Emily H. Sanders, LMFT

Where does one find true freedom and peace? I love these thoughts from Merton: When in the soul of the serene disciple With no more Fathers to imitate... Poverty is a success, It is a small thing to say the roof is gone: He has not even a house. Stars, as well as friends, Are angry with the noble ruin. Saints depart in several directions. Be still: There is no longer need of any comment. It was a lucky wind That blew away his halo with his cares, A lucky sea that drowned his reputation. Here you will find Neither a proverb nor a memorandum. There are no ways, No methods to admire Where poverty is no achievement. His God lives in his emptiness like an affliction. What choice remains? Well, to be ordinary is not a choice: It is the usual freedom Of men without visions. When in the Soul of the Serene Disciple.

Personally, I’m not a give homework kind of therapist- I even hesitated to put books on this list. By the time most individuals come to therapy they are very eager for personal growth or to feel better quickly, so naturally many want to know what they can do during the week to keep doing the work. These are simple ways you can support the therapeutic process outside of session- and most of them don’t take much effort but make a big difference, and can help feed the next ...session. ** Not all therapists use the same approach. Some clinicians do assign homework, others don’t work to integrate childhood experiences, etc. When looking for a clinician, be sure to discuss how they approach therapy and what treatment looks like. Therapy ranges from very directive and focused, to abstract and artistic. Discuss your goals with your therapist to help ensure a good fit.

... @thessdesignco

Holding on to hope ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

OCD is not an adjective. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety filled mental illness; those with OCD constantly have to manage intrusive thoughts and behaviors they can’t help but perform to help bring calm. These thoughts and behaviors consume huge amounts of their mental and physical energy, and can disrupt daily life. (Post is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. If you relate to a number of these signs please consult with a mental health professional.)... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Let go of your expectations of how long it should, or will, take you to feel better and be open to a new relationship. Remind yourself- a relationship doesn’t have to end happily to be considered a successful relationship. The Wisdom is a Broken Heart by Susan Piver... Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames by Thich Nhat Hanh After the Affair by Janis Spring #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

I’ve been in private practice for 8 years now and I love it just as much as when I started. If not more. My practice has evolved as I have, and my clientele has shifted as I have. I’m grateful to be in a season where I have choices. I get to choose what my office looks like, my hours, how I run my practice- and most importantly, who I want to work with. ... I deeply enjoy working with those suffering from anxiety, and all that anxiety carries with it. Perfectionism, fear of losing relationships, confusion when it comes to big decisions- and through it all making sure they’re not a burden to anyone else. Therapy isn’t magic. There’s definitely an art to doing it well, and it’s not a quick fix. What I feel so deeply about is that regardless of what progress is or isn’t made during a therapy session that at least for 50 minutes loneliness can be silenced. Maybe for 50 minutes the individual I’m sitting with can feel understood, and see that there just might be hope for something different in their life. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Forgiveness is far more complicated than we assume. There are many implications, misunderstandings, and emotional ties that are involved. The most common reasons for withholding forgiveness that I hear are: the fear of being hurt again, not feeling better about the trauma, or that it meaning the relationship is restored. This is a wonderful graphic by @curly_therapist that helps provide clarity. ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

It may feel overwhelming to tackle all of these at once. Focus on mastering one thing for a month or two before adding another thing. Building an emotionally healthy home promoted feelings of safety, closeness, and self-worth now AND in the years to come. Take these and apply them to your work environment, houses of worship, and neighborhoods ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Can you relate? ... @therapywithabby #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

How do you know it’s time for you to take a step back and do some self-evaluating? And how do how do you take care if yourself? Drop a comment below, it might be helpful for someone else! Swipe for suggestions. ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Protect yourself while you create space for new behaviors and relationships You’re worth it! ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Life is complicated, and there’s no one way to feel about it! It is very normal to have multiple thoughts and feelings about a situation or person, though sometimes this can lead to internal conflict. We have an awful lot of shoulds attached to how feel feel and think. It takes a strong sense of self to hold on to all the feelings and sort through them. ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery #life

Strength to carry on- to hold on to one’s truth- in a space where others don’t yet understand. Whether the affirming voice is that of your own or others who care, may that voice be the loudest today. ... @wonder_doodles #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

Not knowing is the NORM. I can not tell you the amount of anxiety I see in my practice that is caused by this unrealistic expectation - I’m falling behind - I’ll disappoint my family... - I’ll never have a career - I don’t really even know what kinds of jobs there are so I’ll just do _____ It’s hard to know what we want to be or do in this world when we’ve experienced so little in the world. Normalize gap years, trade schools, therapy, volunteering, internships, and traveling as alternative forms of education. All of these can contribute to finding direction for life. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery

When we feel stressed out our thinking turns very black and white so we can figure out how to organize what we are experiencing, which can be very helpful. Black and white thinking becomes unhelpful when we becoming rigid and inflexible- and then start to feel like we are losing our minds as we flip flop! Therapy can be helpful because one common goal is to create more room for gray; this can help quiet the back and forth feelings inside. ... @lizandmollie #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery #life

We learn to be independent first in the context of relationship When we are pushed towards being independent too early it creates a lot of anxiety. ... #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #therapy #therapist #love #feelings #therapyiscool #personalgrowth #selfawareness #boundaries #personaldevelopment #anxiety #anxietyawareness #mentalillness #depression #depressionawareness #perfectionism #adulting #parenting #family #mentalhealthawareness #grief #psychology #reparenting #attachment #soulcare #selflove #selfcare #traumarecovery #life