Blog for Better Living

Finding Center – Spirituality and Mental Health

By: Other | November 25, 2016

Written by Francine Martinez, Ph.D. Over the past 15 years the mental health community has begun exploring the therapeutic relationship between spirituality and mental health. The American Psychological Association, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the National Institutes of Health are examples of organizations that have come to the conclusion that there can and does […]

Building Confidence in Your Child

By: Other | November 11, 2016

Written by Jennifer Wendt, Ph.D. As I sit and watch a class of children in gymnastics I reflect on how important it is to for children to develop skills that build confidence. All humans strive to gain skills and develop pride in their abilities, making it important to begin fostering this development in children. Each […]

Therapy Changes Welcomes Dr. Jen McWaters

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | October 14, 2016

I am excited to be joining the Therapy Changes family and look forward to contributing to an already thriving multi-specialty practice. I will be providing services at the Point Loma location for teens, children, families and adults. I received my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University and completed my pre-doctoral APA internship at […]

The Importance of Physical Health for Psychological Wellbeing

By: Other | October 7, 2016

Written by Kelly Anderson, Ph.D. Numerous research studies have found an association between physical health and mental health. When such studies have found a correlation, or link, between physical and mental health, several themes have emerged consistently: Those with mental health concerns are at a higher risk of developing chronic health issues Poor mental health […]

Seasons Are Changing

By: Other | September 23, 2016

Written by Francine Martinez, Ph.D. We’ve all heard of the “winter blues”, those times when we just begin to feel down for now explainable reason. Our mood shifts and we can become lethargic, more sentimental and can have this overwhelming feeling of sadness. Adding to the frustration of the mood shift is recognizing that you […]

Depression, Therapy

How to Practice Self-Compassion

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | August 12, 2016

Sadly, for many of us, we are all too familiar with emotionally “beating ourselves up”. And, it’s not surprising. We live in a society where we’re taught that being hard on ourselves is the way to success. So, in an effort to get ahead, we criticize ourselves, push ourselves (often times too far) and certainly […]

Sleep Hygiene

By: Other | July 15, 2016

Written by Asal Azizi, Psy.D. A good night’s sleep serves many important functions for our overall health. Physically and psychologically our bodies need to rest and repair overnight, which is essential as one gets older. Specifically, the brain relies on sleep for many cognitive functions such as retaining information and consolidation of memory. Unfortunately, sleep […]

Anxiety, Depression, Sleep/Relaxation

How Does Psychotherapy Work?

By: Other | July 8, 2016

Written by Kelly Anderson, Ph.D. Not surprisingly, the first time I meet someone, I am often asked “how does therapy work?” Most people I meet with both professionally and personally have either gone to therapy themselves or know someone who has. Generally, when I ask a therapy novice what they know about the process, the […]

Anxiety, Depression, Therapy

Cognitive Behavior Therapy 101

By: Other | May 31, 2016

Written by Asal Azizi, Psy.D. As a therapist who provides Cognitive Behavior Therapy, I often meet with new clients who have heard a thing or two about CBT work, but have never experienced it. As a new client, you may be intimidated by the idea of undergoing CBT or believe it is the answer to […]