Optimum Joy's Blog
Our Therapist’s Advice on Mental Wellness Follow On Instagram Subscribe To NewsletterSearch Via Popular Categories
Recent Articles
Pace, Place, and Perspective
Change of Pace It’s been 7 months of living life in the middle of a pandemic and, because of that, most of us have naturally experienced a change of pace. Our day-to-day rhythm has changed due to the unknown and ever-changing nature of COVID. Going places has been...
Let’s Reflect: Grounding Ourselves
After a long week of giving yourself to your daily schedule, your work, and the needs of others, what do you do to get yourself grounded again? Sometimes, there are weeks that go by without realizing what habits have formed, what thoughts have come up, and what...
Tools for Building an Intimate, Committed Relationship Part 1: Know Yourself
Maybe you are dating someone and trying to figure out if there’s marriage potential. Maybe you’re single and hoping to be married one day. Maybe you’re divorced, but hope to remarry with greater wisdom and healthier tools the next time. This post is for anyone looking...
[VIDEO] Validation Skill Building for Couples
Does nodding along communicate that you agree with everything someone says? Couples that have a difficult time communicating and understanding each other often avoid affirmative listening cause they don't want to give their partner the wrong idea - that they're going...
I am Who I Think You Think I am
I’ve been thinking about that quote a lot lately, discussing it with clients, coworkers, and friends. I can’t get a clear answer on who initially said it, and I can’t even remember the first time I heard it. But in recent weeks, it has been on my mind.I think it gives...
How Do You Take Care of Yourself?
As I reflect on the idea of self-care, I realized how I struggled with its concept well into my first year of grad school. Before learning the purpose of self-care, my non-existing definition was to simply do things I enjoyed. In undergrad, between classes,...
Healthy Communication and Respectful Conversations
As we consider the state of our country and our world, it looks like everything is out of control. In moments of feeling overwhelmed, we might think, “I don’t know what to do”, “I feel so helpless”. Consider this… Sometimes helping might look like becoming healthier...
Dear Grieving Heart
It's okay to cry as being showered by the rain. It's okay if your fractured heart is overflowing with pain. It's okay if kind condolences aren’t a remedy. It's okay to remember and laugh at a funny memory. It's okay to wander, lonely as the moon at night. It's okay if...
When Anxiety Changes
By the time you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that I have had my first child! Pregnancy has been filled with all the emotions people warn you about, but it has also been a tremendous blessing. When I was a teenager, I suffered from an anxiety disorder. After...
Alex Parlette: Porn Addiction & Mental Health
Pornography has mixed opinions around it! Especially since we live in one of the most sexually free periods of history and are experiencing social isolation that may be driving people to watch increased amounts of porn. Our licensed therapist, Alex Parlette, talks...