Coaching Through Chaos Podcast-San Diego Indiv. Couples & Addiction Therapy

02/14/2024

I had the opportunity to join my dear friend Dr David Gennis, who was guest hosting for Zandra Polard on "It's Where I Am" radio show on KUNV 91.5FM radio show. David is working to destigmatize mental health, by sharing resources with his community. I was thrilled to be able to share my new podcast as a resource for anyone looking to improve their love life.
Please check out Love Unboxed at LoveUnboxedPodcast.com . You can listen to my chat with Dr. David right here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/1b214002

Join Dr. David Gennis in an engaging conversation with Dr. Colleen Mullen, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and host of the newly launched podcast, Love Unboxed. Dr. Mullen shares insights from her 20 years of experience in helping couples navigate through trauma, codependency, and the...

01/25/2023

Dating Tip #1: Narrow Your Dating Pool -

Quality over Quantity will be your best bet for finding a compatible mate. If you want a serious relationship only, don’t swipe on someone who clearly states they are not looking for anything serious. If you are ambitious and career driven, don’t swipe on someone who says they “go with the flow” or are “finding themselves”. Just like when the real estate listing says, “charming” or “cozy” it’s usually code for “too small” and “in need of updating”, you can look at reading online dating profiles the same way. “I just want a woman I can trust” is code for “I’m going to hold all my past breakups against you”. When you narrow your dating pool to better fit you, you increase your chances of finding someone that suits you. You are not being “too picky” by being very specific about what you want in your profile- it’s imperative that you are specific!
Read the full post here https://coachingthroughchaos.com/online-dating-tips-for-2023/

01/24/2023

Before you start swiping for love in 2023, I‘ve put together a list of myTop 5 Online Dating Tips to help you navigate the online dating world better. I know it can get frustrating by endlessly swiping and hoping for a different outcome, but Im here to tell you, “You Can Find Love Onine!” Of course you can! People have been doing it for almost 2 decades now, so it’s here to stay. In addition to my 20+ years experience as a therapist with a specialty in relationship dynamics, I always say I was an “early adopter” of online dating. I’ve been there, done that, tried all of the apps. Kknowing what happened when I failed miserably at love and figuring out what I needed to do differently changed my life! I am now with a man I could not imagine living a day without him and I know he feels that way about me.

If you’ve been swiping and feeling hopeless, let me help you.
Reach out through DM or call me (619)881-0051

I always said I was a “Hopeful Romantic”. Being Hopeless, as in “Hopeless Romantic” doesnt get us anywhere. If you relate to the idea of being a “Hopeful Romantic” stick with me. In addition to more online posts about how to find and navigate love more effectively, Im goign to be launching the Dating 911 Podcast: Relationship Advice for the Hopeful Romantic“. Watch for that in late February 2023. In the meantime, let’s get started with my top 5 online dating tips!

Tip #1: Narrow your Dating Pool ~
Quality over Quantity will be your best bet for finding a compatible mate. If you want a serious relationship only, don’t swipe on someone who clearly states they are not looking for anything serious. If you are ambitious and career driven, don’t swipe on someone who says they “go with the flow” or are “finding themselves”. Just like when the real estate listing says, “charming” or “cozy” it’s usually code for “too small” and “in need of updating”, you can look at reading online dating profiles the same way. “I just want a woman I can trust” is code for …
Read the rest at https://coachingthroughchaos.com/online-dating-tips-for-2023/

03/06/2022

Self-Care Sunday:
(Well, really, every day needs just a bit of self-care)

02/01/2022

This comes up so often, even in my conversations outside the therapy room. Making friends as an adult is not easy for many people- especially in a new city. I got to share some of my top ideas in this Glam article.

One of the biggest challenges of moving is meeting people. Here, experts share their top tips on how to make friends in a new city.

01/27/2022

Painful emotions are a universal experience of our lives, even though the presentation of the painful experience is different.
There are so many times when being able to NOT succumb to painful memories as they come to mind is a benefit to us. I talk about compartmentalizing our pain all the time with my clients. It's healthy to take breaks from it when we are consumed by it. But sitting with our painful emotions, being present with what they bring up in us is where healing happens. We don't heal when we tuck the pain away in the recesses of our mind in hopes that it will just go away. We heal when we understand the pain, can accept what is and what it means to us. The story of our painful experience becomes part of our life story.
We have a tendency to numb ourselves from pain through impulsive behaviors around drinking, drugs, spending, eating, s*x, anything to avoid emotions that are painful or scary. All that tends to do is then add more stress to our lives - having to wean off the alcohol habit, having to pay off the credit cards, having to repair relationship stress that comes from impulsive actions.
However, being able to be present with our pain, intentionally, can help us heal from it. The benefits that can come from sitting with our pain points are: deeper understanding, empathy, letting go of shame, acceptance of what is.
When we avoid uncomfortable feelings, it doesn't actually relieve us of them.
It may temporarily, but they resurface and the cycle of avoidance begins all over.
When you intentionally face the pain, you can get to a place of acceptance and integration.
ALL of our experiences leave marks on our emotional lenses, both positive and negative. If we don't find a way to sit with our painful memories, it can cloud our view in ways that don't serve us.
Sitting with our pain can be so tough, but so worth it.
If you find you've been avoiding some painful emotions and it doesn't feel safe, you don't know what to do to address the emotions, or you would like some help untangling the repercussions of the avoidance behaviors, I invite you to check out CoachingThroughChaos.com/contact to request a 15-min consultation call to see if I may be able to help you.

12/08/2021

You can be so consumed with life, work, family and friends, that you start to lose touch with yourself. Try to pay attention to what you need and do a little something for yourself.

Have you taken a fresh air break from work or the kids yet. Have you taken a walk. Did you go to the gym as you planned to. Have you called the family member who’s been on your mind?

The chaos can wait.

10/15/2021

So, you’ve been offered a job away from your current home base. Maybe it’s an hour away, maybe a 5- hour drive, or maybe a 5-hour plane ride. However far, it’s causing you to have to evaluate the option of moving away to take the job. Here are some questions to explore.

My book, The 60-Day Plan for Embracing Your Inner Leader, teaches women how to make things happen through tried and true methods of other successful women. There’s an actual workbook with exercises I’ve developed over 2 decades helping my clients build more confidence, set their path, and build their network to succeed! I can’t wait for you to try them out ! 💗

Learn more about how you can be a more successful woman in your own way. Click the LINK IN BIO!

10/14/2021

The work I do with my clients focuses on Motivation, Achievement and Recovery aspects of their lives.

I see these three aspects as a cumulative work process. If one does not recover adequately from traumas. break-ups, addictions or what have you, there will most likely be motivational blocks in the form of emotional obstacles (apathy, depression, panic or anxiety,etc.) which will leave you struggling to achieve the changes you wish to implement in your life.

If this connects with you and you’d like to find out more, please contact me through my website: coachingthroughchaos.com or call me at (619) 702-5571.

Please share this post with anyone you think may benefit from my services. Thank you!

Best wishes for success!

10/06/2021

It’s tough to manage all the chaos around us. How are you doing?

The pandemic hit. Lots of trauma hit with that – loss of stability, uncertainty, fear. For many of us, we have felt fragile and concern. There are our own fears and then there is the concern and empathy for others who may be even more affected than we are.

For those who have struggled with addictions, this has been a really trying time. And then there are those who were contemplating doing something about their alcohol use and then when the restrictions hit, getting help seemed out of reach. Addiction counseling may have seemed out of reach.

Within a month of the Coronavirus pandemic hitting the U.S. there were reports that sales at liquor stores were up by 30% compared to last year. There were/are a lot of people managing their emotions with alcohol, pot and other substances. We are a few months into life though the pandemic and with many business reopening, there is still some uncertainty around us, how to get back to life in the age of a pandemic, and where to turn for support. You may not even know if therapists in San DIego, or wherever you live, are open for business. We want to help. Coaching Through Chaos is now offering counseling through telehealth methods. Substance Abuse counseling, relapse prevention planning and family case management are all now at your reach by phone, Skype, zoom and Facetime.

Get help for your addiction now. We are ready to help.

Now is not the time to shy away from help. In fact, you may be in need of extra support now more than ever. There is external stress, social distancing, fear of catastrophic illness for ourselves and our loved ones has taken over. Now is the time to focus on getting as healthy in the mind and body as possible. If you’ve been struggling with your relationship with alcohol or other substances, there is help available.

Call (619)881-0051 for a session today.

09/15/2021

The information given here is not meant for you to self- diagnose, but if you find that you relate to the criteria, or you know someone who fits that description, please seek out a consult with a local mental health provider who treats Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for further Assessment and treatment options.

Coaching Through Chaos provides telehealth and consultation meetings. Call us at (619) 881-0051.

08/24/2021

We all go through “emotional rough patches” in life. Sometimes it’s a full depressive episode and sometimes its’ not. We usually distinguish one from the other by the length of time the emotional state lasts.

There are both biological and situational causes for depression. Situational or “environmental” causes for depressive symptoms can be things like: relationship or job stress, financial pressures, feeling stuck when you want to make changes.

Whether due to biology or environmental factors, if the symptoms are left untreated, they can get worse over time and it can feel overwhelming to try to overcome them.

When depression hits, it can feel like nothing matters anymore. You might feel like you don’t want to get out of bed, you might lose your appetite (or conversely, you may begin to overeat) and you may feel like you are “faking” your emotional engagement with others. Depressive episodes can last a few days to a few months. More severe cases of depression, especially recurrent and without any obvious environmental trigger may be helped with medication management in addition to talk therapy.

At Coaching Through Chaos, focusing in on what the triggers (or predictors) are and how you react to them is usually where we will get started in our work together.

I utilize strategies that pull from several known effective theories for treating depression.

I pull from Cognitive behavioral therapy, Strategic therapy, Mindfulness practices and Solution-Focused perspectives to provide you with a place to talk through and explore, understand and help you move towards an emotional place of well-being. I can help you learn ways to retrain your brain to combat your depressive or negative thoughts and get moving towards the life you want to live.

You have a wide range of opinions as to whether or not to also seek anti-depressant medication treatment in addition to their talk therapy. I will be focused on helping you best help your depression in a way that is in line with your beliefs. If that includes medication management, we can coordinate care with your psychiatrist and/or help facilitate a referral.

08/23/2021

Practice this exercise at home as needed to calm anxiety about the negotiation process. Then, leave enough time before the negotiation meeting to run through this one time, 15 minutes before the meeting.

My book, The 60-Day Plan for Embracing Your Inner Leader, teaches women how to make things happen through tried and true methods of other successful women. There’s an actual workbook with exercises I’ve developed over 2 decades helping my clients build more confidence, set their path, and build their network to succeed! I can’t wait for you to try them out ! 💗

Learn more about how you can be a more successful woman in your own way. Click the LINK IN BIO!

08/13/2021

Here’s an excerpt from my book, The 60-Day Plan for Embracing Your Inner Leader:

My Own Personal Experience with Mentors

I have been fortunate to have had some significant mentors, both male and female in my career, starting with my father and his business partner in my 20s. Anecdotally, the female mentors I’ve had were nurturing and helped me understand my position and roles better, but I had a significant difference in my experience of male mentors. The male mentors I’ve had have been much higher up the leadership chain and were more invested in me becoming a leader and rising above my peers in a more direct route. This came by way of opening doors to leadership positions, being able to present me to others to partner with in business. Their style was also more of motivating and growing as opposed to the women who were about nurturing me.

I’m quite proud that I am now a product of both my male and female mentors. Just like with anything that leads to personal growth, I’m not going to be done seeking out mentors for myself even though I’m now mentoring others. I like to think that as a product of my personal experience with mentoring, I bring a nice mix of what I’ve learned to my mentees. I work to nurture my mentees to success, while being blunt with them as necessary to set them straight when they need it. Other times, I’m connecting them to people they should know and am always working to keep them growth-focused as my mentors have done for me.

This book teaches women how to make things happen through tried and true methods of other successful women. There’s an actual workbook with exercises I’ve developed over 2 decades helping my clients build more confidence, set their path, and build their network to succeed! I can’t wait for you to try them out ! 💗

Learn more about how you can be a more successful woman in your own way. Click the LINK IN BIO!

08/05/2021

If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, know that you are not alone. Many people, about 20% of the population experience some form of anxiety, and it is almost certain that everyone will experience anxiety or a panic attack at least once in their lifetime.

At Coaching Through Chaos, we offer San Diego anxiety and panic attack counseling so you can learn to manage your fear. Contact us for a consultation.

                               

08/04/2021

Perseverance is so important because as women, we usually have to take a more convoluted path to the top than our male peers. We also have life decisions that present themselves along the way. To have a kid now or not have a kid now are sometimes crucial deal breakers for taking deep risks or avoiding them at certain times. There is also the perception of “the old boys club” that leaves women feeling like they must forge new paths, even when it’s not truly necessary.

Learn about how you can persevere your way towards success. Get a copy of The 0-Day Plan for Embracing Your Inner Leader now! Click the link in bio.