Thoughts for thriving
Step Into An Authentic Life. Don’t Just Survive, THRIVE.
Study Abroad: Navigating Challenges & Finding Balance
The College Series: Study Abroad: Navigating Challenges & Finding Balance by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Hi Thrivers! This week’s blog is going to be a little different from my usual articles. Instead of focusing broadly on mental health topics, I want to take you on a…
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Community: The Way Forward
November 6, 2024, it’s 5am, I had been sleeping but something tells me to check my phone for the official election results. It is as I feared, Trump won. Suspecting that this would be the case and knowing it is the case felt like two different things. My thoughts instantly go to my many…
5 Ways to Combat Homesickness and Loneliness in College
5 Ways to Combat Homesickness and Loneliness in College By Ellen M. Jones, M.A., LMFT, Thrive Therapist “‘When you feel homesick,’ he said, ‘just look up. Because the moon is the same wherever you go.’” ~Donna Tart It’s time for another new school year! As you return from a summer at home, or as you…
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Nutrition and Mental Health
Summer Self-Care Series: Nutrition and Mental Health by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ~Virginia Woolf Hi Thrivers! Welcome to the fourth part of the summer self-care series! Over the past few weeks,…
Procrastination and Academics
The First Year of College: Procrastination and Academics By: Ella-Mei Matias, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts “Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” -Mason Cooley As we near end of summer, many incoming freshmen are preparing for the huge life change of entering college. Among many other…
Time in Nature
Summer Self-Care Series: The Benefits of Spending Time in Nature by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” ~John Muir When deciding which college to attend, it wasn’t the Cal Poly campus or the “Learn by…
Quality Sleep
Summer Self-Care Series: The Importance of Quality Sleep by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow. ~Tom Roth Every morning, at exactly 6 am, I wake up to the bright sunlight shining through my windows.…
Social Media and Self-Esteem
Social Media and Self-Esteem: 3 Ways to Improve the Way Social Media Makes You Feel By: Ella-Mei Matias, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Social media seems to consume us nowadays. From mindlessly scrolling, to relaxation, or even when using with friends, it’s everywhere. While social media offers many positive…
Summer Self-Care Series
Summer Self-Care Series: An Intro to Mental Wellness by Taylor Ureta, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Happy summer, Thrivers! Welcome to the first section of the Summer Self-Care Series. With bright skies and sunny days ahead, this series will highlight the perfect opportunity to prioritize summer self-care. Here…
Graduating from Therapy
Graduating from Therapy – What to Expect Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Hello Thrivers! Welcome to the final installment of a three-part series called, “Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy.” This series will help you understand…
How To: Your First Therapy Session
Your First Therapy Session – What to Expect Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Hello Thrivers! Welcome to the second installment of a three-part series called, “Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy.” This series will help you…
Starting Therapy: What to Expect
Starting Therapy – How to Prepare Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Hello Thrivers! Welcome to the first installment of a three-part series called, “Learning to Thrive: A How-To Guide for Therapy.” This series will help you understand what…
Why Your True Crime Obsession Is Bad For Your Anxiety
Why Your True Crime Obsession Is Bad For Your Anxiety by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Getting scared can feel thrilling and cathartic. Forms of entertainment, like horror movies, are entirely dedicated to instilling these feelings in people. While we can recognize that the monster on the…
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How to Have Better Boundaries with Your Phone
How To: Have Better Boundaries with Your Smartphone “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” ~Anne Lamott by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Every Sunday morning, my iPhone sends me a notification reviewing my average screen time for the…
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Nature Therapy: A Brief Introduction
Nature Therapy “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” — Rachel Carson by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts In honor of Earth Day, we want to highlight one of the unique services we offer…
Therapy for Future Therapists
Think You Want to Become a Therapist? Go to Therapy! “Understanding why people suffer, how they change, and how to help them live satisfying lives is a fascinating and important undertaking.” ~John & Rita Sommers-Flanagan by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts How can you tell if being…
Therapy Beyond Crisis
Accessing Therapy Beyond Crisis Situations “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Viktor E. Frankl by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts There’s a misconception that therapy should be complete once you start “feeling better.” It’s important to recognize…
Therapy for College Students
Why Therapy Is Important for College Students “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” ~Fred Rogers by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts College life…
Creating a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ People in Therapy
Creating a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ People in Therapy “It takes no compromise to give people their rights… it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” ~Harvey Milk by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised…
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Celebrating International Women’s Day
Celebrating International Women’s Day “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.” -Coretta Scott King by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts March 8th is International Women’s Day, an opportunity to both celebrate the contributions of women and…
Queer-Affirming Therapy: Finding a Safe Space
Queer-Affirming Therapy: Finding a Safe Space “It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.” – Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Therapy can be an incredibly rewarding experience, so it is important to find a…
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Integrating Faith and Your LGBTQ Identity
Integrating Faith and Your LGBTQ Identity: It Doesn’t Have to Be Either/Or “My faith is a choice. My morality is a choice. My sexual orientation however isn’t.” ― Anthony Venn-Brown by Gavin Hannegan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts Religion and sexuality are two identities that are often viewed as…
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Support Your Trans Child
Hello Thrivers! This month, you’ll be hearing more from us as we are introducing a new blog! Our intern, Gavin Hannegan is an undergraduate student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts. He’ll be sharing some weekly blog posts that we think you might find helpful regarding queer identities (LGBTQIA+) and queer-affirming…
Coming Out: A Brief Guide
Hello Thrivers! This month, you’ll be hearing more from us as we are introducing a new blog! Our intern, Gavin Hannegan is an undergraduate student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts. He’ll be sharing some weekly blog posts we think you might find helpful regarding queer identities (LGBTQIA+) and queer-affirming…
Let Go and Make Space
A fantasy I have fostered over many years is if I just do the things better and harder and more then finally, I will be seen, heard, and cared for. This is not my first post on this theme yet it’s still relevant. I’ve been thinking about my lifetime of hanging on, no…
New Year, More Me
For better or worse, the holidays are over. We are now inundated with messages about change and self-improvement, often with an emphasis on diet and exercise. There is so much pressure to be different. You know, new year, new me. I find myself struggling to push back against the narrative that I must change something…
Confessions of a Recovering Know It All
I have recently reached a new level of understanding of the value of acknowledging that I don’t know the answer for something. Growing up I was often asked to function above my level of ability or development. There was little room for not knowing. Not knowing was dangerous and unacceptable on some level. So,…
Pansexual Pride
Today is Pansexual pride day. I just happened to notice it on social media, it warmed my pandemic heart. Happy Pan Pride!!! It took me a long time to embrace my sexuality and find a term that fit for me and my internal experience of my sexuality. I was 30 when I first heard the…
To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season…
It’s a song that celebrates the passage of time and the seasons that come and go. If you enjoy classic folk rock like I do, you’ll be familiar with Simon & Garfunkel’s “Turn, Turn, Turn”. Lots of other artists and bands have covered it too but Paul and Art’s version is my favorite. It’s a…
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Six Stages of Covid-19 Acceptance
I enjoy my fantasy of being able to control things, it makes the world feel safer and more manageable. My illusions of control over my life have been severely challenged by this pandemic. I think that has been true for many of us. I enjoy my fantasy of being able to control things, it makes…
Losing the future, I thought I had. A lesson in letting go.
Growing up as a person possessing a uterus I was given the clear message that I could be impregnated at the drop of a hat (drop of a sperm?). As someone with an irregular menstrual cycle there were many hurried trips to the drug store to purchase a pregnancy test that I hoped was going…
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Love Yourself: You’ll Like Others More
Brené Brown (my researcher crush) says that we can only be as compassionate with others as we are with ourselves. I remember when I first read this, it was a big blow. I considered myself a very compassionate person however I was also incredibly perfectionistic and harsh with myself. This just did not compute for…
Reject Being Likable!
There are two common things I hear in my office. One is that clients are often wondering how to find people who they can really connect with. The second is people are often afraid to be truly seen due to fear of rejection. What I have learned is that people often settle for being, nice…
Beginning 2018: Updates from the Psychologists at Thrive San Luis Obispo
Beginning 2018: Updates from Thrive SLO Checking In Wow! It’s already February of 2018! How was your first month of the year? Did you try anything different? Any resolutions or intentions that you started the year with? How did it go? Now is a perfect time to step back and review your work of the…
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Gratitude Monday: Share the Love! Express Your Gratitude to Others
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward Let’s Check In! Are you feeling the gratitude this month? How did you do with last week’s challenge to write down two things you are grateful for each day? Did you find it easy? Hard? Were you…
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Gratitude Monday: Keep It Simple! Try A Gratitude List.
“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” ~Willie Nelson A Month of Gratitude This November, we are practicing a month of gratitude. Each Monday, we want to share a new gratitude practice with you! Ongoing research suggests that gratitude activities may improve life satisfaction (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). Last week we…
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Gratitude Monday: How Do You Score? Try A Gratitude Questionnaire.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey How much gratitude do you have in your life? Are you looking for more? As we intentionally grow our gratitude practice this November (more about that in this…
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November: A Month of Gratitude
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~Eckhart Tolle This November, we’re choosing to focus on gratitude. November seems like a perfect time, and not just because of the American practice of celebrating Thanksgiving. As Dr. Sarah and I have mentioned in previous posts (here and…
Finding Balance This Fall: Simple Strategies To Bring Your Life Back Into Balance
Ah, fall! Growing up in Michigan, fall was always my favorite time of year. The air smelled different: often crisp, sometimes smoky. The leaves turned bright colors. We headed back to school (yes, I was one of those that loved school) and the cider orchard had juicy, flavorful apples and a seemingly endless supply of…
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The College Series: What I wish I knew about dealing with roommates!
I remember missing my bedroom from home during my first quarter of my freshmen year of college. I went from being the only person in my room to living with 3 other women. It was tense and not all of our personalities fit well. We started off polite enough but soon we devolved into yelling…
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The College Series: A Simple Strategy To Survive College For First Year Students
Dear New College Student: Congrats! You have made it through that magical, frustrating experience that is high school and are headed off to college! Here is a simple strategy to survive college: Take It Slow Didn’t see that one coming? I know. I’m sure everyone in your life is telling you that “these will be the…
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The College Series: Letting Go. Four Things Every Parent Needs To Practice When Their Student Leaves For College
Letting Go For the last 18 years or so, a main part of your identity has been about being a parent. You’ve been known as “Emily’s mom.” Your days have been structured around your child’s schedule: what time school begins, what lunch needs they have, what time you have to get to practice, and what groceries…
The College Series: 5 Ways to Be (The Best Version Of) Yourself!
Dear College Student: Congrats! You are now a college student! All grown up and moving out and so very ready to start the next chapter of your life! One piece of advice: be yourself. Here’s the scene: It’s your first day on campus for Orientation or Week of Welcome: everyone arrives on campus checking out…
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The Wounded Healer
During my early years in graduate school the faculty encouraged us to engage in our own self-exploration and therapy. I knew this was a good idea. I even tried to find a therapist, but I ran into one big problem. The more I knew about the therapeutic process the more difficult it was to find…
Slow. Gentle. Grounded. A Guide to Radical Self-Care!
To continue my quest for balance, self-care, and getting my needs met I developed a mantra: Slow. Gentle. Grounded. This post is a peek into my journey with self-care along with some ideas how to take care of yourself as well. Slow. I was laying on my acupuncturist’s table feeling a lot like a pincushion when…
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Prevent Burnout and Codependency: Three Steps to Better Boundaries
I love to say “yes!” Enthusiastically. And often. Need help with a project? Sure! Going on an adventure? Yes, please! Need an extra hand? Happy to help! Reading an interesting book in book club? Count me in! Nothing makes me happier than saying “yes” – there are so many interesting opportunities out there! I am…
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Join Us For a Spring Thrive Community Hike
At Thrive SLO, we try to be intentional about our own self care and we love fostering community with like minded individuals! We’re hoping to create quarterly community events, always free of charge, that allow you to better get to know us and deepen our sense of community in the San Luis Obispo area.…
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Giving To The Last Drop
Giving To The Last Drop I’m a giver and a caretaker. I am also an empath, someone who is very good at sensing others energy and emotional state. So I am very responsive to people’s moods around me, which is wonderful and often draining. As a woman, a person in a healing profession, and…
What is Nature Therapy?
What is Nature Therapy? I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~John Burroughs Nature therapy is an innovative form of psychotherapy that we find uniquely useful. It can be most beneficial in coping with stress, anxiety, and relationship challenges. While many of us instinctively feel better…
Free intention setting nature walk at Point Buchon trail
Consciously fill this next year with wellness, balance, and connectedness. Join us in an intention setting nature walk on Point Buchon trail in Montaña De Oro State Park on Saturday Jan. 7th from 10am – 12pm. FREE! You will be introduced to the concepts of nature therapy, as provided by Thrive SLO. You will be led through a mindful walking practice to help you feel more grounded and present. We will take time to engage in compassionate attention towards yourself and your struggles. With each step you will be walking in the direction of your new future.
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