Therapy Living, PLLC

12/11/2025

🚨 Big Parenting Update from Denmark! 🚨

Denmark is officially moving away from the “cry it out” method after 700+ psychologists warned it can harm babies’ emotional development. Ignoring a crying baby isn’t just “tough love” — it actually spikes stress hormones like cortisol, which can affect brain growth, emotional health, and stress regulation for years to come.

Babies cry to communicate, not manipulate. Responding consistently helps them feel safe, loved, and secure, building strong bonds and healthy brains. Experts now say: trust your baby’s cries — it’s the foundation of lifelong emotional well-being.

💡 Parenting tip: Listen, respond, and nurture — your baby’s brain and heart will thank you later.

12/08/2025

Keeping a baby close to you and providing more hours of touch offers numerous benefits across physical, emotional, and cognitive development.

▶️Physical Benefits
📑Improved Physiological Stability: Close contact helps regulate the baby’s heart rate, breathing, and body temperature, creating a stable environment similar to the womb.
📑Enhanced Sleep Quality: Babies who experience more physical touch and closeness tend to sleep more soundly and for longer periods, which is crucial for brain development and overall health.
📑Better Weight Gain and Growth: Skin-to-skin contact, particularly in premature infants, has been shown to improve feeding tolerance and promote faster weight gain and growth.
📑Stronger Immune System: Physical closeness and touch can lead to reduced stress levels, which in turn helps support a robust immune system.

▶️Emotional and Social Benefits
📑Secure Attachment: Frequent physical contact helps the baby feel safe, secure, and loved. This builds a strong, secure attachment (bonding) between the baby and caregiver, which is foundational for future emotional health and relationships.
📑Reduced Crying and Colic: The soothing nature of touch, combined with the familiarity of a parent’s smell and heartbeat, significantly reduces crying, fussiness, and symptoms of colic.
📑Improved Parental Confidence: Holding your baby frequently can increase a parent’s confidence in their ability to care for and understand their baby’s needs and cues.
📑Enhanced Emotional Regulation: By providing comfort and soothing through touch, parents help their babies develop the ability to regulate their own emotions later in life.

▶️Cognitive Benefits
📑Brain Development: Positive touch experiences release oxytocin (the “love hormone”) and reduce stress hormones (like cortisol). Lower stress levels and increased oxytocin production support healthy brain development and function.
📑Improved Cognitive Function: Studies have shown that babies who receive more physical affection may demonstrate improved cognitive scores and fewer behavioral problems later in childhood.

12/08/2025

🎤🎶 Scientists have discovered that singing can trigger a powerful boost in the immune system, raising levels of the protective antibody sIgA by up to 240% in less than an hour. This antibody is essential for defending the throat, airways, and digestive system against viruses and bacteria. Researchers say the effect comes from the deep breathing, emotional release, and vocal vibrations involved in singing — all of which activate key immune pathways.

In laboratory studies, people who sang for just 30 to 60 minutes showed an unexpected surge in sIgA, regardless of how well they could sing. Even those who considered themselves “bad” singers experienced the same immune increase. Scientists believe that the combination of controlled breathing and vocal resonance signals the body to strengthen its frontline defenses almost immediately.

The immune boost can last for hours after singing, suggesting that regular singing may help support long-term health. Choir members and singing groups have also been shown to experience fewer colds, reduced stress, and better mood overall. While singing is not a substitute for medical treatment, it’s a simple and uplifting way to enhance the body’s natural ability to protect itself.

This research highlights how closely our voice is linked to our well-being. Something as joyful and accessible as singing may be one of the most surprising — and enjoyable — ways to boost immunity.

What's your go-to song to belt out? Does singing help you de-stress?

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only.

12/08/2025

The right people feel like exhale energy—steady, gentle, and safe.

As you heal, you naturally attract relationships that honor your nervous system, not overwhelm it.
May you be surrounded by softness, consistency, and real care.
💗✨

12/08/2025

12/04/2025

Prayer is not just a spiritual practice; it physically changes the brain. Research using MRI and EEG scans shows that intentional prayer activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for focus, discipline, and emotional regulation.

At the same time, prayer reduces activity in areas linked to stress and fear. This can explain why people who pray regularly often report better mental health, improved resilience after trauma, and stronger self-control. These changes are specific to relational, intentional prayer, especially when directed toward a personal God, rather than general meditation or mindfulness practices.

Neuroscience now confirms what believers have long known: prayer has measurable effects on the mind. It reshapes neural pathways, promoting calmness, clarity, and emotional balance. The act of connecting with something greater than oneself helps the brain handle stress and regulate emotions more effectively.

This research bridges faith and science, showing that spiritual practices influence brain function in real, measurable ways. Prayer is both a mental and spiritual tool, transforming the mind and nurturing the heart. It is a reminder that intentional spiritual habits can create lasting neurological and emotional benefits.

12/03/2025

12/03/2025

"The worst habits for your mind 🧠❌"

12/03/2025

Yelling at a toddler does more than hurt feelings. It can physically shape the developing brain in ways that make emotional and cognitive difficulties more likely later in life. Key regions such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala are especially affected. These areas manage emotional regulation, memory, learning, and the body’s stress response.
When a child is yelled at, their sympathetic nervous system activates survival mode. The brain mirrors this state, creating neural pathways that remain hyper-alert for danger. Repeated exposure to this stress can lead to structural changes, including smaller prefrontal cortex and amygdala volumes and disrupted hippocampus function.
The prefrontal cortex governs impulse control, decision-making, and emotional regulation. The hippocampus is central to forming and storing memories, while the amygdala acts as the brain’s emotional alarm system, particularly for fear and anxiety. Constant stress floods these regions with cortisol and other stress hormones, interfering with normal development.
During early childhood, the brain is rapidly pruning and shaping connections. Chronic stress can prioritize fear-related pathways and reduce circuits needed for calm thinking, focus, and emotional balance.
As a result, children exposed to frequent yelling may struggle to manage emotions, control impulses, or form memories. Long-term studies link harsh verbal parenting to higher risks of anxiety, depression, and emotional instability even in the absence of physical abuse.

12/02/2025

Depression is not caused by a simple chemical imbalance and the new science is reshaping everything we thought we knew.

For decades people were told depression comes from low serotonin. It sounded clear and comforting but it was never the full story. New brain imaging research shows that depression is far more complex. It involves disrupted brain circuits, altered communication between regions, and changes in how the brain processes stress and emotion. It is not just one chemical. It is a network level shift.

Modern scans reveal that areas like the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus behave differently during depressive episodes. Some regions become overactive. Others go quiet. The pathways that help you regulate fear, motivation, and decision making start misfiring. This is why depression can feel like losing control over your own thoughts. Your brain’s wiring is struggling to keep balance.

This does not mean serotonin plays no role. It means it is only one piece of a much bigger biological puzzle. Treatments work because they help the brain reconnect circuits, not because they simply raise one chemical.

The takeaway is powerful. Depression is real. It is biological. It is not weakness and it is not something you can talk yourself out of. Your brain is responding to overload and imbalance across entire systems.

Understanding this brings hope. It means new therapies can be designed to repair circuits, retrain patterns, and give people more precise and effective paths to recovery.

12/02/2025

Your brain naturally loses about 0.5% of its volume every year as you age but new research shows this decline isn’t irreversible. Studies, including findings highlighted by Harvard researchers, reveal that eating just seven walnuts a day can increase brain volume by up to 4.3% within 90 days, effectively reversing shrinkage and stimulating the growth of new neurons. This remarkable effect comes from walnuts’ powerful blend of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamin E, all of which nourish brain cells, protect them from oxidative stress, and support neurogenesis.

Walnuts are especially rich in ALA omega-3s, which strengthen neuron membranes, boost communication between brain cells, and reduce inflammation linked to cognitive decline. Their polyphenols enhance blood flow to the brain, improving oxygen delivery and mental sharpness. This nutrient combination constructs a healthier neural environment, allowing the brain to repair, rebuild, and even grow new cells.

In just three months, measurable improvements in memory, focus, and processing speed often appear, proof that brain aging is not as fixed as once believed. Adding seven walnuts to your daily routine is one of the simplest, scientifically supported ways to rejuvenate your brain and protect long-term cognitive function.