Anacortespsych

01/02/2026

✨ Rethinking Resolutions with Compassion ✨

As therapists, we notice how traditional resolutions can create pressure. This year, try a gentler approach:

🌱 Monthly themes > year-long demands.
Choose a theme each month so goals feel flexible and manageable. Think “rest,” “connection,” or “movement”. As the month comes up, feel free to shift the theme. Put a note on your bathroom mirror so you remember to live with intention.

💛 Lead with self-compassion.
Progress isn’t linear. Being kind to yourself is part of the work.

🌅 Every day is a fresh start.
You don’t need the perfect moment to begin again. Some days, a goal just isn't going to be the focus and that is okay.

🎯 Try SMART goals when structure helps.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound: tools to support you, not pressure you. If the goal seems overwhelming, break it into smaller steps. Smaller and smaller until you can start.

Small steps count. You don’t need perfection to grow. 💫

12/31/2025

✨ Looking Back with Compassion ✨

As therapists, we often remind people that reflection isn’t about judging the past year—it’s about honoring the ways you kept going, growing, and showing up for your life.

Before you rush into resolutions, try this gentle practice:

📝 Write down 12 successes from the past year. One for each month.
They don’t need to be about specific events, be big or dramatic: something like “I rested when I needed to,” “I asked for help,” “I showed up even when it was hard.”
Small wins count. Quiet progress matters.

💛 Reflect with compassion.
Instead of focusing on what didn’t happen, notice what you did do. What did you learn? What strengthened you? What surprised you?

🌱 Let this reflection guide your next steps.
You deserve to enter the new year with credit for every form of growth—visible or not.

12/21/2025

✨ Honoring the Winter Solstice ✨

The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year—a symbol of renewal and the quiet return of light. This season can bring fatigue or heaviness while it also invites us to pause, soften, and listen inward.

❄️ Caring for Yourself on the Shortest Days

1. Slow your pace. Do less. Rest isn’t earned—it’s needed. Protect your quiet moments and follow whatever brings ease.

2. Create light and warmth. Soft lamps, candles, warm drinks, blankets, a hot bath—these soothe the nervous system and remind us of hope.

3. Reflect gently. Ask: What am I ready to release? What intention do I want to bring into the returning light?

4. Seek small connections. A text, a quiet conversation, shared space. Even on the darkest day, light is already growing.

May this longest night offer you rest, clarity, and the assurance that light always returns. ✨

12/18/2025

This is the view out one of our office windows upstairs . It's so blustery out there: we're glad to be inside this cozy space right now!

🌬️ The Wind Doesn’t Break—It Adapts 🌬️

When strong winds blow, the trees that bend tend to survive. The rigid ones? They’re the most likely to snap.

Our thoughts work the same way. When we cling tightly to one way of seeing things—“This must be how it is”—stress and suffering often increase. But when we allow our thinking to move, shift, and adjust, we create room for resilience, problem-solving, and self-compassion.

Flexibility in thinking doesn’t mean giving up your values. It means learning when to bend so you don’t break.

If life feels stormy right now, ask yourself:
Where can I soften my grip and let my thoughts move like the wind? Maybe another perspective could be true?

💨 Growth often begins with flexibility.

12/17/2025

Thanks to all who braved the wind and rain to come out to last night for our December Drinks With Shrinks mental health networking event! This wraps up our social events for 2025 and what a year it was. We had a great time and, of course, adore any reason to dress up. Emile the GOAT, we miss you already.
See y'all in January with a fresh roster of mental health education, networking and support!

12/14/2025

We're dusting our tacky-yet-festive holiday gear off for our December Drinks With Shrinks! This Tuesday, December 16th, 6-8:30 PMish @ (604 Commercial, Anacortes). This is the monthly mental health professional networking event we love to host--we do our best to keep it a positive opportunity to connect with others in this varied line of work.
Ridiculous holiday gear is encouraged but not required as we drink a bevvy and have indulge in some most excellent charcuterie ;)
See you there!

12/14/2025

We'd like to take a moment to express how thankful we are for our team here at Anacortes Psych & Wellness. We've really grown over the last 3 years and we feel so lucky to really be able to enjoy each other's company, finding mutual support in what is often a solitary profession and to plan our many personal and professional goals for 2026 together! We're excited to see what happens next.
Many thanks to and for excellent drinks, snacks and ambiance.

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12/11/2025

Sometimes the best “reset” for our nervous system is… something cute. 🐾💛 Something cute like these emotional support critters from !

When we look at cute things—tiny animals, soft colors, round shapes—our brains release chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin, which support mood regulation, bonding, and a sense of safety.

In moments of stress, overwhelm, or compassion fatigue, taking 10 seconds to look at something adorable isn’t frivolous—it’s neuroscience-backed self-care. Cute stimuli can:
✨ Slow the heart rate
✨ Reduce cortisol
✨ Support emotional regulation
✨ Spark joy and play

Consider it a tiny mental health intervention you can access anytime: a picture of a baby goat, your pet doing something silly, or even a cozy cartoon can give your brain a gentle nudge toward calm.

Your nervous system deserves softness. 💛

Personally, we think the Emotional Support Highland Cattle are in our budget. Thanks !

12/11/2025

🌱 A gentle reminder from your friendly local therapists:
In times of community crisis and natural disaster, our bodies and minds often go into “just get through it” mode. But even during chaos, you deserve care and softness.

If you’re feeling exhausted, scattered, irritable, or numb, please know that nothing is wrong with you. These are normal human reactions to abnormal events.

Here are a few grounding practices you can reach for right now:

💧 Drink water: stress hormones burn through hydration quickly.
🌬️ Pause for 3 slow breaths: long exhales help calm the nervous system.
🤝 Connect with someone: even a short check-in can remind you that you’re not alone.
🍽️ Eat something nourishing: your brain needs fuel to cope.
🗓️ Take micro-breaks: 2 minutes with your shoulders relaxed can reset your whole hour.
❤️ Offer yourself compassion: you are doing your best in difficult circumstances.

Most importantly: Your emotional reactions are valid. It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to feel everything you’re feeling.

We'd like to hold space for each of you navigating this moment.
Be gentle with yourselves: healing happens in small, steady steps. 🌿

12/04/2025

Community grief can feel especially heavy because it touches so many of us at once. It’s okay if you’re noticing overwhelm in yourself and others--this can come from sadness, numbness, confusion, or even anger. These experiences are part of being human and are as normal for the grieving process as they are uncomfortable. Prioritize rest, connection, compassion and kindness toward yourself and others while we move through this together.

At Anacortes Psych & Wellness, we're noticing our own response to this current tragedy in addition to witnessing the responses of our impacted clients. We're seeing the posts and comments in the community. Our hearts hurt for our local and extended families as we all work to recognize and heal from this sudden loss.

12/01/2025

A great summary of some of the differences between two incredibly popular and highly effective therapy modalities/methods: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/181fVDs6AM/

DBT v. CBT. How does DBT differ from cognitive behavioral therapy?

DBT is derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT assumes that certain negative thoughts (cognitions) are distortions, and if you learn how to swap those distorted thoughts with more productive ones, you'll be less depressed or anxious.

"But for someone with very deep emotions and convictions, telling them that their thoughts and feelings are somehow 'wrong' can feel very invalidating," says Dr. Aguirre.

A DBT-trained therapist would instead acknowledge that the person's thoughts make sense, given who they are and their experiences.

This core DBT practice, known as 'validation' is a central tenet of DBT.

It's key to know that you can validate a person's thoughts even if you don't agree with them.

That concept touches on the core of DBT — the dialectical part.

It refers to the idea that two opposite things can be true at the same time.

Rather than viewing things in extremes of black and white, DBT encourages people to recognize there's more than one way to view a situation and to try to "walk the middle path." A classic DBT mantra is "I'm doing the best that I can in this moment, and I want to and can do better."

Image credit : Simply Psychology.

12/01/2025

Monday, 12/1, from 6-7 PM at the Holding Space (902 7th St.).
Join therapists Amy Begnal, LMHC, and Katie King, LMHCA, and guest of honor, Andrea Hardesty, ARNP, AGNP-C, MSCP, (and a certified member of the Menopause Group) of Anacortes Health & Aesthetics as we discover more about how to survive our unique journeys through peri/menopause.

Build knowledge, skills and camaraderie as we laugh and learn with each other!