Guest Post: How Emotional Avoidance Fuels Addiction and Mental Illness
Clinically reviewed by Cassie Jewell, LPC, LSATP
Emotional avoidance, or the tendency to push away, numb, suppress, or escape difficult thoughts and feelings, has been associated with a range of mental health concerns and may play a role in maintaining addictive behaviors and psychological distress.
For many people who develop substance use problems, the goal is not simply to chase a high. Sometimes, it is to get away from something that feels unbearable. It might be a painful memory that keeps returning uninvited, a sense of worthlessness that surfaces without warning, or anxiety so persistent that it begins to feel like a permanent part of who they are.
Substances can offer temporary distance from these experiences by quieting intrusive thoughts, dulling painful emotions, or providing a brief sense of relief. Over time, however, using substances to escape emotional distress can become a deeply ingrained pattern. The focus shifts from seeking pleasure to seeking relief, and avoiding pain can become increasingly difficult without the substance.
Understanding how it works can help anyone struggling with substance use, anxiety, depression, or just a nagging sense that they are never quite present in their own life. The goal isn’t to stop feeling hard things, it’s to stop needing to run from them.
What Is Emotional Avoidance?
Emotional avoidance refers to the tendency to push away, suppress, or escape from uncomfortable internal experiences such as thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, and physical sensations.
Emotional avoidance is a common human response. Most of us instinctively want to move away from pain, not toward it. When difficult emotions become overwhelming, behaviors such as drinking, doomscrolling, staying chronically busy, overworking, or mentally checking out can provide temporary relief by creating distance from what we are feeling. The problem is that relief is often short-lived.
Avoidance does not resolve the emotion or the experience behind it; it simply postpones having to face it. Over time, relying on these strategies can intensify distress, reinforce the belief that certain emotions are unbearable, and make it increasingly difficult to tolerate uncomfortable feelings when they arise. What starts as an attempt to escape emotional pain can ultimately keep that pain going.
None of these behaviors are signs of weakness. They are strategies that often develop because, at some point, they worked. Avoiding, suppressing, or distracting yourself from difficult emotions can provide immediate relief when those feelings seem too painful, overwhelming, or uncomfortable to face.
The problem is that what works in the short term can create bigger problems over time. When avoidance becomes the default response, difficult emotions never really go away. Instead, they can build beneath the surface, influence our choices and relationships, and make it harder to cope when new challenges arise. What begins as a way to protect ourselves from emotional pain can eventually become a pattern that keeps us stuck.
How Emotional Avoidance Fuels Anxiety and Depression
Avoidance does not just drive substance use; it also prolongs and worsens anxiety and depression.
With anxiety, avoidance feels like relief. When you avoid a situation that makes you anxious, the anxiety temporarily drops. Your brain registers this as confirmation that the situation was dangerous and that avoidance was the right call. The next time you encounter the situation, the anxiety is stronger, not weaker. The avoidance has preserved the fear over time rather than resolved it.
With depression, avoidance tends to look like withdrawal or isolation. Pulling back from activities, relationships, and responsibilities that feel too hard. The problem is that isolation removes the very things that could generate positive experience and connection, both important parts of successful recovery.
5 Healthy Ways to Manage Emotions
The alternative to emotional avoidance is developing the capacity to be present with emotional experience without being overwhelmed by it or immediately acting to escape it.
Here are some practical starting points:
Name the feeling before you respond to it. When discomfort shows up, try to label what you are actually feeling before you do anything about it. Fear. Shame. Loneliness. Grief. Naming an emotion has been shown to reduce its intensity. It is also the beginning of actually processing it rather than just reacting to it.
Delay the avoidance behavior by a few minutes. If you notice yourself reaching for a substance, your phone, or any other avoidance strategy, try setting a brief timer before you act. You are not eliminating the behavior immediately; you are creating a small gap between the impulse and the action, which is where choice begins to live.
Practice tolerating discomfort in low-stakes situations. Emotional tolerance is a skill that builds with practice. This can look like sitting with physical discomfort for a few minutes before relieving it, staying with a difficult conversation slightly longer than you would naturally, or pausing before responding to a frustrating email. Small tolerances build larger ones over time.
Try Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques. Interventions explicitly targeting experiential avoidance, most notably Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, showed promising effects in reducing avoidance and substance use. ACT focuses on accepting internal experiences rather than fighting them and on taking values-directed action even in discomfort. Many ACT workbooks are available online even if you are not currently in therapy.
Get support for what you have been avoiding. Emotional avoidance often develops around specific experiences, traumas, or unprocessed emotional material that feels too big to approach directly. Working with a therapist who understands the connection between emotional avoidance and mental health or substance use can make the difference between managing symptoms and targeting their source.
A Note on Recovery
If substance use has become the primary way you manage emotional experience, recognizing the role of avoidance is an important first step. It reframes the addiction not as a moral failure but as a predictable response to emotional pain that was never adequately addressed.
Recovery that works with emotional avoidance alongside substance use is more likely to hold. Emotions serve a functional and regulatory role, and treatment approaches need to incorporate this understanding.
What Are You Dodging?
When uncomfortable feelings show up, what do you
usually do? Pick the response that sounds most
like you.
Try this instead:
A quick reflection tool, not a psychological
assessment. Avoidance is human, not a diagnosis.
Bock, R. C., Baker, L. D., Kalantar, E. A., Berghoff, C. R., Stroman, J. C., Gratz, K. L., & Tull, M. T. (2024). Clarifying relations of emotion regulation, emotional avoidance and anxiety symptoms in a community-based treatment-seeking sample. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 97(2), 393–404. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12523
Chrétien, S., Giroux, I., Smith, I., Jacques, C., Ferland, F., Sévigny, S., & Bouchard, S. (2025). Emotional regulation in substance-related and addictive disorders treatment: A systematic review. Journal of Gambling Studies, 41(2), 353–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-024-10366-8
Meyer, P. J., & Segal, G. (2023). Editorial: The role of emotional dysregulation in addiction. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1253541. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253541
Sequeda, G., Durán-Rondón, S., Acosta-López, J. E., Torres-Santos, E. A., & Rivera-Porras, D. (2026). Experiential Avoidance and Psychoactive Substance Use: Systematic Review. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 16(2), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe16020022
About the author:
Tim Hayden spent 18 years in corporate IT before co-founding a Christian rehab for men in Prescott, Arizona. He is passionate about breaking the stigma of addiction in faith communities and helping men build lives that do not require drugs and alcohol.
Parenting a child with ADHD can make everyday routines feel unexpectedly difficult. Learn what may be driving challenging behaviors and discover practical ways to reduce meltdowns, ease transitions, and make daily life a little smoother.
Guest Post: A Parent’s Guide to ADHD Behavior Interventions That Work
Introduction: When Everyday Moments Turn Into Big Struggles
Parenting a child with ADHD can make ordinary parts of the day feel unexpectedly difficult. Simple routines can turn into struggles, even when you’re doing your best.
Before making changes at home, it can help to know that these experiences are very common among ADHD families.
It’s 7:45 a.m. You asked your child three times to brush their teeth. They head to the bathroom, then somehow end up playing with something random. You call them again, but there’s no response. You raise your voice, then suddenly there are tears, or worse, they argue back. The morning rush turns into a struggle, and you carry that weight into your workday, wondering: What am I doing wrong?
Or maybe it’s 4:00 p.m., and it’s time for homework. Your child sits down, looks at one math problem, and quickly feels overwhelmed. Within minutes, there are tears, frustration, or they shut down. What looked like a twenty-minute task now takes much longer than expected.
These moments, from morning routines to homework struggles, can feel exhausting for you and your child. When the same challenges show up day after day, even small things can start to feel heavy. W
Why This Isn’t About “Bad Behavior”
It’s easy to see these moments as misbehavior, especially when they happen again and again, and nothing seems to work. These challenges can happen in all types of ADHD, whether a child is more inattentive, more hyperactive-impulsive, or a combination of both.
But many times, these reactions aren’t about defiance or trying to be difficult. They’re signs of internal struggles that aren’t easy to see. Challenges with attention, emotional regulation, impulse control, and working memory can make everyday tasks harder to manage.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a character flaw. So when your child has trouble starting a task or reacts strongly to something that seems small, it’s usually a sign that their brain is feeling overloaded in that moment.
What This Guide Will Help You Do
This guide is designed to help you:
Understand why your child behaves the way they do
Respond to meltdowns and refusals in ways that help
Build environments and routines that reduce friction before it starts
Why ADHD Behaviors Aren’t What They Seem
A child who’s refusing, melting down, or tuning you out is not doing it intentionally. With ADHD, understanding what’s driving the behavior is the first step toward responding in a helpful manner.
Behavior as Communication, Not Defiance
Remember that every behavior communicates something. For example, a child who storms off isn’t just being dramatic. They may be overwhelmed, ashamed, or exhausted from a day of trying to keep it together.
A child who argues with an instruction isn’t necessarily trying to control you. They may be struggling to shift their attention or manage the frustration of being asked to stop something they’re deeply focused on.
When you start to see behavior this way, it will change how you respond. Instead of “How do I stop this behavior?” you begin to ask, “What is my child telling me right now?”
Executive functions are the brain’s management system. They involve the mental skills that help us plan, prioritize, start tasks, control impulses, manage emotions, and stay flexible under pressure.
Research shows that children with ADHD struggle with these executive function skills, especially attention, impulse control, planning, and working memory. This explains why everyday tasks can feel harder to manage.
Stress Response vs. Choice
Sometimes what looks like a choice is actually a reaction.
A child with ADHD deals with daily challenges with emotional regulation, executive dysfunction (focus, organization, memory), and school and social pressures. These demands can build up and make even small moments feel overwhelming.
In that state, it becomes much harder for them to think clearly or respond calmly.
Why Your ADHD Child Melts Down Over “Simple” Things
To a child with ADHD, what looks small on the outside can feel enormous on the inside.
For neurotypical kids, putting on shoes is a 30-second task. But to a child with ADHD, it involves a lot of steps, such as transitioning from another activity, finding their socks, locating their shoes, and feeling their laces as they tie them.
It’s also worth noting that many children with ADHD experience challenges with their motor skills. They might struggle with using their hands to make small movements (fine motor skills) or run (gross motor skills). This can affect how a child performs at school and how they participate in social play with other kids.
The good news is that research shows that regular exercise can improve these motor skills.
Emotional Regulation Skills Are Still Developing
Children with ADHD often experience emotions more intensely, which leads to magnified reactions. Moreover, it can be challenging for them to self-regulate these emotions.
For example, a child who lost a game might suddenly explode because they’re experiencing genuine devastation and may not yet have the tools to calm themselves down.
Small stressors don’t stay small, but they build on each other until your child feels overwhelmed.
Imagine your child’s day starts by putting their effort into getting ready, then staying focused in class, following instructions, and managing social situations.
Because ADHD affects emotion regulation, stress doesn’t reset easily. So by the time you say, “Please do your homework,” your child may already feel overwhelmed.
What’s Really Happening When Your ADHD Child Refuses
Refusal can be frustrating, especially if you know that your child is capable. But more often than not, what looks like stubbornness has a reason.
Task Paralysis vs. Laziness
ADHD task paralysis happens when your child has something to do but feels stuck. Even if they want to start, they can’t.
This often happens when a task feels overwhelming or unclear. The brain struggles to organize the steps and find the effort needed to begin, so the child freezes instead of taking action.
Research also shows that children with ADHD are more likely to avoid tasks that require mental effort, partly because they have more difficulty resisting the urge to avoid them.
So instead of starting, they delay, get distracted, or avoid the task altogether, and may forget about it later.
What looks like a power struggle is often a child trying to cope with frustration. Kids with ADHD can find everyday demands harder, especially when the tasks feel boring, repetitive, or overwhelming.
Because of their struggles with impulse control and emotion regulation, frustration can show as arguing, refusing, or pushing back.
This means many children experience more worry around performance, mistakes, and meeting expectations. They might get worried about forgetting things or finishing tasks on time. Repeated negative feedback can add to this pressure.
ADHD also makes it harder to manage the emotions tied to difficult tasks. Feelings like stress, frustration, or self-doubt can build quickly. They might worry that they won’t be able to do the task properly or correctly. Avoidance then becomes a way to escape those feelings.
Moreover, the negative feedback children with ADHD receive due to their inattention, impulsivity, or difficulty managing emotions can lead to feelings of shame. Hearing messages such as “Why can’t you do your homework?” or “Why can’t you just sit still?” can affect their self-worth. This then leads to avoidance behaviors, such as giving up to avoid failure.
How to Respond to Challenging Behaviors (Simple Steps That Work)
Understanding what’s behind the behavior is one thing, and knowing what to do in the moment is another.
These four steps won’t make every hard moment disappear, but they can give you a reliable framework to come back to.
Step 1: Stay Calm and Co-Regulate First
Before anything else, try to regulate yourself first. Children mirror the behavior of adults around them. Co-regulation involves helping them manage their emotions by staying calm and supportive with them.
The focus is on calming the moment before solving the problem. This might look like:
Lowering your voice instead of raising it
Sitting beside them rather than standing over them.
Saying “I can see this is hard. I’m right here.” and then waiting.
Step 2: Keep Directions Short and Clear
Children with ADHD easily get overwhelmed when faced with multiple tasks at once. “Can you please finish your snack, put the plate in the sink, get your backpack, and then come back so we can do homework?”
Instead, try giving one instruction at a time. Make eye contact before speaking, and use your child’s name first so they know what follows is meant for them.
For example, instead of “Can you please get your shoes and socks and hurry up because we’re late?” say “Let’s get your shoes on.”
Task initiation is much easier when the starting point is clear and small. For children with ADHD, “Clean your room” can feel paralyzing. Instead, “Focus on one area: your desk first” feels more doable.
Visual checklists can be helpful because they place each step where your child can easily see it.
Step 4: Use Choices and “When–Then” Statements
Offering small choices helps your child feel more involved in what’s happening, which can make it easier for them to cooperate.
For example, you might say, “Do you want to brush your teeth before or after you pick tomorrow’s outfit?” instead of “Brush your teeth now.” The expectation stays the same, but your child gets a say in how they move through it.
“When-then” statements link a required task to something your child actually wants, without threats or pressure. They are a simple way to show your child what needs to happen first and what comes next.
For instance, you can say, “When your shoes are on, then we can leave.”
This helps because it makes your expectations clear, keeps things predictable, and helps your child focus on one step at a time.
It’s not possible to prevent every meltdown, but you can make them less frequent by noticing your child’s patterns and planning ahead.
Spot Patterns in Your Child’s Behavior
Meltdowns usually occur at certain times of day, during certain transitions, or under certain conditions. Try to spot the patterns or keep a simple behavior log for one week.
Use these questions to guide you:
What time of day does it happen most?
What happened the night before?
How was sleep the night before?
Had they eaten recently?
Common triggers are:
Transitions or stopping one activity to start another
Hunger
Tiredness
Screen time ending
Too many instructions at once
Feeling rushed or pressured
Once you spot the patterns, you can adjust the environment.
Transitions are challenging for children with ADHD because they have to stop what they’re doing, shift their focus, and get ready for something new all at once. It can feel abrupt and overwhelming.
You can make this easier by giving gentle advance notice. For example, you can say, “Ten more minutes, then it’s dinner,” or “Five minutes left on the game.” This gives your child time to mentally prepare, which reduces resistance and emotional reactions.
How to Build Routines That Support Regulation
One change that can make the most difference for ADHD families is building a predictable routine. Not because it makes everything run perfectly, but because it takes some of the pressure out of everyday moments.
When your child knows what to expect, they don’t have to use as much energy figuring things out or bracing for what’s next. That extra energy can go toward getting through the day more smoothly.
Routines that work well for children with ADHD often share a few simple qualities:
Predictable sequencing: The order of activities stays mostly the same each day. Over time, this helps things feel more familiar and easier to follow. (Example: Wake up, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, wear shoes, go out)
Visual anchors: A picture chart, checklist, or simple schedule that your child can look at on their own reduces the need for constant reminders.
Built-in transition time: A little extra time between activities helps prevent that rushed feeling, which can quickly lead to stress and overwhelm.
Consistent sleep and wake times: Sleep plays a big role in regulation. When sleep is more consistent, it’s often easier for your child to manage their day.
There is really no perfect way to do this. Even when you have the right tools, there will still be hard days, because parenting a child with ADHD is complex and unpredictable. What makes the biggest difference isn’t getting everything right but making small, consistent shifts over time.
Some mornings may feel chaotic, moments where you lose patience, or times when things don’t go as planned. That doesn’t erase your progress.
You just have to keep showing up, adjusting, and trying again. Over time, those efforts will create change for both you and your child.
About the author:
Michael Vallejo is a licensed clinical social worker and child and family therapist based in Colorado. He runs Mental Health Center Kids, where he writes about practical strategies for parents and clinicians.
A person can deeply want recovery and still feel confused by their own behavior. They may wonder why they keep failing even though they truly want to change.
In my work with clients, I often find that relapse makes more sense when we slow down what happened hours and days before the final behavior. What looked like a sudden failure often had warning signs that were building earlier.
Why trying harder often breaks down
Relapse is often described as a process, not a single event, and many relapse prevention models describe the three stages of relapse as emotional, mental, and physical.
Willpower often fails because it focuses too much on the final moment, when the person is already overwhelmed, craving, or close to acting on an old pattern. This is one reason it can be helpful to move beyond common misconceptions about addiction and look more closely at how relapse actually builds.
A downloadable handout at the end of this article walks through the three stages of relapse and offers practical steps for what to do in each stage.
How Relapse Builds Over Time
One helpful way to understand relapse is to look at the timeline leading up to it.
Relying on willpower only at the moment of physical relapse can be like waiting to hit the brakes when the car is already speeding towards the edge of the cliff. The three-stage framework helps people notice when the car is drifting earlier, while there is still more room to correct course.
This does not remove responsibility, but it can reduce shame. When someone sees the chain of events more clearly, they can also begin to see where the pattern could be interrupted earlier next time.
Emotional Relapse: Becoming More Vulnerable
Emotional relapse can be confusing because the person may not be thinking about using at all.
They may still want recovery, but emotionally, something has started to shift. Stress is building, shame is getting louder, and the person may be pulling away from support or pretending they are doing better than they are.
This is like the warning light on the dashboard. Something may not be broken yet, but it needs attention before the problem gets worse.
In my work with clients, this is often the stage that gets missed. Someone may say, “I was doing fine, and then I just gave in,” but when we slow the story down, it often becomes clear they had not been doing fine for several days.
Signs that stress is building Emotional relapse can look like:
feeling stressed or at capacity
pulling away from support
sleeping poorly
becoming irritable or resentful
neglecting basic self-care
When you notice this stage happening, it can help to label it clearly: “I am in emotional relapse.”
This is not the time to panic, but it is a time to become more cautious and honest with yourself. It means you are in a more vulnerable state, and your addiction may have more pull than usual over the next few days.
This stage matters because there is often more room to intervene. The person may not need an emergency plan yet, but they may need rest, support, or a way to name what they are feeling before the urge for escape gets stronger.
Mental Relapse: When the Bargaining Starts
Mental relapse is the stage where the person starts looking for a way back to the old behavior.
They may still care about recovery, but their thoughts are starting to move toward permission, relief, or escape.
This is where the car starts drifting toward the shoulder. The person has not relapsed yet, but their thoughts are beginning to pull them closer to the old pattern.
When thoughts start giving permission Mental relapse can sound like:
“Maybe just once.”
“I can handle it now.”
“I deserve some relief.”
“ I already failed, so what’s the point?”
In my work with clients, this is often where shame and stress start turning into permission. The person is not only having an urge; they are beginning to build a case for why the urge makes sense.
This is where the window starts to narrow. The old behavior may begin to feel more reasonable, more comforting, or more deserved. This is when the alarm bells should start going off in your head.
For many people, this bargaining can happen hours or even minutes before returning to the addiction. This is a strong sign that the relapse process is moving forward unless something changes.
This is the time to slow down and interrupt the pattern. That may mean avoiding people, places, or situations that give you easy access to the addiction. It may also be the best time to ask for help from your support systems and to make your healthy coping systems a priority for the day.
Physical Relapse: Why the Final Moment Is Not the Whole Story
Physical relapse is the stage where the person actually returns to the substance or addictive behavior.
This may be using the drug, opening the website, or doing the behavior they were trying to stop.
This is the edge-of-the-cliff moment. The behavior is happening or about to happen, so the plan needs to be simple, immediate, and concrete.
When the window is smaller
DBT distress tolerance skills can still help here, but the window is often small. This may mean leaving the room, calling someone, removing access, delaying for ten minutes, or doing anything that helps the person get through the next few minutes without making the situation worse.
Physical relapse also shows why earlier stages matter. If someone only makes a plan for the final moment, they may be waiting until the hardest possible time to intervene.
How DBT Skills Help People Catch the Process Earlier
DBT skills can be useful in addiction recovery because they give people something more specific than “try harder.”
Matching the skill to the stage
Instead of waiting until the final moment and hoping willpower shows up, DBT helps people ask, “What stage am I in, and what skill fits this moment?”
DBT skills can give people concrete ways to manage emotional intensity, tolerate urges, reach out for support, change the environment, or get through the next few minutes without making the situation worse.
This is also why many approaches to substance use treatment focus on coping skills, support systems, emotional regulation, and relapse prevention planning rather than motivation alone.
The point is not that DBT makes recovery easy. The point is that skills give the person more places to intervene before the pattern becomes harder to stop.
Recovery Is Easier to Protect Earlier Than Later
Relapse prevention is not only about what someone does in the final moment before using or acting out.
It is also about noticing earlier warning signs, such as poor sleep, isolation, shame, bargaining, or secrecy, before the situation becomes more urgent.
Willpower may help someone commit to recovery, but skills help them practice recovery when it gets hard.
A better question after relapse
Instead of asking only, “Why wasn’t I strong enough?” a more useful question may be, “Where did this process start, and what can I do earlier next time?”
For readers who want more perspectives on addiction and recovery, stories and psychoeducation can help reduce shame and make the recovery process feel less isolating.
The downloadable handout included here can help you map your own emotional, mental, and physical relapse warning signs and choose a next step for each stage.
Guest Post: Introducing a New Resource for Wellness
When we started A Meaning of Life (AMoL), the idea felt at once impossible and completely sane. Impossible because of its scope: to understand human wellbeing in its depth, nuance, and complexity. Sane because—really—what could be more practical than trying to understand what makes life worth living, and then sharing that understanding so others might put that wisdom into practice?
This project began with Randall, our founder, who broke his neck as a teenager, becoming quadriplegic. On the edge of death, Randall chose life—not just to continue living, but to live it fully and to share what he could about how to do so with others.
Decades later—after becoming a PhD psychologist, father, and living a life of many twists and turns—there was no silver bullet. The scientific insights were scattered, the practical applications were fragmented, and the guidance was often oversimplified. Out of that gap came a dream: to create a resource that could bring clarity, evidence, and practical insights together as one.
That dream became A Meaning of Life—a nonprofit and ever-growing library of practical-yet-science-based wisdom for a well-lived life. Today, our website hosts nearly a thousand pages of resources, organized so that it’s personal to you, and you can explore the factors that shape wellbeing in a way that is both grounded in research and deeply human.
Mapping the Web of Wellbeing
At the heart of our project are a handful of helpful mental models: each one takes a different angle of approach to map out the complex, interconnected elements that contribute to a flourishing life. There is the Happiness section, which clarifies the broken concept of wellbeing through both complex and simple lenses—complex like accounting for the inherent tangles in the web of researching wellbeing and providing an overview of Positive Psychology’s leading models, and simple like offering wellbeing in four basic elements: Pleasure, Flow & Engagement, Perspective, and Meaning in Life (the fourth and most important element).
And there are the four Cornerstones of Meaning, each cornerstone itself being a collection of factors that play a role in wellbeing. For most factors of wellbeing (there are 50 identified across the site), readers find detailed infographics, exercises, and curated web resources to guide their journey of learning wellbeing as a skill that can be practiced.
Each section of the site explores one of these factors in depth. For example, our Purposesection doesn’t just define the concept; it presents empirical research, practical exercises, and pathways to integrate it into daily life, making your dream life more life-like. It even has a deep-dive workbook for transforming one’s life into one that is rich with purpose.
Our goal isn’t to reduce wellbeing to a single formula, but to show its complexity—and to empower people to explore it in a way that resonates with their own lives.
From Theory to Practice: The Assessment Center
One of the resources we’re most excited about is our Assessment Center. This is where theory meets practice. Visitors can take evidence-based psychological assessments to measure every one of those 50+ factors of wellbeing, identifying which ones are strengths and which are growth zones. This is an incredible tool in its own right, and when paired with the content on AMoL, it can guide people towards what areas of life to study to get the biggest results on their wellbeing.
The assessments are more than just self-discovery, too. The data (always anonymized) has the potential to fuel research, giving psychologists and social scientists valuable insight into what well-being looks like across diverse populations. In other words, every visitor who takes an assessment isn’t just learning about themselves—they’re helping build a collective picture of human flourishing. And we’re committed to making the data free and open to researching… we are a 501c3 non-profit, and we stand by that intent.
We’re especially hopeful about the long-term research potential. Imagine being able to see, at scale, how gratitude impacts resilience, or how value alignment predicts life satisfaction. The Assessment Center opens the door to that kind of knowledge.
Visual Models for a Complex World
We know that wellbeing can feel abstract, so we’ve invested in creating visual models and infographics to make the science more accessible.
For example, our Crisis of Meaning infographic addresses the modern crisis that many people can feel, but few people have considered in detail.
Our visuals, fridge sheets, and printable exercises aren’t just decorative—they’re teaching tools. They’re designed to spark insight, conversation, and reflection, helping people see the bigger picture while also noticing the threads most relevant to their own lives.
Why We Believe This Matters
In a world overflowing with quick-fix self-help advice, our approach might seem unusual. We don’t promise instant happiness or one-size-fits-all answers. Instead, we embrace complexity. We honor nuance. We believe that cultivating a good life is a lifelong practice, grounded in science but enriched by story, art, and humanity.
And we believe this work matters because the stakes are high. Rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness are climbing. Many people feel disconnected—from others, from purpose, from themselves. In that context, our mission to explore and share the building blocks of wellbeing isn’t just an intellectual exercise. It’s an act of care.
Looking Ahead
We know our dream is ambitious. Sometimes it feels daunting to be building something so wide-reaching as a small nonprofit. But when we hear from people who found comfort in our pages, it reminds us why this work is worth it.
Our hope is that A Meaning of Life can serve as both a mirror and a guide: a mirror that helps people see their own strengths and challenges more clearly, and a guide that points toward practices and perspectives that support flourishing.
An Invitation
If our mission resonates with you, we invite you to explore A Meaning of Life for yourself. Browse our pages. Try out a few assessments in the Assessment Center. Share our resources with a client, a student, a friend, or a family member.
And most importantly, reflect on what you find. Because at the end of the day, the dream we’re chasing isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about transformation. It’s about helping people cultivate lives of greater meaning, connection, and joy. And we’re all on the journey toward that dream together.
We often think lasting health change requires a big lifestyle overhaul—strict routines, bold resolutions, or a sudden surge of motivation. But in reality, meaningful improvement usually starts with something much smaller: small habits-consistent, doable habits that fit easily into your day.
As a practicing doctor, I’ve seen this firsthand. Many of my patients assume they need to transform their lives to feel better. But time and again, it’s the tiniest daily actions—the small habits that require no special tools and only a few minutes—that lead to the most reliable results. These “micro-habits” are deceptively powerful. They reduce stress, improve sleep, and slowly nudge the body and mind toward resilience.
Let’s explore a few of these low-effort, high-impact habits—along with the science that explains why they work.
Breathing for Calm: One Minute Can Change Your Day
Modern life keeps our nervous systems revved up. From tight deadlines to nonstop notifications, it’s easy to get stuck in a constant low-grade “fight-or-flight” mode. But your body also has a built-in brake: the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you relax and recover.
A simple breathing pattern can help you access that state. Try this small habit: inhale for four seconds, hold for six, and exhale slowly for eight. Just one minute a day. Research shows that slow, controlled breathing lowers heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and activates the vagus nerve—a key pathway for relaxation and stress recovery.
This one-minute breathing routine is easy to anchor to your day. Try it in the morning before coffee, during a break at work, or while waiting at a red light. Over time, it trains your body to downshift more easily from stress, which can lead to better sleep, sharper focus, and fewer physical symptoms like headaches or muscle tension.
We don’t often think of posture as a health issue, but how we sit and stand influences far more than appearance. Slouching restricts breathing, tenses muscles, and can subtly impact mood and alertness. Over time, poor posture can lead to back pain, fatigue, and shallow breathing.
That’s why a simple one-minute posture reset—once or twice a day—can go a long way. Stand or sit tall. Relax your shoulders. Breathe in deeply and gently tuck your chin. It’s not about perfection. It’s about awareness.
Interestingly, posture doesn’t just affect the body—it may also influence the mind. Research suggests that upright posture is associated with more positive emotions and reduced symptoms of depression, while slouched posture can increase self-focus and negative affect.
This small habit will help you reconnect to your body and move through your day with more intention. And as posture improves, many people report feeling more energetic and emotionally grounded.
When it comes to nutrition, many people get overwhelmed by rules and restrictions. But you don’t need a meal plan or a supplement stack to make meaningful changes. Start with one daily swap, just one small habit. Choose water instead of soda. Add a handful of vegetables to lunch. Pick whole grains over refined ones.
These choices may not seem like much on their own—but they build momentum. They reduce blood sugar spikes, improve digestion, and gradually shift your taste preferences. Perhaps even more importantly, they reinforce a powerful message: I’m someone who takes care of my body.
You don’t have to overhaul your diet to be “healthy.” You just have to keep choosing what supports you, one bite at a time.
Gratitude as a Mental Health Tool & Powerful Small Habit
You’ve probably heard that gratitude is good for you—but the real power lies in how easy it is to practice. Before bed, pause and notice one thing that went well today. A kind word from a friend. A meal you enjoyed. A quiet moment.
That’s it. No journal, no timer, no need for perfect phrasing. Just a brief mental note of what brought you comfort or joy.
There’s strong research behind the benefits of gratitude. People who practice it regularly report lower stress and fewer symptoms of depression. Some studies also suggest a link to better sleep. In fact, gratitude has been shown to trigger positive neural activity in the brain and help regulate the emotional centers that influence anxiety and mood.
You don’t have to “feel grateful” all the time. But building this 30-second small habit can help train your brain to notice what’s going right, even during tough times.
Movement Stacking: Small Habits for Exercise That Hide in Plain Sight
If you’re too busy for a workout, try pairing light movement with something you already do—like brushing your teeth. While standing at the sink, do a few calf raises. March in place. Try some gentle squats or heel-to-toe balances.
It might feel silly at first, but two minutes of movement, twice a day, adds up. It improves circulation, strengthens stabilizing muscles, and reminds your body that it was built to move.
From a doctor’s perspective, this kind of “habit stacking” is incredibly effective. It reduces friction—there’s no need to carve out gym time or change clothes—and it turns physical activity into a normal part of your daily rhythm. Over time, small bursts of movement have been linked to improvements in insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness, and musculoskeletal strength—even in people with limited time. While more research is needed on their long-term cognitive effects, incorporating movement into daily routines remains a practical and evidence-supported way to support whole-body health.
Why These Small Habits Stick (Even When Life Gets Messy)
So what makes these small habits so powerful?
First, they’re easy. They don’t require a major time commitment or a change in identity. You don’t need to become “a fitness person” or “someone who meditates.” You just need to breathe for a minute, stand a little taller, or choose an apple instead of chips.
Second, they create positive feedback loops. When your body feels calmer, or your digestion improves, or you sleep a bit better—you’re more likely to stick with the habit. And when habits are consistent, they start to shift your baseline experience of health.
Finally, these practices support multiple body systems at once. Breathing regulates your nervous system. Posture supports your musculoskeletal and respiratory health. Nutrition feeds your gut and immune system. Gratitude strengthens your emotional resilience. Movement improves metabolism and mobility.
From a medical standpoint, these small habits also support key systems: the autonomic nervous system (for stress), the musculoskeletal system (for posture and movement), metabolic and digestive function (through dietary shifts), and the brain (via gratitude and emotional regulation). That’s a lot of benefit for a few minutes of effort.
Final Thoughts on Small Habits
Health isn’t something we flip on with willpower. It’s something we build—through the quiet, repeatable moments we often overlook. The breath before a meeting. The snack you reach for. The way you sit at your desk. These are the places where health is shaped—not in grand gestures, but in small, meaningful shifts.
So if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, start tiny. Start now. A minute of calm. A better snack. A deeper breath.
Because sometimes the smallest habits make the biggest difference.
About the Author
Dr. Antti Rintanen is a licensed medical doctor and the founder of The Internet Doctor, a platform dedicated to translating complex health science into practical guidance. His focus includes musculoskeletal health, postural alignment, and long-term wellness strategies.
References
Jerath R., Edry J. W., Barnes V.A., Jerath V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Med Hypotheses; 67(3):566-571.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Katz S., Arish N., Rokach A., et al. (2018). The effect of body position on pulmonary function: A systematic review. BMC Pulm Med; 18(1):159. doi:10.1186/s12890-018-0723-4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Schwingshackl L., & Hoffmann G. (2013). Long-term effects of low glycemic index/load vs high glycemic index/load diets on parameters of obesity and obesity-associated risks: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.;23(8):699-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Wood A.M., Froh J.J., & Geraghty A.W.A.(2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clin Psychol Rev;30(7):890-905. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Dempsey P. C., Larsen R. N., Sethi P., et al.(2016). Benefits for Type 2 diabetes of interrupting prolonged sitting with brief bouts of light walking or simple resistance activities Diabetes Care; 39(6):964–972. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Emmons R .A. , & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. J Pers Soc Psychol;84(2):377–389. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Wilkes C., Kydd R. R., Sagar M., & Broadbent E. (2017). Upright posture improves affect and fatigue in people with depressive symptoms. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry;54:143–149. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Posture isn’t just about looking poised—it’s one of the silent forces shaping your health. As a doctor, I’ve seen how postural imbalances contribute to a range of issues, from chronic pain and fatigue to reduced lung capacity and mobility limitations. Fortunately, small, sustainable changes in movement—especially through functional fitness—can restore strength, improve comfort, and rebuild confidence in the body.
In today’s sedentary world, most of us aren’t getting the movement our bodies were designed for. That’s where functional fitness becomes so valuable. Rather than isolating muscles, it teaches us to move with purpose and coordination—just like we need to in real life.
This article unpacks the connection between posture and movement, explores how functional fitness can support better alignment, and offers practical guidance anyone can follow.
Why Posture Deserves More Attention
It’s easy to dismiss posture as a cosmetic concern—something you might only think about when someone tells you to “stand up straight.” But posture is foundational. It affects how we walk, breathe, sit, lift, and even feel emotionally.
When posture deteriorates—often from hours of sitting, slouching, or screen use—it leads to:
Increased strain on muscles and joints
Greater risk of injury
Chronic neck and back pain
Impaired balance and coordination
Fatigue from inefficient movement
The body adapts to what we do most. So if your typical day involves hunching forward or sitting for long stretches, your posture shifts accordingly. Over time, this leads to shortened hip flexors, weakened core muscles, limited thoracic spine mobility, and muscle imbalances elsewhere in the body—all of which can affect daily tasks and comfort.
Functional fitness emphasizes exercises that mimic real-world movements. Instead of isolating individual muscle groups, it engages multiple systems—muscles, joints, balance, and coordination—to promote better, safer movement patterns.
Think of everyday actions like bending down, carrying groceries, or climbing stairs. These actions require strength and stability across many body parts. Functional exercises prepare you for those tasks.
Common examples include:
Squats and lunges – strengthen the lower body and improve hip mobility
Deadlifts (even with light weight) – reinforce safe lifting technique
Bird-dogs and planks – engage the core and stabilize the spine
Rows or band pulls – target the upper back and shoulders
Step-ups or carries – mimic stair-climbing or lifting movements
These movements don’t just make you stronger—they also activate underused postural muscles that help hold your body upright and aligned.
Posture & Muscle Balance
Good posture depends on a balance between mobility and stability. Some areas—like the thoracic spine and hips—need mobility. Others—like the core and scapular stabilizers—require strength and endurance.
Functional training promotes this balance by activating the entire kinetic chain. It doesn’t just ask you to “stand up straight”; it teaches your muscles how to work together. That means fewer compensations, less tension, and more natural movement over time.
One key area is the core. While many think of the core as just the abdominals, it actually includes deep stabilizing muscles that wrap around the spine. Studies show that core stabilization exercises are more effective than general strengthening in managing chronic low back pain and improving postural control.¹³
A Doctor’s Guide to Getting Started
If you’re just starting with functional training—or returning after time away—these tips can help.
1. Start with the Basics
You don’t need gym access or expensive equipment. Foundational moves like bodyweight squats, glute bridges, and step-ups can do wonders. Focus on form over intensity.
2. Prioritize Mobility
Stiff joints restrict motion and reinforce poor habits. Incorporate gentle mobility work 3–5 times per week. Even 5 minutes of:
Cat-cow stretches
Thoracic rotations
Hip flexor openers
…can make a difference over time.
3. Train the Core for Stability
The deep core helps stabilize your spine and pelvis. Exercises like bird-dogs, dead bugs, farmer’s carries, and side planks are excellent. Research supports core-focused training to reduce low back pain and improve function.
4. Rebuild Postural Awareness
Pause throughout your day to reset your posture:
Drop your shoulders
Tuck your chin
Engage your lower abs
Align your weight evenly while standing
These subtle cues, repeated daily, help train better posture as your default.
5. Work With Gravity, Not Against It
If you’re managing pain or fatigue, keep the effort gentle. Consistency beats intensity. Ten minutes of intentional movement daily can be more effective than an occasional strenuous workout.
Functional Fitness at Any Age
You don’t need to be young or athletic to benefit. Functional fitness is adaptable for any ability level. For older adults, it can improve balance and reduce fall risk—a major concern as we age.⁴
In one major review, exercise programs that included strength and balance training reduced fall risk by up to 34%. Other studies show that balance circuits not only enhance posture but also improve strength and quality of life.
For people with arthritis, back pain, or limited mobility, these exercises offer a way to build resilience without high-impact strain. Examples include:
Doing squats with chair support
Shorter plank holds
Slower, controlled reps
Consistency is key. Just 10–15 minutes a day can lead to meaningful progress.
What to Expect Over Time
Improving posture isn’t instant—but it’s incredibly rewarding. After a few weeks of regular movement, many people report:
Less back and neck discomfort
Improved energy levels
More confidence during movement
Easier lifting, walking, and sitting
Like brushing your teeth or eating well, training your posture is a long-term habit. Functional training makes that habit sustainable—and enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
Improving posture isn’t about holding yourself rigid. It’s about feeling stronger, more stable, and better aligned with how you want to move through life.
Functional fitness trains your body to move with awareness and adaptability—qualities that benefit everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.
So start where you are. Focus on what you can do. And know that every small step you take is helping to build a body that supports you—now and into the future.
About the Author
Dr. Antti Rintanen is a licensed medical doctor and the founder of The Internet Doctor, a platform dedicated to translating complex health science into practical guidance. His focus includes musculoskeletal health, postural alignment, and long-term wellness strategies.
References
Sadaqa et al. (2023). Effectiveness of exercise interventions on fall prevention in ambulatory community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review. Front Public Health;11:1209319. https://www.frontiersin.org/
Sherrington C, Michaleff ZA, Fairhall N, et al. (2017). Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med,.51(24):1750–1758. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Siu P. M., Mok H. P., Cheung L. H., et al. (2021). Effects of core stabilization exercise and strengthening exercise on proprioception, balance, muscle thickness and pain-related outcomes in patients with subacute non-specific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord;22(1):727. https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/
Wang H, Fan Z, Liu X, et al. (2023). Effect of progressive postural control exercise vs core stability exercise in young adults with chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial. Pain Ther;12:293–308. https://link.springer.com/
Wang XQ, Zheng JJ, Yu ZW, et al. (2012). A meta-analysis of core stability exercise versus general exercise for chronic low back pain. PLoS One;7(:2):e52082. https://journals.plos.org/
Technology has become an essential part of our lives. We use smartphones and laptops on a daily basis to socialize, work, learn, and entertain ourselves. While technology may make our lives easier and more productive, it can also lead to “technostress,” a type of stress caused by technology.
Stress & Technology: Finding a Healthy Balance
This article will explore the causes and effects of technostress, and provide tips on how to manage it effectively and find a healthy balance with technology. It also includes two free printable handouts for healthy tech habits and stress management.
Internet usage in the United States has grown significantly over the years, with the number of users increasing from 294.53 million in 2019 to 313.6 million in 2022. Over 90% of Americans have access to the Internet today. By 2028, it is estimated that there will be over 340 million Internet users in the US.
Technology has had a profound impact on our lives in terms of communication, information access, education, work, shopping, and entertainment. When used appropriately, technology makes our lives easier. Our smartphones can help us track emails, manage our bank accounts, access the news, and complete a wide range of other tasks.
Technology has revolutionized the way we do things and has become an essential part of our day-to-day activities. However, as a result, many of us are also experiencing technology-related stress.
Technostress: A Modern-Day Epidemic
The term technostress was coined in the 1980s by Craig Brod, an American psychologist, author of Technostress: The Human Cost of the Computer Revolution. Brod originally defined technostress as a disease caused by the inability to cope with new technology.
With the advancement of technology and the invention of new devices, technostress has acquired a new meaning. It is now more broadly defined as any negative impact that the use of tech can have on a person. This can include stress caused by information overload, the constant feeling of needing to be connected, and the difficulty of keeping up with the latest technological advances.
A 2015 study found that Facebook users felt compelled to use the site frequently due to FOMO (fear of missing out) and to maintain their relationships. In 2017, research indicated that the overuse of cell phones led to technostress, with negative consequences for health, work, and personal wellbeing. And in 2019, researchers found that social media users continued to use social platforms despite experiencing technostress, exhibiting excessive and compulsive behaviors, the same way someone with an addiction continues to use despite negative consequences.
What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic has normalized remote work, which has led to an increase in the use of tech devices at home. A 2022 research study indicated that during the enforced remote work period, the use of technology for both work and personal purposes resulted in technostress.
How to Tell If You’re Experiencing Technostress
Technostress can have a significant impact on a person’s physical, cognitive, and emotional health. While the severity of symptoms will vary from person to person, common signs include:
Technology-induced stress often coexits with other work-related problems, such as “workaholism” and burnout. It can also negatively impact work through decreased motivation and increased absenteeism. In its advanced stages, technostress can cause memory impairment.
Additionally, technostress can cause problems at home. In relationships, it can lead to conflict and disconnection because people with technostress may be irritable, withdrawn, and less likely to engage in social activities.
Technostress & the Importance of Balance
When is the last time you switched your cell phone to “off”? This “always on” culture and the overconsumption of digital media have led to problems such as Internet addiction and issues with work-life balance.
Think of the times when, instead of spending quality time with our loved ones or enjoying a well-deserved break, we’re glued to our phones, checking emails or scrolling mindlessly through our social media feeds. And with the shift to remote working, the line between work and life has blurred, giving our minds less time to rest.
Even kids and teens are significantly exposed to digital technology, which can lead to overstimulation and stress. This highlights the need for a healthy balance when using tech.
4 Strategies for Finding Balance in a Digital Age
To combat technology-induced stress and find a healthy balance, try these techniques:
1. Digital Detox
Being exposed to too much information can be stressful, especially if you’re using your devices the majority of the time. Taking a break from technology for a few days can help reduce stress and provide other benefits, such as improved sleep and mental health.
Here are a few tips to help you take a break:
Identify what you want to detox from: This could be certain devices, apps, websites, or activities. For example, you might want to reduce your use of social media or stop playing games on your phone.
Schedule a time away from screens: This could be for a few days, weeks, or even just a few hours each day. If you can’t be away from your devices for work, try to set aside specific times when you won’t use them, such as during lunchtime, after work, and before bed.
Turn off notifications: Notifications from your smartphone can distract you from your work, personal time, or sleep. Turning them off can help you focus on other tasks or get the rest you need.
Limit app usage: If you find yourself checking certain apps too often and want to break the habit, use your phone’s settings to limit your usage time.
Inform your family and friends: If you decide to do a digital detox, tell your family and friends beforehand so they know to contact you on your preferred channels.
2. Mindfulness & Relaxation Techniques
Many of us spend too much time scrolling mindlessly through our social media feeds, putting off other tasks for later. We do this for many reasons, including procrastination, FOMO, or lack of self-control.
Unfortunately, aimless scrolling can make us feel stressed and anxious, especially if we consume negative or distressing content. Additionally, scrolling for large amounts of time can lead to burnout. Instead, we can choose to be mindful of the media we consume. This means slowing down and being intentional about what we search for.
Young people who are affected by technostress can also utilize stress management techniques to improve their mood. If you have children and teens, ask them to practice these strategies on a regular basis to help center themselves.
For example, if they are suffering from information overload, they can try guided imagery, a type of meditation where they visualize a peaceful place to calm their minds. They may also benefit from using stress management handouts and worksheets, such as the ones below, to learn how to manage and reduce stress.
If you find yourself overusing your devices every day, causing you to neglect other tasks, consider developing your time management skills. Here are some tips:
Identify your time usage: Track how much time you spend on each activity, including work, house chores, hobbies, rest, and technology use. You may find that you’re spending too much time on your devices.
Set boundaries between work and personal life: This means defining your work hours and reserving time for personal tasks, such as social media use. Avoid checking work emails or messages outside of work hours unless absolutely necessary.
Eat the frog: Prioritize the “frog,” the most important or challenging task on your to-do list. Completing this task first will help you avoid procrastination and free up your energy for other tasks.
4. Healthy Tech Habits
Establishing healthy tech habits can help you avoid technostress. You and your family will benefit from these; it’s a good idea to practice them often.
Identify tech-free zones: Designate certain areas in your home as “tech-free” spaces, such as the dinner table, bedroom, and bathroom.
Set aside technology-free time: Schedule tech-free activities throughout the week, such as playing sports, visiting the park, or spending time with family. This will help you reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Avoid bringing your phone to bed: Using your smartphone before bed can disrupt your sleep. Choose relaxing activities leading up to bedtime instead, such as taking a bath, journaling, or drinking lavender tea.
The Rewards of a Balanced Life
When we use technology wisely, it can benefit us in many ways, such as improving communication, providing easy access to information, making shopping convenient, enabling collaborative learning, and creating opportunities for remote work.
Finding a healthy balance when using technology can improve our quality of life and help us avoid physical and mental health problems, such as technology-induced stress. Additionally, being in control of our tech usage can help us achieve work-life balance, giving us more time for family, hobbies, relaxation, and self-care.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, technology is a powerful tool that can be used to enrich our lives and make them easier. However, it is important to use technology in a healthy and balanced way. The overconsumption of digital media can have negative consequences for our physical and mental health, as well as our relationships and work-life balance.
Finding a healthy balance with technology starts with being mindful of how we use our devices. By following the strategies in this article, we can develop a healthier relationship with technology and use it to enhance our lives, not detract from them. This way, we can enjoy the benefits of technology without letting it control us.
About the Author:
Michael is a licensed clinical social worker with a private therapy practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He specializes in helping children and teens with mental health concerns. He is passionate about providing effective and compassionate care. He is an advocate for mental health awareness, and is the founder of Mental Health Center Kids, a website that provides resources and support for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals who care for children and teens.
25 creative CE credit offerings for counselors, social workers, and other mental health workers who require annual CEUs for licensure.
There are a multitude of ways mental health professionals can earn continuing education (CE) credits on various topics and through different routes to improve their professional abilities, broaden their knowledge, and stay current in the mental health field. That said, some CE credit offerings are more creative and innovative than others.
In this article, we’ll look at a few of these unique and cutting-edge alternative CE credit offerings that are available for the inventive therapist wishing to advance their professional development.
Professional licensing boards for mental health professionals require continuing education credits for license renewal. For example, mental health professionals in California must obtain 36 CE credits every two years to maintain their licenses. LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs all need to earn CEs annually.
Ultimately, CEs allow therapists to provide better care to the individuals they serve. There are a variety of methods and modalities in which professionals can earn these CEs, including online, through conferences, or at multiday workshops. Continuing education helps professionals recognize knowledge gaps as well as learn new skills. What’s more, they can network with others in the field and continue to advance in their career.
The Affirmative Couch is a committed advocate for the mental health of LGBTQIA+, consensually non-monogamous, and kink communities, working with both groups and individual providers. The organization was founded in response to the paucity of affirmative mental health care providers able to meet the needs of sexuality-, gender-, and/or relationship-expansive communities.
To address this problem, they take a multi-pronged approach: provide continuing education for affirmative psychotherapists, transform more group practices and clinics to become leaders in affirmative mental healthcare, empower beginner affirmative therapists with information, and create visibility of affirmative mental health professionals.
Current CE credit offerings range from $20 (1 CE) to $240 (12 CEs).
ALLEGRA Learning Solutions designs and develops continuing professional education courses, certificate programs, curricula, classes, and workshops for an interdisciplinary audience, including nurses, health care professionals, and other interested individuals.
With a focus on integrative health, wellness, and a holistic perspective, they are the premier education provider for those who wish to enhance their health care knowledge, skills and abilities. ALLEGRA Learning Solutions believe that individuals have the capacity to heal themselves and that health care providers must deliver care with intention and in partnership so people can tap into their own innate healing abilities.
Currently, course offerings range from $10 (for 1 contact hour) to $40 (for 4 contact hours) with certificate courses ranging from $64 to $272.
The Mission of the California Association for Play Therapy (CalAPT) is to sustain a community of support for play therapists and to promote an understanding of play therapy and its effective practice through outreach, training and research. They place a special emphasis on diversity and the developmentally appropriate treatment of children’s mental health.
Play therapy is a structured, theoretically-based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children. Play therapy also may be used to promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking in the child.
The registration fee for a workshop is around $100; CalAPT also provides free CE credit offerings for members.
Center for Council’s Council Training Level One (CT1) offers a thorough introduction to the pedagogy, modalities and forms of council practice and offers 15 CE credits. This workshop is an opportunity to develop your understanding of, fluency with, and capacity to engage in and facilitate council – a dialogic practice of authentic expression and attentive mindful listening – so as to integrate this evidence-based methodology into professional settings and personal practice.
Center for Council offers CT1 workshops throughout the year in the Los Angeles area and intermittently in locations throughout the US and Europe. Early bird registration fees start at $399.
Council Level Two and Level Three trainings are also offered for advanced practitioners who have completed Council Training Level One.
The Center for Reflective Communities (CRC) provides early intervention and parent training to enhance relationships between children and caregivers, leading to greater school readiness, increased academic achievement, and more productive lives. Their Reflective approach is especially effective in communities with risk factors including poverty, a history of loss or trauma, and other barriers to healthy child development and school readiness.
The Center for Story and Symbol offers continuing education seminars and workshops on the psychology of fairy tales, mythic stories, creativity, movies as mythic imagination, and law and ethics for psychotherapists. CE credit offerings are available for psychologists, marriage & family therapists, teachers, social workers, nurses, and other mental health professionals. Courses meet requirements in most states.
Online interactive courses that provide CEs cost $140 and home study CE courses are $95. (Non-CE courses can be purchased for a lower price.)
Clearly Clinical started out as Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Irias, LMFT’s passion project… she thought online CE credit offerings could use an upgrade. When she was a new therapist at a county-contracted facility, she went online for her CE courses because she didn’t have the money or time off for the in-person stuff. To her dismay, it seemed like the really great educational opportunities were reserved for the therapists with big wallets. Discouraged, she worked with what she had, and read online PDFs to get her CE credits.
As a result, Beth set out to create new online CE credit offerings* for therapists, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and addiction professionals that were affordable, meaningful, diverse, and accessible. “Why not podcasts?,” she thought.
Cognitive Leap offers efficient, objective, and fun assessment tools, as well as engaging treatment systems that bring children, families, and clinicians together to support lasting functional improvements. They aim to empower and extend the resource capacities of clinicians and therapists globally, especially in developing nations and communities where high-quality mental healthcare is in limited supply.
Cognitive Leap is committed to developing and providing non-stigmatizing approaches for treating mental health conditions that empower patients by recognizing their strengths and talents while removing their barriers to success.
LeapPlatform is a clinician education and training platform with Cognitive Leap’s APA-certified program in digital treatments administration with CE credit offerings.
The Cultural Foundations Credential (CFC) is a multidimensional learning process through which participants gain the foundational skills, awareness, and practice required for effective intercultural interactions. The principles of cultural humility, intersectionality, antiracism, and social justice inform each aspect of the program and provide structure for this holistic process designed to spark transformational change.
Workshops for organizations start at $2,250 (for up to 50 participants).
Discovery Behavioral Health believes that everyone deserves a happy, rewarding life. That’s why they connect people, professionals, and payors through a seamless network of evidence-based treatment centers in communities nationwide. They believe when access to care is easy, recovery is possible.
Currently, Discovery Behavioral Health does not provide CE credit offerings, but they publish articles on mental health, substance use, and recovery, as well as a treatment locator tool.
The Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles is accredited by the National Association for Drama Therapy as a training program for students and clinicians interested in the clinical applications of drama in therapy. It is a recognized and well-respected program at the forefront of drama, narrative, and creative arts therapy training, and offers an NADTA-approved alternative training track towards becoming a Registered Drama Therapist.
Drama therapy is the skilled and deliberate use of drama and theater to achieve therapeutic goals. It engages the imagination and involves participants intellectually, emotionally, and physically; it provides participants with a safe yet stimulating environment in which they can explore personal and family stories, set goals, uncover and express feelings, resolve problematic patterns, and (when appropriate), achieve catharsis.
Clinicians can register for courses such as Allies in Healing: Narradrama and Narrative Therapy and Dance Movement for Trauma for 1 CE credit offering per course hour.
Elevate You CE’s mission is to advance your skills, knowledge, and wellbeing so you can experience fulfillment and longevity in the mental health field. Elevate You CE knows how challenging your work can be and keep your wellbeing in mind when designing courses and coaching services.
Course fees range from $20 (for 1 CE) to $350 (for 12 CEs). A 30-hour Mindfulness Certification program is also offered for $799. Some examples of course offerings include Treating Grief After the Loss of a Pet, A Successful Path to Body Acceptance, and Getting the Shame Out of Substance Misuse.
Feeling Good Institute is on a mission to improve lives. It was born to set the standards, train, organize, and support the therapist community practicing a highly effective form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) called TEAM-CBT.
Developed by Dr. David Burns, TEAM-CBT is eight times more effective than other treatment approaches. Clients see a 30% average reduction in suffering per therapy hour and meaningful improvement within 5 sessions.
In addition to comprehensive training courses, Feeling Good Institute offers free 1-hour webinars that introduce participants to basic CBT skills.
A Home Within is the only national organization dedicated solely to meeting the emotional needs of foster youth. They envision a world in which every foster child has a relationship with at least one consistent, caring adult. They provide open-ended, individual psychotherapy, free of charge, to current and former foster youth.
While A Home Within does not currently provide CE credit offerings, they publish clinical resources and tools for mental health professionals.
Illuminated Education provides educational activities designed for people who are interested in issues related to psychology, healing, and other aspects of human thought, feeling, and behavior. The goal is to present up-to-date, thought-provoking content integrating material from psychology and other fields including (but not limited to) mind-body medicine, mindfulness practice, and eastern and shamanic approaches to health and healing.
CEs are offered for reading a journal article or other publication and then passing a test. Fees range from $10 (for 1 CE) to $90 (for 9 CEs).
16. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT)
The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) condemns violence and oppression in all its forms. They stand with all who work for equality and peace.
IVAT is a one-stop shop to address and end violence. They host two international summits annually, house three academic journals, maintain several research databases, provide program evaluation, consultation, and a wide array of trainings addressing violence, abuse, and trauma – many of which can be used toward specialty certificates and continuing education, and offer vital professional and clinical services to San Diego County and beyond.
Webinar training fees range from $20-$35 and offer 1-2.5 CEs.
For over three decades, two questions have driven the therapy orientation of Natural Processing Trainings: “How does our nature work, and how can we best work with that nature?” These questions have led them to find ways to work with the potential movement and integration of our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual natures.
“Natural processing” is the somatically-based, process-oriented therapy that emerged from the integration of multiple approaches to healing and growth.
Course fees range from $40-$375 (for 13.5 CE hours).
The Pacific Anxiety Group was founded by Stanford-trained clinical psychologists with expertise in the treatment of anxiety, stress, and depression.
The Pacific Anxiety Group is dedicated to training the next generation of evidence-based clinicians. They offer a practicum training program and postdoctoral training/psychological assistantships. PAG is also approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
The Relationship Training Institute was established to provide training, consultation, treatment, and research in the field of relationship development and relationship enhancement.
Organizational training opportunities are listed here with upcoming workshops listed here.
Soultenders is committed to making quality mental health services accessible to all by offering licensed mental health providers with their administrative needs so they can focus on their clients and their private practice instead of the paperwork.
Soultenders provides CE credit offerings that go further than meeting the requirement standard and also meet the professional needs of therapists. They offer CEs for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and MFTs. (Registration required to enroll in courses.)
The Spiritual Competency Academy offers mental health professionals a selection of over 30 unique online courses that provide the skills and knowledge to become more spiritually competent. Their foundational curriculum starts with a course on how to conduct an evidence-based and spiritually sensitive spiritual assessment. Other courses cover a wide variety of topics including self-compassion, mindfulness, and forgiveness.
All courses are free to enroll in (after registering for a free account); CEs are offered for a fee (averaging around $10 per credit hour).
After experiencing the powerful and profound changes that can occur through partnership with horses, Stand InBalance founder Dr. Val transitioned from her private practice in Santa Monica to developing the Stand InBalance Ranch.
Stand InBalance is proud to offer innovative CE courses for psychologists, LMFTs, LCSWs, and addiction treatment counselors. Their small group CE workshops and retreats provide a combination of didactic and experiential learning designed to enhance clinical skills, and bring more joy and resonance to your life and practice.
Examples of CE courses offered for mental health professionals include Intro to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Growth & Learning Workshop,Countertransference and Restorative Experience Workshop, and Moving from Resistance to Resonance.
Two Chairs believes that high-quality care starts with taking care of clinicians. They are building a mental health system that takes care of you by prioritizing your personal wellbeing, providing opportunities for growth and connection, and empowering you to do work you enjoy.
For free CE credit offerings, join the Two Chairs Clinician Community.
A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) believes that creating art is a human right. They exist to empower individuals and communities impacted by violence and trauma through a transformative healing arts program.
AWBW views art as a catalyst to release trauma, build resilience, and ignite social change. When individuals create art in a safe community they can be heard and respected – replacing violence and shame with safety and hope.
Earn CEs by registering for a Windows Facilitator Training where you will get everything you need to implement art programming and become a Certified Windows Facilitator, as well as gain ongoing access to an expanding curriculum of 600+ strengths-based art workshops and free professional development opportunities.
The Zur Institute provides a variety of learning modalities and address challenges professionals are likely to routinely encounter. Their content embraces diverse approaches and orientations, and recognizes the importance of addressing diversity across a broad-spectrum including, but not limited to, culture, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic variables.
The Zur Institute currently has over 120 unique courses with CE credit offerings ranging from $19 (for 1 CE) to $199 (for 26 CEs). Additionally, sign up for their newsletter for free resources and promotions.
To conclude, online trainings, podcasts, webinars, and in-person workshops are a fantastic method to discover the most recent developments and evidence-based treatments in the field of mental health. CE credit offerings are a great approach to advance knowledge and expand expertise while maintaining the standards for licensure. For therapists wishing to advance their professional development, there are numerous innovative and creative CE credit offerings to choose from.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sydney Scanlon, Executive Development Specialist, Center for Council
Sydney Scanlon has been working in nonprofits across the world focusing on issues of healthcare, education, equity, and mental health. She has published research experience in climate change and health, childhood trauma, and psychedelic therapy. She has been working in marketing and design for universities, nonprofits, and musicians.
Why is it difficult for me to say “you’re welcome” when thanked for my service on Veterans Day? Seferino Martinez, veteran and mental health counselor, explores why in this guest article.
When people find out I served in the military, their usual response is, “Thank you for your service.” This is popular on Veterans Day.
Honestly, I never know how to respond. I typically say ‘thank you’ back. I never say, “You’re welcome.” Something meant to be pleasant sometimes becomes an awkward exchange. It’s not like other holidays when I can confidently reply ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ or ‘Happy Holidays.’
I reflected on why I have such a hard time accepting credit for my service – and I found two major culprits.
Firstly, when I hear the word “veteran,” it conjures up images of classic war movies with brave heroes like John Wayne in The Green Berets or Charlie Sheen in Platoon, engaging in jungle warfare in Vietnam.
I also think about the men of WWII considered ‘The Greatest Generation’ with their elegant olive drab green uniforms and Jeeps; one of my favorite shows is Band of Brothers on HBO.
Although I tried my best to do my job everyday, I couldn’t relate to nor live up to those expectations. Those men jumped out of airplanes into aerial artillery to fight off the Nazis.
But every Veteran has their own story – and this one is mine.
Combat, Coffee, & Staying Sane
My first combat tour was Operation Iraqi Freedom from the year 2004 to 2005. I remember one long year of staring at a computer, daily gym workouts, and running on the treadmill.
We came under attack several times, and it was dangerous; however, the hardest part of the deployment was keeping our minds busy and sane. The best medicine for my mental health was coffee, music, workouts, bootleg movies, and books. Care packages and letters were a rare treat.
A prominent memory I have is when the helicopters landed on our last night to take us to the airport to start our long journey back home. The memory of that night has remained vivid in my mind for over 17 years.
PTSD
I think the second reason I find it difficult to respond to ‘thank you for your service’ is that I try to avoid traumatic memories. For a person with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is typical to steer clear of conversations that may trigger unwanted memories.
Recently, I reflected on a memory I had been avoiding for quite some time. I was attached to a unit in Herat, Afghanistan in 2009, co-located with our Italian NATO partners. I remember the first day I landed. It was a cold morning, about 3 a.m., and I was transported alone by a cargo plane. All I could see was shadows of tents and huts and the silhouette of the mountains. I remember the stars shined like bright diamonds like I had never seen before in the United States.
I would spend four months at that location. It was difficult at first; however, we gained momentum and accomplished several missions.
Our base was attacked late one night; most of the staff had already gone to bed. I heard the first explosion from a distance. Several explosions followed, and they kept getting closer.
The enemy was creeping Rocket Artillery from the mountains. We were extremely vulnerable because we lived in tents and worked out of wooden huts. There were several concrete bunkers spread throughout the base for added protection, so my first reaction was to put on my gear and go wait it out in the bunker.
I was the first one there and I waited for everyone to follow. I was safe but I was alone, and I was worried about the others. No one joined me. I left the safety of the bunker and went to check on one of my friends. He was dead asleep. I remember waking him to the sound of explosions. “We are being attacked,” I said. He woke with a start and put on his armor vest and helmet and set off to check on the others.
The rest is a blur. I remember we split up to wake everyone, directing them to the bunkers, while the reaction team set out to take care of the shooters. By the time I made it back to the bunker, it was full. I crammed in at an exposed end. The explosions kept getting closer and started to hit some of our tents and equipment.
I remember feeling terrified from the uncertainty and the deafening explosions. We were lucky we did not lose anyone that night.
Thinking back on this memory, I realize I didn’t think twice about risking my safety to help my fellow soldiers. It’s what I would expected from them as well.
Normally, when people say “thank you for your service,” they don’t know why they are actually thanking me, and honestly, until recently, neither did I.
The Aftermath
The things I experienced while serving have been the source of nightmares, anxiety, and depression. What’s more, when I returned from deployment, I had to face life, new careers, civilian culture, housing, anger, marital problems, and financial stress without the moral support I used to get in the military.
I actually missed the life purpose supplied by combat and the need to feel needed by my band of brothers. At first, I tried to cope with alcohol, as many veterans do, but I realized it was not the answer. I eventually sought expert help from the Veterans Affairs. Today, part of the way I cope is by helping others as a mental health counselor.
Conclusion
After much thought and self-reflection, I am finally able to accept the great complement, “Thank you for your service.”
This is what you are thanking me for: I chose a timeless and noble profession. I chose to serve. I left the comfort of my family and my home to follow through with a commitment, to make good on an oath I made when I was a skinny 18-year-old fresh out of high school. I chose to stay drug-free and obey all the laws, to lead an honorable life to be fit for duty and able to serve. I chose to risk my safety for the benefit of the greater good. So, thank you for acknowledging my service.
And to all my fellow veterans: Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines, “Thank you for your service.”
Call TTY if you have hearing loss at 1-800-799-4889
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, visit VeteransCrisisLine for more resources.
About the Author: Seferino Martinez is a Texas native who joined the military after graduating high school. He is a veteran of both the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). He has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Liberty University and is a Licensed Mental Health Professional in the state of Virginia.
When Trust Falls Apart: A Look at Addiction, Family, & Healing
Families will often come to me, astounded by how their addicted loved one can look them right in the eye and calmly lie that he/she is not drunk or high, when it’s evident that he/she is. This type of interaction feels so very personal to the family.
In a healthy brain, one that is unencumbered by the highjacking of addiction…they likely wouldn’t. That’s why it’s so confusing and painful. Many families will report that the dishonesty about drug and alcohol use causes more wounds to the relationship than the use itself!
However, with education about how addiction works, we can come to understand how the bizarre nature of this disease can actually be fairly predictable – and why our loved one has deviated in this way from values we hold dear (and maybe they once did too).
Getting High to Survive
As addiction progresses, the addicted person becomes more and more captive to the demands of the disease. Because the disease greatly impacts the “survival circuitry” in the brain, the perceived need for the drink/drug becomes a profound compulsion.
The logic that an addicted person would follow is similar to that of a starving man who easily justifies the theft of a loaf of bread, “I gotta do what I gotta do. I’ll deal with the consequences later.”
Stuck in the Middle
I often envision an addicted person in a tragic tug-o-war. On one team is the Disease, fierce and manipulating them into submission. On the other team are Societal Expectations: the shared belief structure of right vs. wrong, laws, and norms.
The notion of a healthy family structure falls under the umbrella of this second team, holding expectations of mutual respect, consideration, honesty, and the like.
While most addicted people never fully abandon these values in their heart of hearts, the pull of the disease tugs progressively stronger until the person is being yanked between others’ expectations and their own compulsions.
At this point, it can feel to the addicted person that the most adaptive solution is… lie like your life depends on it.
In other words, the addicted person attempts to keep society/family satisfied (or at least at bay) while keeping the disease satisfied by continuing to feed it.
It’s Not Because They Don’t Love You
As personal as the dishonesty can feel, this was never about love. I have come to consider dishonesty as an actual symptom of substance use disorder. It’s an adaptation the addicted person makes to continue surviving in “normal life” in spite of the profound changes that have occurred in their brain.
To be clear, I do not share the above explanation as a justification of hurtful behavior. I share it as a clinician who happens not to have a personal history of addiction.
In my early years as a provider for the substance-misusing population, I too, struggled with the bewilderment, and at times admittedly hurt feelings, when my addicted clients would lie to me about their recent use. After all, I was there to help them, right? Why would they lie to ME?
I’ve come to truly understand however, that dishonesty serves as an odd… but reliable ally that shields the addicted person from their shame, consequences, and need to explain their actions.
While a growing body of neuro-scientific understanding continues to shed light on the “WHY?” many of my clients would admit that on a personal level, they truly don’t understand why they do what they do.
What they do know however is that in order to get to their next fix, they need to evade those that love them the most. A loving family who wants to save you from addiction is the greatest threat to your next high.
Breaking Up & Waking Up
That powerful allegiance between the addicted person and their drug/drink seems only to be broken when they themselves come to understand that this intimate affair they’ve had with their substance has become a nightmarish relationship with a toxic abuser, the kind of abuser that controls their life and takes everything else they love away.
At that point, we hope they can finally reconsider their allegiances.
Recovery: Not Just for Substance Users
When a loved one enters recovery from addiction, it often takes the family a very long time to trust again. Understandably there is skepticism and disillusionment. After all, if a person has looked us in the eye and lied so calmly to us during active addiction, what is our barometer for honesty now?
The notion that “time takes time” is a reality that a recovering person must humbly accept. The addiction caused great damage, and that will take time to heal.
But as the family nurses its wounds, they must also understand that trust-building is a two way street. We must accept that our loved one lied to us because they didn’t trust us to understand the tug-o-war in which they were trapped.
The only way to become a trusted ally is to begin listening and trying to understand. In this, we also hopefully set the stage for them to eventually hear and understand our pain as well.
About the Author:Karen Perlmutter, LISW-CP, has worked as a therapist in clinic, hospital, and private practice settings for 15 years. She specializes in the treatment of substance abuse and mental illness, with a particular interest in supporting the entire family system through the complex journey of addiction. She has developed an evidence-based course for families coping with a loved one’s addiction. Karen also aims to share education, support and hope with the community through a variety of speaking forums which have included universities, treatment programs, support groups, National Public Radio, professional development events, and an upcoming Tedx Charleston talk.
