Give Yourself the Gift of Self-Compassion

By Laura Chackes, Psy.D. At this time of year when we are consumed with giving to others, most of us don’t ever think about giving to ourselves. In our society, it’s often looked down upon to think much about yourself. When I talk about self-compassion, many say that they feel like it’s selfish to put […]

A Quick Gratitude Practice to Improve Your Mood and Wellbeing

woman jotting some notes and feeling grateful

By Laura Chackes, Psy.D. Many studies over the past several years have shown that practicing gratitude can improve our mental health, and this applies to both people with mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression, and those without. Gratitude practices include writing in a journal about what you are grateful for each day and writing […]

Skin Picking, Hair Pulling, or Other BFRBs: Webinar Recap

By Laura Chackes, Psy.D. This week I launched a webinar training series for those with BFRBs, and thought I’d recap the main points I shared here for those of you who missed it. People with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), such as skin picking or hair pulling, often struggle with these compulsive behaviors throughout their entire […]

The Hidden Compulsions of OCD Many Therapists Miss

Woman and baby

By Laura Chackes, Psy.D. Most people think of hand washing or checking compulsions when they imagine someone with OCD, but there are many other compulsions that are actually quite common that are not so obvious. Even therapists and doctors often miss these subtle signs of OCD, and misdiagnose the patient with an anxiety disorder. While […]

Top 5 Mindfulness Myths Keeping You From Practicing

woman meditating on a dock

By Laura Chackes, Psy.D. Being a mindfulness instructor and major proponent of the technique, I commonly hear the same reasons of why people aren’t practicing mindfulness in spite of its many evidence-backed benefits. In this post I will explain the myth behind each of these “reasons” for not practicing, to help in the understanding of […]