Tend Counseling and Consulting LLC

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Hyattsville, MD
Tend Counseling and Consulting LLC

Compassionate Counseling for Anxiety, Trauma, and OCD

07/29/2024

You know that feeling of being physically tired but mentally and emotionally energized? 😴😃 That's how I'm feeling on my first day back after the sponsored by the .

It was great to sleep in my own bed last night, but I already miss hanging out with so many wonderful clinicians, people with lived experience of , and clinicians with lived experience.

I can't wait for next year!

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06/18/2024

It was wonderful to join .courageous
and the Disability/Chronic Illness Special Interest Group this evening to talk about "Setting Your Own Speed Limit: Seeking Values-Driven and Self-Compassionate Healing"!

In case you missed it, here's an overview of tonight's topic. 😀

I'm so curious-- How do you know when to speed up your healing and do more? And how do you know when to slow down and take it easy?

Comment below and share your own experiences and insights! 👇👇👇

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04/05/2024

You say you can't find your real self?

Good news: your real self is already here, and it's the opposite of what OCD says you could be.

In I-CBT, recognizing one's real self and trusting that self is an important part of recovery. You don't have to accept the possibility of being horrible, harmful, careless, or whatever else OCD throws your way!

You can accept what's real, and what's real is already here.

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anxiety

03/27/2024

Happy Easter! Or not. Finding help for OCD symptoms shouldn't be like an Easter egg hunt.

For more information about OCD, including a provider directory, check out the website.

Providers trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD can help you start down the path (or bunny trail 🐰) to recovery.

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02/05/2024

Having to do something quickly or under a deadline doesn't automatically mean we're in an emergency situation. The annoying thing is that our bodies don't automatically know the difference!

If you're experiencing physiological symptoms of stress (eg--fast heartbeat, muscle tension, GI discomfort), don't let your brain trick you into thinking that you need to be in emergency mode. Slow down, and reframe your situation.

What really needs to be done?

How can you move forward efficiently, but without unnecessary haste?

How can you notice changes in your body without viewing them as signs that something is really wrong?

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02/01/2024

Have you ever tasted two chicken noodle soups that were exactly the same? I'm not talking about the stuff that comes out of a can. I'm talking about homemade chicken noodle soup. The ingredients and flavors vary depending on who makes it, but it's still chicken noodle soup--as long as there's some chicken in there!

OCD treatment varies too. Some people do ERP. Some do I-CBT. Some use medication. Some people find help from all three, and many supplement their treatment with other support (such as meeting with a faith leader or group), additional therapies (such as trauma therapy), and various kinds of self-care practices. As long as evidence-based treatments for OCD are part of the ingredients, it's still OCD treatment.

Take out the evidence-based treatments, and it's just noodle soup. It might taste good, but it probably won't help your OCD.

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01/19/2024

Need a break? Breathe in the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest and enjoy some scenes from a recent road trip I took with my
friends.

1️⃣ Scenes from a beach. Where do you find your balance?

2️⃣ This friend is a banana slug stuffed animal named Quinnie, in honor of the Quinault Rainforest in Washington. Did you know that banana slug slime has anesthetic properties? Human friends don't have this same superpower, but they, too, can make painful things less painful.

3️⃣ When there's a gap between where we are now and where we'd like to be, sometimes we need to take a leap of faith. What current uncertainty in your life is worth leaning into so that you can get where you'd like to be?

4️⃣ If you heard there was a troll in the woods, you might assume that's a very bad thing. You might stay away from those woods. But look at this troll. It's meditating. It's peaceful. It wants you to trust that all will be well.

5️⃣ I guess making a call from a phone booth doesn't count as unplugging, but it almost does. If you need to find your center again, try cutting back on screen time.

6️⃣ Even if you don't find graffiti on a guardrail saying that you are sacred, you matter. Your life matters, and that's true regardless of what you are thinking and feeling, or what you're struggling with right now.

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01/13/2024

If your faith has been taken over by religious scrupulosity, remember that anxiety, urgency, and a drive to be certain are all saboteurs and masqueraders.

Those feelings will never move you toward better understanding of your faith, deeper peace, or spiritual connection.

Our role is to be open and to trust that we are loved as we humanly and imperfectly search for God.

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01/09/2024

So. Many. Resolutions. And so many that are food and eating-related!

If you're thinking about making changes to your relationship with food or your eating habits, keep an eye out for the things that try to sabotage your search for wholeness and wellness.

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12/21/2023

Novel experiences stimulate the memory and pleasure centers of our brains, and researchers say that humans are hard-wired to be attracted to new experiences. If you're feeling stuck in a fog of grief this holiday season, try bringing novelty back into your life.

This doesn't have to be an around-the-world trip to 20 countries you've never been to. A novel experience could be as simple as visiting a new museum, trying a new restaurant, or going to a paint-and-sip night.

People who appreciate doing things in sequential order may find this a little stressful! It might feel weird to venture out of the grief fog into a new experience, only to step back into the grief fog when the new experience is over. Why not just grieve, grieve, grieve, and then emerge from the grief fog once and for all?

Because grief doesn't work like that. As said so well during her IG Live today, our lives expand around our grief. By bringing some novelty into your life, you help life expand around your grief, and you'll probably make your brain a little happier.

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12/13/2023

Can you imagine life after being in the throes of grief?

It's okay if you can't. There was a time when I couldn't, and I know many people who seriously question whether the pain of grief will ever lift.

But if, from time to time, you have a vision of what life could be like on the other side of all this heaviness, take a moment to sit with what comes to mind. Savor that vision. Let it sink in.

Life will not feel heavy in this specific way forever. You don't have to wait until the feelings of grief are gone to start making new friends, reconnecting with old friends, volunteering, redecorating a room, or whatever it is that comes to mind when you daydream about life in the future.

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12/11/2023

Just ten minutes of deep breathing or mindfulness can be enough to activate the body's relaxation response, which helps your nervous system calm down after a period of stress.

The relaxation response is the opposite of the fight or flight response, which keeps you in a state of stress and heightened awareness so that you can respond to threats and stay safe.

If your loss was traumatic or unexpected, or if your loss was preceded by health scares, you might still be living in a fight or flight state. Although your body may have temporarily forgotten what it's like to be truly relaxed, your body hasn't lost its capacity to relax.

You can help your body remember by spending a few minutes a day practicing deep breathing or mindfulness.

Don't overthink it! Use your favorite meditation app, listen to soothing music, or simply sit in silence and breathe. That's all you need to start shifting away from fight or flight mode and into a more sustainable rhythm of stress and relaxation.

Address

Hyattsville, MD
20782

Telephone

+18052026018

Website

http://www.tend-counseling.cocm/

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