Blog for Better Living

How to Help a Loved One Through Trauma

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | September 29, 2023

It can be difficult to see your loved one experience the effects of trauma, and it’s not always easy to know how to help. You may struggle to find the right thing to do or say or worry that you’ll say something that might make them feel worse. Know that there is so much you […]

Anger, Relationships, Trauma

A Mom’s Perspective: The Sneaky Month of May

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | June 9, 2023

It was midnight on a dark and almost stormy night. I was sitting on the living room floor when the lights went out. I heard ominous creaking somewhere in the house. My eyes fell on the many pairs of sinister-looking scissors surrounding me, glistening in the moonlight. “How did I get here?” I wondered to […]

How to Get “Unstuck” from Anxiety

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | March 24, 2023

If you struggle with anxiety, you may notice that the harder you try to make it go away, the worse it becomes. If you wake up in the morning checking for signs of anxiety to determine if it will be a “good” or “bad” day, you may be caught in an “all or nothing” anxiety […]

When an Attitude of Gratitude Hurts

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | December 16, 2022

The holiday season is upon us, and images of seemingly blissful couples and families dressed in cozy winter sweaters are splashed across our media. These happy, “shiny” people are shown enjoying a Thanksgiving feast together, frolicking in leaves, and cuddling by the fireplace. We are encouraged to ‘count our blessings!’ and ‘be grateful’ for what […]

How to Cultivate Self-Compassion

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | September 16, 2022

Experiences such as loss, pain, and disappointment are unavoidable parts of being human. If we want to feel the good stuff in life such as love, connection, and proud moments, then we must also accept the risk of the flip side of these experiences. For example, if you love someone, you are vulnerable to feeling […]

A Mom’s Perspective on Summer Vacation: Dream vs. Reality

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | July 15, 2022

Every year as summer approaches, I count down the days until school ends, awaiting the time when I have less on my plate. Exhausted from trying to balance my kids’ school demands, keeping the household functional, and keeping up with my own job, I look forward to not tracking almost daily COVID at-home tests, packing […]

Children, Family, Parenting, Stress

Mirror, Mirror: Breaking Free of the Comparison Trap

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | April 22, 2022

Have you ever left a class or staff meeting feeling like an imposter because you think that everyone is smarter than you? Have you ever looked at your social media feed and felt envy for someone else’s seemingly beautiful life? If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. It’s human nature to compare ourselves to […]

How to Outsmart Procrastination

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | February 18, 2022

We’ve all been there; we have found ourselves facing tasks that we “should do,” maybe even “have to do,” and yet, we struggle to move ourselves toward actually doing these things. Maybe you need to study for a test, complete a work project, or start on your taxes. The scenario plays out the same, you […]

Personal Improvement, Stress

Nothing to Fear, But Fear Itself

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | December 31, 2021

Understanding and Treating Panic Attacks Have you ever experienced anxiety come on so quickly and with such intensity that you feared you were having a heart attack or that you were going crazy? Maybe your heart was pounding, or you were sweating or shaking. You might have visited the hospital or called your doctor only […]

Anxiety, Therapy, Trauma