Mandy Davidson, LPC

08/20/2024

This is why therapy is called a sacred space. I try not to be too precious about it, because it’s not about me, it’s about the client. But it’s absolutely a gift and a humbling experience when someone chooses to lay down their pain and examine it- often for the first time. It’s beautiful work and I’m lucky to do it. ❤️‍🩹

03/16/2024

💯Self-compassion is also self-confidence - you have confidence in yourself as someone worth protecting and being kind to. It's about coming alongside yourself as a friend, not behind yourself with a whip, spurring yourself on. Be your own ally and walk with yourself. 🩷

What are some of your favorite ways to cultivate self-compassion? 🙏🏽🌱🪴

01/29/2024

A reminder - we made it through ☀️

09/13/2023

I am sitting in a balanced moment of gratitude today.

I get to office next to a coffee shop. I just had a perfect cup of coffee in the finally cool fall air. I’m very, very tired.

Am I happy right this minute? Actually, not especially. But am I grateful? Hell yes.

The antidote for depression is gratitude.

The opposite of toxic positivity is gratitude.

The anchor into the present to manage anxiety is gratitude.

And that’s the end of Mandy’s Therapy Ted Talk 😂

I hope everyone is also having a beautiful day ☀️ ❤️ 🕊️

08/15/2023

07/03/2023

Oh, I love the gentleness of this. -talk

06/16/2023

Yes! Child’s pose FTW! I always recommend yoga to clients as a tool in their self-care toolkit - for body, mind, AND heart. There’s a yoga style for everyone, from slow restorative to sweaty vinyasa - and people know best for themselves. Sometimes a gentle pose releases distress; sometimes intense anxiety requires intense flow and heat to match that heightened state and release it. Either way, it’s a beautiful thing. 🧘🏽‍♀️ ❤️ 🧠 ☮️ ⚖️

03/16/2023

I work a lot with social anxiety disorder and this workbook has been invaluable for both me and my clients. When you change your thoughts - you change your behavior and your emotions. It's such a simple CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) framework - but it really works, especially with social anxiety. Check it out! 👍https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Approach/dp/0158132246

03/11/2023

A timely article from my colleague about AI. 🤖https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202302/how-ai-will-change-our-lives?amp

03/02/2023

I've just become a provider for this wonderful organization. If you or someone you know is managing a cancer diagnosis or has a loved one with cancer and there is financial need, please reach out to Flatwater https://www.flatwaterfoundation.org/

This video explains the mission of Flatwater Foundation, a nonprofit based in Austin, TX dedicated to providing access to mental health support for families ...

02/25/2023

I can’t imagine doing therapy under these circumstances. But, this is exactly when people need it. Mind blown.
War and mental health: What it’s like to be a therapist in Ukraine.

One year after Russia’s invasion, mental health workers are navigating the trauma of war alongside their clients.

02/17/2023

Love love love this. Best explanation of parts work I've read so far. We are in relationship with our selves too - or our inner parts of self. "We have the ability to be in relationship with ourselves."

02/01/2023

Good grief, Texas! I’m grateful I can do telehealth therapy with clients but if your own anxiety is being triggered by this weather/being homebound you’re not alone. I am flashing back to the isolation of the pandemic, and flinching every time the tap sputters or lights flicker because of Snovid 2021. Be gentle with yourselves and your mental health - and stay warm, Texans! ❤️

01/26/2023

I learned about "narcissistic supply" today. Boundaries and learning when to say "no" instead of "yes" are both important to practice in all contexts and relationships - but especially with a narcissist who seeks this. This article also increased my empathy for this diagnosis - without excusing the behavior. There is a lot of emptiness and pain behind narcissistic behavior. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/toxic-relationships/202108/the-concept-narcissistic-supply
Photo Source: Lijphoto/Adobestock

01/19/2023

Pretty cool article on Art Therapy. https://www.americanscientist.org/article/how-art-can-heal I really admire therapists who work in modalities I can't or with populations I don't. Like the author says, art therapy can "change how you see yourself" and "guide a person toward taking risks in art making rather than engaging in risky behaviors in their outside life." If talk or traditional therapy doesn't feel comfortable, check out art therapy 💜

01/11/2023

I really love this quote from the founder of MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction). A lot of people get nervous after successfully doing trauma work - they wonder, "Will I still make the same relationship/professional/personal/life choices that caused pain?" You might start to - we all have patterns - but once you wake up, you stay awake and notice red flags. You stop yourself. You make a different choice. You don't unlearn healing. You just have to keep doing the work of staying awake. 🌻❤️‍🩹

01/03/2023

❤️ ⭐️

12/03/2022

Oof. This is a gut-punch of a poem but so damn beautiful. breaks you open. Lets treat each other with tenderness. ❤️‍🩹

11/27/2022

This page is pretty fantastic for learning about attachment styles. I'm still constantly learning - personally and professionally - and I'm a therapist! Attachment is basically connection, and varies with different people in your life. It can also heal and change. It's a key part of the human condition. None of us are islands. "We are wounded in relationships - and we heal in relationships." ❤️‍🩹

Like I said yesterday on the avoidant version of this post, I’m here to help you understand your own and your partner’s attachment style. Understanding is not about excusing. Understanding is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to healing relationships. It’s not the only piece, but nothing moves until understanding is mutual. Understanding promotes healing and this is the goal…to heal from insecure attachments.

*please no negative comments about those with anxious attachments. I do remove those who don’t follow account guidelines (there’s a highlight) from the account. This is meant to be a safe space for all.

11/25/2022

I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed their Turkey! 😊 🦃 This is a helpful article to remind yourself to check in when you’re crispy, upset, or just feeling “off.” Stop and check for HALT 🛑 - are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Meet your needs instead of getting on yourself for being out of sorts. As the article describes, you could be emotionally hungry, and even lonely in the middle of a crowd of family. Check in on yourself ❤️‍🩹

Hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? Taking care of these needs when they arise helps us feel better physically but can also improve mental and emotional wellness.

11/19/2022

Such a great article about the neural rewiring involved in grief - and how it helps us tolerate and move through, rather than suppress the pain. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/widows-walk/202208/how-grief-rewires-the-brain?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost&fbclid=IwAR1ajT2koTPdDWQWdP5dtBt8HIGiaD_3dHuHFSI1m106uIRoQtF-W9BJqW8

Learning to live without them is difficult, but the class can't be skipped.

11/11/2022

So very, very true. And, grief encompasses all kinds of loss - loss of identity as you move into your late twenties, even if you're growing into good things; divorce; leaving hometowns behind; loss of dreams when your career goals don't materialize; and loss of mobility as you age. Grief is woven into every life experience. We can and do learn how to carry it in different ways - and grow around it. ❤️

11/01/2022

So many of us find it difficult to anchor through breathing during meditations - whether due to physical issues or emotional trauma. My current MBSR training group learned how to ground with sound or a safe body part instead (like feet). I invite anyone who has physical or emotional difficulty with deep breathing during meditation to anchor with soothing tones or focus on grounding through their feet - i.e. rooting down through your feet onto the floor, as if you were a tree "Find your Feet." This YouTube video is a personal favorite- I use it to manage my own anxiety/meditations with sound:

Singing Bowls meditation music for Relaxation, Study, Sleep, Insmonia & Meditation. Good for waiting rooms, offices, restaurants and therapeutic centers. Thi...

10/29/2022

I feel attacked....😆 🎃

10/22/2022

If you’re struggling with a romantic relationship with possible abuse, this is a great website/resource/hotline: https://www.loveisrespect.org

It’s a key mantra to remember: Love is respect.

When you add kindness to it, it’s about seeing someone for who they are and respecting them with generosity and consideration: Love is respect and kindness.

When you turn that on yourself - you start to heal. And you learn not to allow anyone to treat you less than you deserve.

Put it all together for relationship health:

Love 🟰 respect ➕ kindness ➡️for myself and others. ❤️

Healthy relationships for young adults can be confusing. Love is more than just the way you feel, and we're here to help.

10/13/2022

This book….wow….I regret only skimming it during my grad school days, because it is amazing and I’m re-reading it now. Every part of it resonates as a therapist who treats trauma, especially as part of grief and loss. I recommend this to everyone - not just counselors. When you understand how trauma lives in your body and brain, you can start healing and finding the right treatment for you. ❤️‍🩹 .

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

10/04/2022

BRB, going to go live in my new therapy office 😍🌳❤️ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/mandy-davidson-austin-tx/322444

10/04/2022

Clients often frame increasing their self-esteem/self-confidence as “walking into the room with it… exuding confidence” ie receiving external validation as a marker of self-confidence. That’s a fragile base to build on.

We instead start with increasing understanding of and comfort with their core self. If you do that, then you can eventually believe you can walk into that room and hold space for whatever happens. That’s self-confidence. Anything else is just icing on the cake. 😉 🍰 💪🧠 ❤️ + =