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 […]

Gratitude

By: Other | October 28, 2016

Written by Asal Azizi, Psy.D. As the month of October comes to a close, and we look ahead to November, tis the season for gratitude. The upcoming holiday season, and especially Thanksgiving, reminds us of the importance of expressing what we are most grateful for in our lives. Throughout the season, in the news, we […]

Helping Teens Cope with Social Anxiety

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | October 21, 2016

Adolescence is a time of uncertainty and change. It is a period of adjustment when children develop autonomy; learn more about themselves and transition into young adulthood. It’s natural for teens feel self-conscious, nervous or shy in font of others during this time. Many teens experience a racing heart, sweaty palms or fluttering stomach during […]

Anxiety, Mindfulness, Stress, Teens

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 […]

Tips for the Student Athlete

By: Other | September 9, 2016

Written by Casey Buck, Intern Growing up, athletics have always been an important aspect of my life. Now, as a collegiate athlete, many new realities have set in. When I was younger, balancing my training schedule for track and field along with my academic coursework was manageable; in fact, I even had plenty of extra […]

Anxiety, Personal Improvement

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