Welcome to the Resting Tree blog, where we delve into the intricacies of mental health, healing, and personal growth. As a private practice specializing in trauma-informed, compassion-focused, and humanistic approaches, we are dedicated to providing insightful and empowering content to support your journey towards holistic well-being.
Our blog is a safe space for exploring the complexities of the human experience, offering valuable resources, and fostering a sense of community. Join us as we navigate the path to healing and self-discovery, one blog post at a time.
Is it Guilt or Shame? How to tell the difference and work through it
Many of us tend to use the words “guilt” and “shame” interchangeably. Sometimes we might experience both feelings at the same time after we have felt as though we have done something wrong. However, they refer to different experiences because these feelings come from different understanding of ourselves and others. Understanding the differences between them can help us work through self judgments, self-criticism and low self-worth.
What Makes A Good Friend? 7 Green Flags to Look For
A friend is someone who you can count on and who can count on you. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that needs to work for both sides of it. To be able to see these things in our friends is important because it can help to realize who really has our best interest at heart. These can be big actions or small that pull the friendship in one direction, and while it is important to think about and realize these “red flags” it is even more important to be able to view and identify the “green flags” these points that make our friends indispensable. These are the actions that make us feel safe and comfortable in the presence of others. Read on to see some of the more common green flags that are easily identifiable in our close friends.
Are you in An Abusive Relationship? Here are 10 signs to look out for
Abusive relationships rarely start out with blatantly severe acts of abuse. More often than not, abusive relationships begin with weird “Red Flags” that may at first appear to be acts of love. It is not uncommon for manipulative behaviours, words, and actions to be initially disguised with seemingly good intentions, but make no mistake. These red flags indicate dangerous behaviour is likely, and whenever these red flags appear, overt acts of dominance and control tend to follow soon after.
People Pleasing (2): How does it Help or Hinder us?
People-pleasing involves adjusting our words and actions for the sake of another individual. Typically, they can be considered very helpful and kind people who will drop everything to come to your aid. However on the other end, some people may even think of them as manipulative or hypocritical as they try to win the praise of those around them. Therefore there are pros and cons to people-pleasing. On the positive side, people-pleasing can help you be adaptable and open to situations and different personalities. However, on the negative side, people-pleasing can have an extraordinarily hard toll on your emotional wellbeing as you are constantly putting your own needs on a back burner for those of others.
People-Pleasing (1): Why do we People-Please?
People-pleasing is a term you may have heard of in different lights. It might not sound bad at all, because, what’s the problem with trying to make other people happy. Nothing right? However, people-pleasing usually comes at the expense of our own wants or needs. It involves changing or adjusting our words and actions for the sake of another individuals' feelings or reactions. By doing this, we are putting other people's wants, needs, and happiness, ahead of our own. One may not even notice that they are a people-pleaser in the bad sense, as it is a very subtle response to diffusing conflict that had to have been developed at an early age.
Understanding Anger and How to Deal with it
Whether we are dealing with our own anger or that of those around us it is a good idea to try and understand what anger is and where this specific anger is coming from. Within you can find a few helpful tips and strategies to express your anger in a healthy way so that you will reduce tension and can help build better relationships. Take a minute to step back and look from the outside.
What is High Functioning Depression and How Do We Cope with it?
When seen by your friends and family, you may seem perfectly fine and normal – and yet, within you may feel very unhappy with yourself for no foreseeable reason. You may also be doing what you’re supposed to do, but constantly feeling exhausted. Are you struggling with high-functioning depression? Learn more from this post on what it is and how to cope with it.
How to Cope with Grief during the Holidays
Despite the holidays being touted as “the most wonderful time of the year”, some would describe them as the most dreadful. Cancelling the season is not an option for most people, so how does one prepare for the holidays when they just aren’t feeling it? If the holidays are feeling dreadful or complicated due to grief, it may be a good time to increase coping skills and self-care.
Working with The Mind-Body Connection
Talking is naturally a big part of what goes on in therapy, but have you ever noticed how sometimes we instinctively describe a feeling by how it feels in the body? Learn more about the Mind-Body Connection and how it helps improve your emotional well being through this article.
How to Support a Grieving Friend
It is often hard to witness a loved one or friend going through intense emotional experiences like grief and loss. Let’s learn about some meaningful and practical ways we can show our care and support through this post.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Simple Practices
Here are some well-known meditation and mindfulness practices that are simple and easy, to begin with. They include body scan, engaging your senses, mindful acceptance, and loving kindness meditation.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Benefits and Risks
Is meditation and mindfulness beneficial or detrimental for your wellbeing? What are its positive or negative effects? Learn more about risks and benefits of meditation and mindfulness here in this post.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Common Myths
Meditation and mindfulness have grown in popularity in mental healthcare as helpful tools for our emotional and mental well being. As with any popular topic, there will be some common myths and misinformation. Let’s look at them closely.
Healthy Relationship Skills: How to Set Boundaries
By setting boundaries, we let others know how to treat us. Honouring our needs also includes asserting our boundaries. Drawing our boundaries kindly and firmly is an act of love towards ourselves and others.
Healthy Relationship Skills: How to Express Your Needs
We all have needs and expressing them healthily is part of maintaining a strong, loving and respectful relationship with ourselves and others.
Healthy Relationship Skills: How to be a Good Listener
Active and empathic listening skills are necessary for listening effectively. To listen is to be able to understand and validate the other party’s feelings and needs, which sets the foundation for great communication.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Self-Care
Learn the difference between short-term and long-term self-care and why the both of them matters
Why Long-term Self-Care is Hard
Seeking long-term fulfilment means having to face short-term discomfort. Are you ready for it?
What it’s Like to have High Functioning Anxiety and How to Deal with It
Do you relate to these experiences? High-functioning anxiety is a form of silent suffering that’s well-hidden from the world.