Taking the first step toward therapy can feel terrifying—you might not know what to expect, how it will go, or if it will even work. While seeking mental health support is one of the most empowering decisions you can make, it's completely normal to have questions and concerns before your first session. Whether you're feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety or unsure about opening up to a stranger, you're not alone—these feelings are shared by many first-time clients. Keep reading to explore how you can overcome these typical worries and face therapy head-on.

Body-checking is the compulsive act of looking at, and scrutinizing your body. This manifests as an obsessive preoccupation with your appearance and repeatedly checking your body image in mirrors or reflective surfaces, using scales or tape-measures to keep track of weight and measurements, repeatedly evaluating how your clothes look, pinching skin, among other self-destructive behaviors. In today’s social-media and appearance-world, it is easy to compare ourselves to others, especially with regard to our bodies. While body-checking might be a temporary method of attempting to feel better about certain areas of your body, it can ultimately lead to distorted perceptions and greater feelings of loss, judgment, depression and obsessional behavior.

What is Urge Surfing? Urge surfing is an effective visual mindfulness technique for controlling undesirable behaviors. It is especially useful in binge eating recovery. How do I Use Urge Surfing? Urge surfing is a way of ‘riding’ out cravings, in a safe and attuned manner. The first step is to label the sensation as you begin to feel the urge or craving. For example, you may desire to binge at the end of a stressful day or after a fight with a friend. If you are able to, move yourself to a quiet space and relax your eyes.

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just a little blue. While it’s completely natural to experience occasional dips in mood, finding simple, natural methods to lift your spirits can potentially improve your day. Whether you’re dealing with a particularly stressful week, or just want to generally feel more positive, there are many natural and effective strategies to help boost your mood without relying on quick fixes. See below for 10 simple and natural ways to brighten your day, energize your mind and leave you feeling much better.

Journaling is a common practice used to process emotions, thoughts and feelings. It is a great self-care tool and especially helpful in times of high stress or crisis. Journaling offers a powerful way to nurture our mental health, process emotions, and gain clarity about our inner world. The following guide provides thoughtful prompts to help you develop a meaningful journaling practice that supports your mental wellness journey. So grab a pen and a notebook, find a relaxing space, and get started!

What are boundaries?
Boundaries are essentially healthy restraints applied to emotional or physical actions to ensure and promote harmony and balance in relationships. There are several categories of boundaries: 

• Personal boundaries: Relating to your individuality and self-preservation.

• Physical boundaries: Regarding personal space and physical contact.

• Emotional boundaries: Protecting and advocating for your feelings and sustaining personal emotional energy.

• Sexual boundaries: Ensuring mutual respect and consent in intimate relationships.

• Financial boundaries: Managing financial expectations and responsibilities.

Self-compassion is about being kinder and more empathetic to oneself. Many people can do this for others, but it can be difficult to do for themselves. It is easy to engage in self-loathing, shame, and self-inflicted anger; to self-criticize and overthink difficult moments, but, truth be told, we're only human. Establishing self-compassion skills can help us have better self-esteem, stronger personal growth, and a brighter outlook on our lives.

In the United States, around 30 million people are struggling with an eating disorder. This is a massive number that includes people of any age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level and gender. When it comes to eating disorders, there are many misconceptions and assumptions that have harmful impacts on the way we see ourselves in society.

My favorite definition of mindfulness is "mindfulness is paying attention to your life, here and now, with kindness and curiosity." (Amy Saltzman) Mindfulness can be accessed through journaling that is non-judgmental. A journal is a safe space to practice paying attention to your life and emotions, here and now. Journaling can be a mindfulness experience that people find more comfortable than meditation. It is an active form of mindfulness which for some is more accessible. Journaling and mindfulness both reduce stress and anxiety as well as help a person gain a sense of self reliance and confidence. Being able to support yourself through challenging emotions or issues in your journaling is really helpful in building a strong relationship with yourself and adding to your feelings or positive self esteem.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

Have you ever felt a sense of renewed energy and elatedness after a long run or bike ride? This is because physical activity releases endorphins, endocannabinoids, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, physical exercise has many well-established mental health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, enhanced brain health and cognitive function, providing a better night’s sleep, and overall improved quality of life. Increased physical activity also promotes higher self-esteem and self-confidence and can distract from negative, intrusive thoughts and boost moods.

The way we view and think about ourselves can be defined as self-esteem. Our self-esteem can be high, low or in the middle. It can ebb and flow depending on the context of one’s life. Having low self-esteem can resonate as a lack of self-confidence or seeing yourself as unlovable, unworthy, unacceptable, and a plethora of other lowly traits.

The way we view and think about ourselves can be defined as self-esteem. Our self-esteem can be high, low or in the middle. It can ebb and flow depending on the context of one’s life. Having low self-esteem can resonate as a lack of self-confidence or seeing yourself as unlovable, unworthy, unacceptable, and a plethora of other lowly traits.