HOPE Therapy Group

08/06/2025

07/28/2025

*NEW BLOG POST*

"Anxious but Present: How Disneyland Helps Me Stay Grounded" by Maria I. Martinez, LMFT

As a therapist, I often hear things like, “You must have it all together,” or “I’m sure you don’t deal with anxiety.”

All I have to say to that is: WRONG.

I’m a therapist who lives with anxiety—and I’m human, too.

Over time, I’ve learned to accept that both truths can exist side by side. My anxiety isn’t something I can just “turn off..."

Not even in Disneyland.
Actually… especially not in Disneyland.

Between the crowds, the noise, the overstimulation, and the pressure to "make every moment magical," anxiety can sneak in before I’ve even scanned my Disney Magic Key pass.

But here’s the twist: Disneyland is also the very place that’s taught me how to pause, ground, and regulate myself in ways I didn’t even expect. Over time, it's become my own kind of therapy, offering real-time present moment opportunities to practice the same tools I often share with clients as well as with my own work.

Now let me show you how.

Link: https://www.hopetherapygroup.com/blog/anxious-but-present-how-disneyland-helps-me-stay-grounded

07/24/2025

🔥 Burnout is an interesting term that has changed and evolved over time. Currently, it is in the vernacular as part of working culture. The confusing thing is that systems (e.g., companies, society, culture, etc.) places the responsibility of recovering burnout on the individual and not the system. The system does not shift and change, nor is expected to.
Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter defines burnout as being composed of three factors in their book, "The Burnout Challenge: Managing People's Relationships with Their Jobs":

1. Exhaustion
2. Cynicism and alienation
3. Sense of ineffectiveness

Maslach and Leiter also lay out 6 mismatches between an individual and employer that leads to burnout:

1. Work overload
2. Lack of control
3. Insufficient rewards
4. Breakdown of community
5. Absence of fairness
6. Value conflicts

Systems thinking goes back to the biological concept of homeostasis. Change is disruptive. Pair this with the false belief that change takes too much energy. But what happens when a group of individuals start to feel burnout, and taking time off of work isn't enough. I've heard many clients talk about going on vacation or leave and then being thrown right back into the fire with a pile of tasks to take on when returning.

07/24/2025

Starting your mental health journey can be... confusing. So what are things that you look for when you're on the search for a new therapist?

07/18/2025

*NEW BLOG POST*
"5 Things I Learned After being Sick for a Week as a Holistic Evidence-Based Mental Health Therapist" by Carolina Oviedo-Munoz, AMFT:

1) Slowing Down to Heal:
Being sick forced me to stay home, rest, and eventually slow down. I found myself wanting to bounce back quickly, to return to my usual routine: workouts, work, coffee dates, travel. But my body asked me to pause. In that stillness, I realized how much I was living in the future, always feeling anxious, and thinking, “what’s next”. This helped bring me back to the present and realign my values to actions of living slowly and more intentionally.
‍
Read more here: https://www.hopetherapygroup.com/blog/5-things-i-learned-after-being-sick-for-a-week

07/10/2025

♥️ K I N D N E S S ♥️

06/20/2025

Here we go, HOPE’s newest highlight is the amazing Andrew Listvinsky! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Andrew’s Bio, in part. Go to: https://www.hopetherapygroup.com/teams/andrewlistvinsky to read the full bio ⭐️

Hi, I’m Andrew (he/him/his) and I am a LCSW. I’m an animal lover and dad to a feisty senior dog. I enjoy kickboxing, cooking, and video games.

I love working with...
I enjoy working with people struggling with trauma, major life changes, and those trying to find out who they are. I have experience working with Veterans, those struggling with addiction, and family/friends who find themselves as caregivers for another. Whatever you’re struggling with, I have found that every client has something beautiful and exciting to discover within them.

Some of my favorite approaches include...
When providing therapy, I believe strongly in individualizing care. I utilize a variety of therapy models including acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, client centered therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, attachment theory, and trauma informed care.

How I help...
Therapy is a collaborative process that does not have a “one size fits all” approach. For some, a firm guiding hand creates safety and a sense of direction. For others, the opportunity to take the reigns opens up new possibilities. Therapy involves ongoing revaluation of what is helpful. I encourage my clients to give feedback and not be afraid to tell me when something isn’t working.

05/16/2025

💯♥️

04/02/2025

Remember that 👇🏼♥️

03/05/2025

HOPE is hiring! What to be a part of our amazing team? Apply today! 🌈☀️

https://www.hopetherapygroup.com/career

02/24/2025

Today, choose to live with gratitude. Gratitude for the love that fills your heart. Gratitude for the peace within. Gratitude for the voice of hope that says that everything is going to be OK ♥️

01/27/2025

Our fearless leader 💛