ACT Therapy for OCD Helps You Manage Intrusive Thoughts and Live Fully 

act therapy for ocd

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel like being stuck in your own head 24/7. Every thought demands immediate attention, and every worry feels urgent. It might feel impossible to get away from and can begin weaving itself into every part of your day. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you step out of this cycle […]

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder 

cognitive behavioural therapy for body dysmorphic disorder

Living with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) can be draining. A single feature or small detail can take up so much mental space that it starts affecting your mood, confidence, and daily routines. You might find yourself checking mirrors often, comparing yourself to others, or searching for treatments and cosmetic fixes that never bring lasting relief. At Embrace Now, […]

Finding Balance with Stress Management Therapists for Anxiety 

stress management therapists

We live in a world that never seems to slow down—deadlines, presentations, notifications, and constant expectations. The pressure can feel even heavier with holiday gatherings, midterms, and the shift in weather during the fall and winter seasons. Feeling stressed or anxious in a world like this doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It simply means […]

Relationship OCD Therapy: Signs, Treatment & Healing

relationship ocd therapy

When doubts about your relationship start feeling more like an obsession than intuition, you may be experiencing relationship OCD. More than occasional uncertainty, it’s a cycle of intrusive thoughts, compulsive reassurance-seeking and emotional distress that can quietly erode the foundation of even the strongest love life. Learn how relationship ocd therapy will help you to […]

Coping with Emetophobia During Stomach Bug Season / Norovirus Outbreak

As an emetophobia therapist, I understand how difficult and triggering winter time and associated stomach virus outbreaks can be. Emetophobia (i.e., fear or phobia of vomiting) can become an incredibly debilitating anxiety disorder when not treated properly with Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. As we face the current norovirus outbreak across the United States, many people with […]

This recorded pop-up workshop by Dr. Sandra on panic features 26 minutes of video content and covers:

What panic attacks are

What panic disorder is

Difference between panic and anxiety attacks

Several coping skills for panic

This recorded pop-up workshop by Dr. Sandra on Rumination features 32 minutes of video content and covers:

What rumination is

When rumination happens

How it occurs commonly in OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Depression

Steps to cope with rumination when it is not helpful

Exercise to cope with rumination when our focus on something is needed, but the rumination about that thing is taking over/becoming unhelpful.

“Embrace Discomfort” Workshop, is designed to help you understand and overcome avoidance behaviors through the practice of exposure. This workshop consists of four lessons, totaling approximately 39 minutes of video content, complemented by four associated resources with practical strategies to help you embrace discomfort and lead a more fulfilling life.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Why Avoidance is Problematic: gain a foundational understanding of avoidance and exposure, feeling more confident in the necessity and benefits of facing discomfort.

Identify Avoidance Patterns: Participants will recognize their avoidance patterns and understand the impact of these behaviors.

Understand How to Use Values to Embrace Discomfort: Participants will develop insight into the value of facing discomfort, realizing what they gain by overcoming avoidance and how it aligns with their core values.

Prepare Action Plan: Participants will leave with a clear plan and practical strategies to start embracing discomfort, using graded exposure techniques to gradually overcome avoidance.

“Embrace Connection: Social Anxiety Skills Workshop,” is designed to help you understand and manage social anxiety through evidence-based techniques and strategies. This workshop consists of five comprehensive lessons, totaling 43 minutes of video content, and includes four associated resources/activities to enhance your learning and application.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Social Anxiety: Gain a clear understanding of social anxiety, its causes, and the difference between normal social anxiety and social anxiety disorder.

Manage Anxious Thoughts: Learn to catch, identify, and reframe socially anxious thoughts with evidence-based strategies.

Reduce Social Avoidance: Understand the ineffectiveness of avoidance, learn gradual steps to reduce it, and develop strategies to cope with the process.

Improve Communication Skills: Acquire practical conversation and communication skills to enhance confidence and effectiveness in social interactions.

Adopt a Values-Based Perspective: Learn to reframe social anxiety through a values-based perspective, improving their approach to social interactions and reducing anxiety.

Embrace Uncertainty – Coping with What If Thoughts Workshop”, is designed to help you understand and manage uncertainty and the ineffective “what if” thoughts that often accompany it. This workshop consists of five engaging lessons, totaling 34 minutes of video content.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Uncertainty: Gain a clear understanding of what uncertainty is, why it’s common to feel uncomfortable with it, and the ineffectiveness of “what if” thoughts.

Learn the Five Laws of Uncertainty: Understand and accept the fundamental principles of uncertainty to cope more effectively.

Avoid Unreasonable Efforts to Reduce Uncertainty: Recognize why trying to eliminate uncertainty is ineffective and adopt healthier, more reasonable approaches.

Develop Coping Strategies: Acquire practical, evidence-based strategies for enduring and managing uncertainty.

Embrace Uncertainty: Learn to reframe uncertainty positively, find meaning in it, and embrace it as a part of life.

 

“Embrace Now: Mindfulness Skills Workshop” is designed to introduce you to the principles and practices of mindfulness, helping you cultivate a calmer, more centered mind. This workshop consists of five concise lessons, totaling 26 minutes of video content, complemented by four associated resources to support your mindfulness journey.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Mindfulness: Gain a clear understanding of what mindfulness is, its benefits, and overcome common myths.

Enhance Present Moment Awareness: Learn and practice mindfulness activities that help stay grounded in the present.

Observe Thoughts Mindfully: Develop skills to observe thoughts without judgment and prevent them from taking over.

Regulate Emotions Mindfully: Learn techniques to notice and balance emotions, reducing impulsive behavior.

Cultivate Gratitude: Foster a positive mindset through regular gratitude exercises, enhancing overall mindfulness.

Embrace Your Values is designed to provide participants with a deep understanding of their values and practical strategies to live in accordance with them, fostering greater fulfillment and resilience in the face of anxiety and stress. This workshop consists of five engaging lessons, totaling 36 minutes of video content, and includes three guided activities to enhance your learning and application.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand the Importance of Values: Gain insight into what values are and how they influence behavior and well-being.

Explore Personal Values: openly explore their personal values, discovering what truly matters to them through reflective exercises.

Identify Core Values: Clearly identify and articulate their most important core values.

Assess Values-Based Actions: Evaluate current actions in relation to their values, identifying obstacles and areas for improvement.

Plan for Values-Based Action: Develop a practical plan to increase alignment between their actions and values, receiving a step by step guide on how to address obstacles and enhance engagement.

Embrace Calm – Anxiety Skills Workshop is designed to help you understand and manage anxiety effectively through evidence-based teachings provided by Dr. Sandra. This workshop consists of five concise lessons, totaling 41 minutes of video content, complemented by seven associated resources to deepen your understanding and practice.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Understand Anxiety: Grasp the “why” behind anxiety, feeling validated in their experiences.

Manage Anxious Thoughts: Utilize effective strategies to catch and cope with anxious thoughts.

Confront Avoidance: Recognize the pitfalls of avoidance and learn how to face anxiety-provoking situations.

Reduce Anxious Feelings: Apply mindfulness, self-compassion and distress tolerance techniques to alleviate emotional and physical sensations of anxiety.

Accept Anxiety: Develop acceptance strategies and cognitive reframes to live more comfortably with anxiety.