Three Branches Therapy

02/24/2025

Heightened emotions can make for irrational or erratic decisions. With the drastic changes in the landscape, be mindful of these steps to help calm the mind.

- Stop the negative cycle: You can be angry, hurt, frustrated, irritated, betrayed beyond belief. Continuing to feed the cycle doesn’t help. By constantly bringing it up in conversation, reading post after post about it or commented on posts, it doesn’t help. It doesn’t change your situation or move you closer to your goal. So, if it doesn’t help, then why waste energy on it.

- Before you post, call or engage in a conversation: take a breather. Drink a full glass of cold water, do a lap around the block or put away the dishes. Responding while in a reactive state usually doesn’t help.

- Fall back on the basics and THINK (is it Thoughtful/True, it is Helpful, is it Inspiring, is it Necessary, is it Kind).
Most people get hung up on the ‘N’. If it’s not necessary and just for you, then write it down in a journal for your eyes.

As hard as it might be, work to recenter and ground yourself in the moment. Just for right now, what can you do to focus.

02/11/2025

Somedays the witty quotes and phrases aren’t enough. Some days, sitting in the uncomfortableness of the unknown feeling is all that truly helps the feeling move forward.

As therapists, we too can sometimes feel overwhelmed with our thoughts, emotions and feelings (we are human too). A good therapist will acknowledge a person with this feeling and a great therapist will say that sometimes, ‘it sucks to suck’ and sit in the quiet with them.

Years ago when I was leaving a company, a colleague made me a jar. They told me that whenever I needed too, I was to open it and pick one of the papers to read. Some are nice, some funny, some are the hard truth, but that hopefully they would help when needed.

Today I sit with the notion how something so small can be the God wink you didn’t know you needed.

01/23/2025

One of the things we talk about in Cultivating Healthy Minds: A Guide To Mental Health Resources Volume 1 is the challenges we face in the culinary/ hospitality field.

Burnout, Stress, Substance Abuse are just a few things we deal with. Trying to find ways to equip those with tools and skills to help with these challenges are in the work that we do.

What challenges do you all face on a day to day?

01/21/2025

I found a hole in my slipper today.

Nothing life changing and not thrilling, but still, an annoyance I wasn’t planning on.

But it irked me because it was something else I was going to need to replace. Something else that was going to spend money on that I’d rather not at the moment. I mean I can continue to use them and it wouldn’t be an issue but still, the thought of ‘something else’ after the holiday season is what implanted into my head. Which I realize, is how some people feel frequently.

Always something.

Can’t catch a break.

Can’t get a reprieve.

How small things overtime can cause for someone to ‘break’.

People go on the notion that it’s the big things that cause a person to lash out in anger or break down, but it is usually the small things, over time, that build upon each other, that eventually gather up and have people feeling overwhelmed.

This is your reminder that yes, don’t sweat the small things, but also, make sure you work through them so that they don’t get to the point that it causes you to take it out on yourself or others.

01/14/2025

When I deal with those with anger, my direct line of questioning is : how does this help you? How, specifically, is THE anger helping you in this situation? Is it resolving it? Is it helping you get through the day?

Better yet: how is your anger affecting the person?

If you’re sulking and holding onto it and it does nothing for them… then what’s the point?

If you’re the only one chewing on the bone... and it’s now dust… why do you continue to chew on nothing?

You’re only hurting yourself and clearly not impacting the other person in any way, shape or form.

Yes you can be angry… but dragging it on… logically you know the answer.

Something to remember next time you get off that phone call/ conference room Teams/zoom meeting…

12/27/2024

As the rush of the Christmas season has passed, people are now feeling thrown into the New Year with expectations for themselves that may feel overwhelming.

New Year.

New you.

New start, challenges, expectations, frustrations, careers, friendships, loves, promises and dreams. The list can go on and on.

Make sure that whatever you have planned for yourself, you are doing it because YOU want too, not because of society, or other's expectations.

Remember your success is measured by yourself, not by anyone else.

And if all you did today was just breath, then be happy with the success of staying grounded. No one knows the struggles everyone deals with.

12/24/2024

As we gear up for the end of the holiday season, a reminder that the holidays are not always easy for all. It can be a time of great stress, regret, anxiousness, sorrow, sadness, anger and bitterness of holidays past.

Holidays are the leading time for our mind to take us to our darkest corners and replay the negative in ourselves and make us question what we are doing with our lives. While others are blessed to be supported and surrounded by loved ones, others may not be so lucky.

This is a friendly reminder to send that text, make that phone call, pop in to say hello. Don't wait on tomorrow. Acting on our impulses happens within less than a minute. Your less than a minute action could help someone more than you may ever know.

11/11/2024

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
- Winston Churchill

We are forever in debt to those that have been called to the greatest honor of defending our freedom.

10/11/2024

Crazy what seems so dark, can actually have so much light to it when you see it through a different lens...

This is nature's way of reminding us that there is beauty and light within all of us. Sometimes you just need a little help to see it clearly.

10/11/2024

Another great foundation that continues to reach out and help the community and those in need. Love their post for mental health day so clearly it needs to be shared.

World Mental Health Day!!

09/04/2024

It’s OK to ask for help.

09/03/2024

September is Recovery Month.

No matter where you are on your recovery journey 👣 remember to care for your overall health and . Spend time with people who accept you 💞 engage in physical activity 👟 and explore nature 🌳.

Remember, recovery isn't just for the person in active recovery. It involves family, friends, co-workers. Help is always available for those that want it or are on the fence.

Learn about other ways to cope:
samhsa.gov/find-support/how-to-cope
www.threesbranchestherapy.com