The Center for Mindfulness & CBT

01/06/2026

One of the most painful realities of working in mental health is knowing how many people want help and can’t get it. Barriers like limited access to trained providers, long waitlists, cost, geography, and stigma mean that effective treatment remains out of reach for far too many.

Recent research shared by the International OCD Foundation highlights this gap clearly: approximately 95% of people with OCD are not receiving the most effective treatment. For individuals with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), such as skin picking and hair pulling, the number is likely even higher.

Learn how Dr. Chackes' book helps to fill this gap and make evidence-based treatment approaches more accessible. https://mindfulstl.com/when-effective-treatment-is-hard-to-find-a-new-resource-for-bfrbs/

01/02/2026

You deserve to feel supported this year. Hopefully, one of our upcoming groups will help.

Group therapy offers many benefits including:
+ Shared understanding and validation reduces shame
+ Learning from others who are working through the same things helps with motivation and accountability
+ Feels good to help others

The following groups are enrolling now:
+ OCD Group for adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
+ DBT Skills Group for adults wanting skills to manage strong emotions that impact their quality of life and relationships
+ Mindfulness-based BFRB Group Therapy (MBGT) for adults with skin picking, hair pulling, and other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs)
+ Reclaiming Sleep: A CBT-I Group for adults with insomnia focused on improving sleep through evidence-based strategies
+ RO DBT Group for adults struggling with over control showing up as chronic depression, anorexia, OCPD, treatment resistant anxiety and perfectionism
+ Grief Conversations: A Free Monthly Grief Group Preview for anyone curious about what grief support groups are like, or unsure if they’re ready to join one
+ Holding Space: A Grief Group for Healing for adults grieving the death of someone significant

To learn more about any of our groups, visit https://mindfulstl.com/groups/

01/01/2026

As we move into the new year, we invite you to pause and check in with yourself.

🥹 How are you really doing?

🧐 What are some things you've learned in 2025 that you want to carry with you into 2026?

🥲 What are some things you want to let go of?

🥱 What do you have the capacity for at this time in your life?

This time of year isn’t only about resolutions. It’s about being intentional with your time, your energy, and the relationships that surround you. Choose environments and people who support your well-being, and give yourself permission to rest, reset, and realign when you need to.

If setting intentions for the new year feels helpful for you, go for it! However, there are no rules about the right way to roll into a new year. For some, a fierce energy full of passion drives us, and for others, a calm, soothing energy is what will get us where we need to be. What do you need today to take care of yourself and set yourself up for a good year?

And if you’re realizing that additional support would be helpful, you don’t have to walk that path alone. Reaching out is a sign of strength, and our team is here for you. 💛

Wishing you a year filled with clarity, connection, and compassion, especially toward yourself.

12/25/2025

🧐If you struggle with picking your skin, biting your cheeks, pulling your hair, or any other body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), give yourself the gift of freedom from these behaviors.

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Laura Chackes has specialized in treating BFRBs. She just released her first book, which outlines the integrative approach that she has used to lead hundreds of teens and adults to recovery.

If you’re ready to get your life back, this book would be the perfect gift to give yourself. 🎁

📆 In just ten weeks, you can get to a place where you’re in control of your behavior, by learning your specific triggers and what needs your BFRBs are meeting.

Then you’ll develop 📋strategies designed just for you, the ability to sit with an urge 🌊without acting on it, and the self-compassion 🩷 to handle setbacks with ease.

Whether you’re getting this for yourself, a loved one, or your clients, you won’t be disappointed.

The stories of Lauren McKeaney’s personal experiences with skin picking disorder will help you feel understood and hopeful, two more central ingredients for recovery from a BFRB. ❤️‍🩹

If you’ve already gotten your copy, please comment below to let us know what you think. Our goal is for those who are suffering with a BFRB to see this and other BFRB resources so they know that they’re not alone in doing these behaviors and that help is available. 🤗🥰

Order now on Amazon, https://a.co/d/2OInYeB, and then write a review to help the book get seen by more people! ❤️

12/18/2025

We are excited to announce the release of Dr. Laura Chackes’ first book! With contributions of lived experience with skin picking disorder from Lauren McKeaney, the founder of The Picking Me Foundation, this workbook outlines the effective 10-week treatment program that is being researched at UCLA. Initial data is showing what we have seen for years, this treatment really works.

However, most people who have a BFRB are not getting effective treatment, and the majority do not even know that the behavior they do is part of a disorder.

Read more to learn how this resource fills a gap in treatment and will hopefully help spread awareness to those who do not know that treatment exists.

One of the most painful realities of working in mental health is knowing how many people want help and can’t get it. Barriers like limited access to trained providers, long waitlists, cost, geography, and stigma mean that effective treatment remains out of reach for far too many. Recent research s...

12/12/2025

A simple scent can bring you right back into the present moment. 🍃✨
Take a Peppermint Pause today—breathe in a seasonal scent and let it ground your mind and body.

12/10/2025

Struggling with tantrums? Power struggles? Feeling unsure how to respond to big emotions?
Play therapy can change the way you parent—because it helps you see the why beneath your child’s behavior.

By learning child-led play skills, reflective conversations, and co-regulation tools, parents start feeling more grounded… and kids start feeling more understood.

If you’re ready to strengthen your relationship with your child, Elizabeth Ernest, LCSW, LMFT, is accepting new clients: https://mindfulstl.com/providers/elizabeth-ernest/

Parenting is one of the most meaningful, and challenging, roles we can have. From tantrums to big feelings, bedtime battles to sibling rivalry, it’s easy to feel unsure of what your child needs or how to respond in the moment. Many parents come to therapy feeling exhausted, worried they’re “me...

12/05/2025

Sometimes the quickest way to reset your mind is through your body — and a good song. 🎶💛

Today’s mindfulness tip is all about giving yourself permission to pause.

Put on your favorite holiday song, move however feels good, and let your nervous system breathe for a moment.

Dance it out. Sing it out. Wiggle it out.
Your body will thank you.

What’s your go-to holiday reset song? ⬇️

12/04/2025

Ever feel like your ADHD meds mysteriously stop working the week before your period? 👀
You’re not imagining it — your luteal phase can seriously mess with focus, mood, and how your meds feel in your body.

Hormones shift → dopamine dips → ADHD symptoms spike.
The good news? You can actually plan for it once you know what’s going on.

We broke it all down in today’s blog, including:
✨ Why the luteal phase creates an ADHD “slump”
✨ How hormones impact medication effectiveness
✨ Practical tips to support your brain during that week
✨ What to talk to your prescriber about

Your brain isn’t broken — it’s just cycling. 💛 Read the full post!

If you’ve ever noticed your ADHD symptoms spike in the week or two before your period, you’re not imagining it. Many people with ADHD report that their medications feel weaker during the late luteal phase. Here’s a breakdown on why that might happen — plus practical tips to help ride that wa...

11/27/2025

However today looks for you — joyful, complicated, quiet, or overwhelming — we’re wishing you steadiness and self-compassion. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Center. 🧡

11/26/2025

Parenting a teen and feeling like you’re hovering at a solid 6 or 7 out of 10? You’re not alone — and you’re not doing it wrong. The teen years are messy, emotional, exhausting, and somehow filled with slang you’ve never heard in your life. 😅

Our latest blog breaks down the 7 parenting mistakes most of us make (spoiler: they’re normal) and simple shifts that build connection, reduce power struggles, and help you and your teen feel more like a team.

If you’re tired of “trying everything” and still feeling stuck, these tiny adjustments can make a big difference — less control, more curiosity, more trust, and a whole lot of repair.

Parenting in the 6/7 stage isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, staying curious, and remembering that you’re fluent in love… even if you’re not fluent in Skibiti TikToks.

✨ Read the full post: https://mindfulstl.com/the-6-7-parenting-mistakes-you-might-be-making-with-your-teen-and-what-to-try-before-attempt-41/
✨ And if you or your teen could use extra support, we’re here to help.

If parenting your teen feels like you’re hovering around a solid 6 or 7 out of 10, welcome to the club. You love them deeply—but let’s be honest: you don’t have time to reinvent your parenting plan “41” times. Most parents just need a few key adjustments—less control, more connection. ...

11/22/2025

This week’s tip is a self-care focus that is all about spreading a little light.

Kindness doesn’t have to be big to make an impact. Holding a door, sending a sweet text, giving a genuine compliment — these small moments create big ripples.

And here’s the magic:
When you brighten someone else’s day, you boost your own mood and refill your cup, too. 🍂💛
Try one tiny act of kindness today and take a mindful moment to notice how it feels in your body — warmer, lighter, more connected.