, meditate, go for a walk, talk to your therapist (or reach out to a therapist), take some time to observe and reflect on what's been going on, identify triggers, and really ask, what is this about? (often it isn't about the "problem" in front of us, there's something deeper!)
5. Get mindful. Mindfulness is NOT meditation, although that can be a part of mindfulness for some. Get into the moment, consciously be aware of the here and now. Use the five senses RIGHT NOW. What do you see? What can you feel? What do you smell? What do you taste? What can you hear?
6. Throw yourself into a task and just take a break from the thoughts. Do something that you can totally absorb yourself with even if it's just for a few minutes. Keep using the others skills and give yourself some time, a mental break, from the thinking.

03/08/2021

DBT 101: WISE MIND. There are three states of mind, reasonable or rational mind, emotional mind and wise mind. None of these states are "good" or "bad." The greatest love songs and art are created from the place of emotion mind and systemic processing and problem solving often takes place in reason/rational mind. At the same time, reason mind can at times be cold and create a wall with our emotions and connection to others while in emotion mind we may be impulsive and reactive. So where does wise mind come in? Well, wise mind is the integration of both. It may be that gut feeling, space where both and lies rather than one or the other. It is the middle ground. A place of calm and intuition, a place of acceptance. Next time you are experiencing an intense emotion or are distancing yourself and cutting off emotion, ask yourself, what would wise mind say?

03/06/2021

Recap of yesterday... triggers are unconscious emotional flashbacks!

thanks

03/05/2021

Identifying triggers is key to healing. What triggers us provides a ton of information on the parts of us that need healing. The core negative beliefs that say things like, "I'm not good enough", "I'm unlovable", and "I'm unworthy" are often what is triggered. These false beliefs are developed from our experiences, perceptions, treatment, and interpretation of the world around us. We do the best we can with what we have and sometimes in the development of these shortcuts of thinking, we miss the path. The shortcut being the core beliefs and automatic thoughts. When we identify, challenge, and replace our limiting beliefs and negative self-talk, we can really thrive. Nothing has to change on the outside for everything to change.

Thank you

03/04/2021

WHY DO WE HAVE UNCOMFORTABLE OR "NEGATIVE" EMOTIONS?!?!?!?!?!

Humans are super complex, yet at the same time we're pretty simple. Everything we do is an adaptation and our emotions provide us with information about the environment and the world around us. Our emotions, non-verbals, somatic responses (you know, that gut feeling), are all SOURCES OF INFORMATION. There's no such thing as a "good" or "bad" emotion. Some are really uncomfortable. When you are experiencing an uncomfortable emotion, ask yourself what is it's purpose? What function does it serve? What information is this providing? Once it's identified, then we can check the facts-- your emotion is valid, does it fit the facts right now? For example, when someone experiences trauma (like a pandemic), one response might be to ignore it. There may be limited emotional response, this also gives us information! Another example is road rage. Does my response of chasing them down, cutting them off again, or screaming and throwing things an effective response to the situation?

03/03/2021

The journey is worth it.

you. are. worth. it.

healing is not a linear journey and with the growth comes pain as well. we are exploring and deconstructing the ways in which pain has impacted every area of our lives. The not good enough or unworthiness thoughts permeate and we miss out. In healing, sometimes we see even more the ways in which the pain or hurt has impacted us far greater than just the specific experience. It is in this space though we can also expand and grow through the hurt into our authentic selves.