What Is Executive Function – And Why Is Executive Dysfunction So Bad for Mental Health?
Optimized SEO Version: Understanding Executive Function Skills Introduction Imagine you’re in the ocean, swimming tirelessly as waves crash over you, pushing you under. That’s what daily life can feel like without strong executive functioning skills. For many, these struggles go unnoticed or are misdiagnosed as ADHD, depression, PTSD, or anxiety. Hi, I’m Emma McAdam, a […]
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Behavioral Activation- How to Get Motivated to Do Stuff that You Don’t Want to Do. Anxiety Course 30
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety and Depression: Behavioral Activation In this video, you’ll learn about the mental block that holds many people back in anxiety and depression and the essential skill to break that cycle. But first, a story from high school. A High School Lesson In high school, I felt pretty lonely until I […]
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Time Blindness – An ADHD or Executive Dysfunction Trait
Understanding Time Blindness: What It Is and How to Manage It If you often lose track of time, struggle to estimate how long tasks will take, or frequently find yourself late, you might be experiencing something called time blindness. This article explains what time blindness is, its connection to ADHD and neurodiversity, and shares 10 […]
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Why You Blame Yourself for Everything
Understanding Self-Blame: Why It Happens and How to Overcome It In this video, you’ll learn why you might blame yourself for everything, how this can stem from childhood trauma, and actionable steps to stop the cycle. To make things more relatable, we’ll use Batman as an example. The Shortcut Your Brain Takes Have you ever […]
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Diagnosis Creep
4 Reasons Why Mental Health Diagnoses Are Increasing In recent years, mental health diagnoses have surged. I believe there are four key reasons behind this trend. 1. Diagnosis Creep The term “diagnosis creep” refers to the growing tendency to use clinical terms more broadly than intended. Terms like OCD, ADHD, depression, and anxiety are now […]
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Why Am I Anxious? A Quick Assessment
Understanding Anxiety and How to Address It Do You Feel Anxious Without Knowing Why? Anxiety often stems from unnoticed micro-habits that accumulate over time. Let’s explore seven common reasons for unexplained anxiety and how to address them. These insights reflect approaches I use with clients during therapy sessions. You can download and print the accompanying […]
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Shame and Confusion about Childhood Sexual Abuse
Understanding and Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse: Breaking the Silence Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is an incredibly painful but critical topic to address. While it may be uncomfortable, discussing it openly is essential for reducing the confusion and shame often carried by survivors. This article explores the complexities of CSA, the emotional aftermath, and steps […]
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4 Essential Sleep Routines
4 Essential Routines to Help You Sleep Better and Overcome Insomnia Struggling to fall asleep or dealing with insomnia? Many people look for bedtime routines to improve their sleep. While sleep hygiene can be beneficial, waiting until bedtime to fix your sleep issues is like planning for retirement on your last working day—it’s too late […]
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Overthinking and Intrusive Thoughts – 6 Phrases to get Unstuck from Overthinking and Uncertainty
How to Manage Intrusive Thoughts and Worries: A Guide to Cognitive Defusion Do you often struggle with intrusive thoughts, constant worries, or catastrophic visions of what might go wrong? Perhaps you frequently ask yourself questions like, “What if my daughter gets in a car crash?” or “What if I said something offensive at the party?” […]
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How Childhood Trauma Affects the Brain and Body – The ACES Study
Childhood Trauma: Its Lasting Impact and Pathways to Healing Childhood trauma has profound and long-lasting effects on physical health, mental well-being, and social functioning. While its significance was relatively underexplored until the late 1990s, groundbreaking research by Dr. Vincent Felitti revealed the extensive impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Here’s an in-depth look at his […]
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