“OMG - Alex has the best body. I will never look like that… maybe I shouldn’t eat lunch today.”

“I’m so fat. Nobody is ever going to love me. I don’t deserve to eat.”

“I would die to have a stomach as small as hers. I’ll never be happy unless I’m as skinny as her.”

If you resonate with any of these statements - let’s talk.

The convenience of having the world at your fingertips comes with a price. Those who tend to carry the weight of this “price” are teenage and young adult females. With the popularity of social media, it’s nearly impossible to avoid comparing oneself to a stranger online. Endlessly staring at others’ profiles, pictures and posts is a recipe for comparison, the thief of joy.

Research has shown that around 50% of 13-year-old American girls reported being unhappy with their body and nearly 80% of American females reported body dissatisfaction by the age of 17 (Kearney-Cooke & Tieger, 2015).

Picture this: Margaret, a 15-year-old female, just spent 30 minutes editing one of her 120 selfies she took to make sure her skin is perfectly clear, her teeth are pearly white, and her arms aren’t “too fat”. She uploads her picture to Instagram and consistently refreshes her page to see how successful her upload is. After a few hours, only 37 people liked her picture. She feels worthless, disappointed, and overwhelmed with disgust for herself. Her mind is racing with thoughts like, “What’s wrong with me?” and “Everyone must think I’m ugly”.

For some people, Margaret’s point-of-view is their reality. Those who share this viewpoint experience low self-worth due to the unrealistic beauty standards and competitive/comparative norm inflicted by social media.

How do we change this?

1. Decrease social media usage. Recent findings from February of this year suggest reduced social media use significantly improves body image in teens & young adults. More information can be found here: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image 
2. Accept your body and appreciate what it does for you by adopting a mindset of body neutrality. More information can be found here: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/5-steps-body-neutrality 
3. Engage in conversation with friends, family and a professional, if needed. You don’t have to struggle in silence. 

Resource:
Kearney‐Cooke, A., & Tieger, D. (2015). Body image disturbance and the development of eating disorders. In L. Smolak & M. D. Levine (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders (pp. 283-296). West Sussex, UK: Wiley

Rachel Moss, LPCA

We are humbled and grateful to celebrate our 6-year anniversary this month. Mind Matters is a multispecialty therapy practice that offers support, healing, and evidence-based treatment for individuals across the lifespan.

Since opening in 2017, we have encountered unexpected challenges in response to unusual global circumstances and the increasing need for services in our community. As needs shifted, so did our approach and we have resiliently continued to grow and expand.

Some things never change. Mind Matters continues to be committed in providing comprehensive, strength-focused therapeutic care. We will remain specialists with the support of ongoing advanced training and cutting-edge treatment approaches. We will continue to collaborate with our community partners to meet the needs of our clients!

A huge thanks goes out to our clinicians, clients and community support who made this possible!

Happy 6 years to us!

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC, LPCS
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

May is National Mental Health month! What better way to celebrate than by taking care of our emotional needs! Over the last two months we have been implementing skills to recognize and cope with our emotions. Some exercises were successful, while others were more difficult to implement. Steps outlined over the last two months are just the beginning to understanding the connection between our mind and body. Some of you may feel satisfied with the information you have learned and have furthered your emotional intelligence, while others may be wanting to learn more about emotions.

This month we will focus on how to use our feelings as signs whether we can benefit from therapeutic support:

• You notice that your feelings are conflicting and confusing. Tolerating or ignoring your emotions increases intensity and makes it difficult to tolerate. You notice difficulty with anxiety and depressive experiences.
• Seemingly minor events trigger strong feelings and emotional reactions.
• After being triggered emotionally, feelings do not settle and carry on for hours or days.
• Verbal and behavioral responses to emotions, that do not align with your perception of yourself. 
• Focusing on your feelings reminds you of past traumatic experiences
• You have not been able to engage in the exercises over the last two months due to chronic emotional numbness or lack of ability to experience feelings.

Therapy is an effective way to gain further insight and connection to your body.
You are worthy of self-care, insight, and connection. This may be the right time for you to seek support.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPCS
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

Now that you’ve chosen a path of improved emotional health, we are progressing into a deeper exploration and connection with self. In March we learned the basic steps to connecting, identifying, and naming emotions. This month we will focus on recognizing patterns of your emotions and implementation of coping skills!

1. What purpose do my emotions serve? If you completed the suggested exercises last month, you may have noticed your emotional complexity. Maybe multiple feelings surfaced in response to a single trigger, or you made note that you tend to experience similar feelings across most situations. It is no coincidence, that you noted the above observations. What purpose do these feelings serve you? What do they tell you about yourself? What about your life continues to resurface them? Important questions to answer for yourself to continue to gain insight.
2. Carried or your own feelings? You may also have noticed that some sensations and emotions felt novel, while others seemed to have lived in your body for years! Now this is a complex task, but an important one in fully connecting with yourself emotionally. When feelings arise, check in whether this feeling has been learned/carried from a parent, sibling, or caregiver.  Whom does your emotional experience or reaction remind you of? Do you remember experiencing this sensation/emotion in your childhood? Do you get easily triggered when other people are expressing this feeling? If so, you may be carrying feelings which are not your own, but rather learned feelings. If that is the case, coping skills may help to address these emotional reactions.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPCS
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

What are you feeling right now?
Yes, stop what you are doing and let’s check in with your body. After reading this sentence close your eyes and connect with yourself by scanning your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.

What feelings came up? What sensations did you notice?
Your physical sensations are often a representation of emotional reactions we hold in our bodies. For many of us, emotions may seem dangerous or unpredictable. We dismiss our feelings to focus on rather more important external demands and to portray ourselves as strong, independent, and in control. However, emotions communicate our inner needs and wants. Being able to connect with our feelings, understand them, and appropriately express them, makes us emotionally intelligent. It gives us a deeper understanding of our motivations as well as it helps to create healthy connections with others.

Emotional self-exploration can be a fun process! As if you were an investigator with a magnifying glass, getting to know yourself inside and out. Below are a few steps you can implement to engage in the process of self-connectivity and emotional awareness.

1. Complete a body scan. Just like the one you practiced in the beginning of this exercise. As you scan your body, notice what feelings and sensations are evident.
2.  Name the emotions and sensations. There are no bad or good emotions. Each emotion is a response to an internal thought, desire, or an external trigger. Name it and accept it for what it is. 
3. Notice which parts of your body hold your emotions.  Location of emotional expression can tell us about triggers for emotions. Constant shoulder tightness, lightness in the heart, pit in the gut sensation, or tingling in the hands and feet- all communicate about your body’s needs.
4. Journal about your emotional experiences. Write about experiences you encountered throughout the day and add thoughts and feelings to those experiences. Writing can help to shift your perspective on emotions and help to re-connect with your body.
5. Make time for what you love. You are worthy of taking time for your needs and wants. Connecting with positive activities you enjoy engaging in will create more pleasant emotions. Your body will be more likely to experience and accept those emotions. Which will help to teach your body that feelings are safe, healthy, and helpful.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPCS
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

As we countdown the last few hours of 2020, many of us are pondering our resolutions and changes for the new year.  There is excitement and momentum for change, and yet, according to research most of us will maintain the changes for only about two weeks.

Unrealistic expectations, impulse based decisions, “shoulds”, and lack of connection with ourselves greatly contribute to our old routines returning shortly after the new year begins.

What can we do differently?

Let’s take a look at your life and ask yourself the following questions:

• Self: Do I feel personally fulfilled? Do my hobbies promote self-care? What interests do I have that I have not explored? Am I spiritually connected? How is my health?
• Relationships: Am I connecting with others in a healthy way? Do I have a strong support system? Does my living environment promote growth? Do I have friends/family I can reach out to for support?
• Professional: Am I mentally stimulated? Is my profession satisfying my current professional and personal goals?

If any of the above questions appear difficult to answer or your answer is incongruent to the way you want to live, those may be the areas of change or as I like to call them, New Year’s Solutions.

Connecting with your body and mind will allow you to identify areas which you want to solve. Solutions and growth require balance. Balance is key to sustaining changes.

The following SMART steps will help to increase your chances of sustaining a healthy and balanced solution to your identified areas of growth.

• S-pecific: state what solution you want to achieve. Write your solution down and use action words to describe your plan.
• M-easurable: how will you evaluate your progress? Identify ways to measure specific targets. How will you know when the goal is achieved?
• A-achievable: set realistic expectations, strive for balance. Ensure your goal is possible to accomplish and to maintain.
• R-elevant: make sure the goals fit YOUR needs and solutions. Will it create more balance in your life? Is your solution worthwhile?
• T-ime based: when do you plan to complete your goal? Be specific on date and timeline. Again, remember to set reasonable time frames and celebrate your progress along the way.

If you find yourself feeling excited to find solutions to your problems and to feed your mind and body with healthy balance, 2021 may be the year to start the changes! If you feel stuck in how you can proceed with your SMART goal, ask for help.

When you make a commitment to be mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy, Mind Matters Therapy Services is here to support you. Together we will eliminate any personal obstacles or barriers in reaching your goals.

January 1st is just the first day in the calendar, but YOU get to decide your first day to a healthy and balanced life.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

These uncertain times have created an environment of isolation, loneliness, anger, and a state of feeling overwhelmed for many. Being in early recovery these emotions may be the trigger for a breaking point. The lack of control over our environment can create a daily HALT experience. HALT is an acronym for Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, and Tiredness. These basic functions and emotions serve as a warning system for a potential relapse. Our busy lives and lack of control can feel overwhelming and we tend to distort our reality. The disconnection from self and things around us eventually leads to the same outcome- relapse.

So how do we change that?

As you bring awareness to your body notice the red flags. What feeling is triggering the urge to drink or use? What persistent thoughts continue to feed your self-sabotaging ideas? Notice what your body is telling you.

Also, pay attention to how you maintain healthy control. Focus on what has motivated you to initiate and to maintain your sobriety. Focus on your strengths and self-care habits which give you reasons to thrive.

Take a few moments daily to do a body scan and to ask yourself "How am I feeling? Am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired?" Bringing awareness to how you feel will help you to maintain a balanced body and mind.

If you need additional tools and support to maintain a healthy recovery, you can learn more about our outpatient individual treatment and recovery groups.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

Independence Day is said to be the fourth most celebrated holiday in the United States. 4th of July is synonymous with parties, fireworks, socializing, eating, and drinking. Individuals who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction encounter special challenges during this time, especially early on. Relapse rates increase around the holidays, therefore being prepared for the triggers is one way to reduce chances of threats to recovery.







Sandra Knapp, LPC
Founder/Therapist
Mind Matters Therapy Services

Ever heard the saying “humans are creatures of habit?” Well our thoughts, feelings, and responses can also become habitual. Habitual thought patterns and behaviors can become problematic as the response often does not match the circumstance or the desired outcomes. The diagram demonstrates an unhelpful cycle of response and healthy way to approach internal processes and communication.  

Let’s explore together:
Situation: Son lives far away and doesn’t pick up the phone when you call.
Desired outcome: To connect with your son and to speak on the phone more frequently.

Unhelpful cycle of response illustrates the habitual and often unhelpful response pattern.
Thought: “My son doesn’t pick up his phone when I call, he doesn’t care or respect me.”
Feeling: “Anger”.
Immediate reaction: “To call his cellphone 10 times and leave angry voicemails of how disappointed you are in him and his behaviors.”
Further thoughts: “This happens all the time, he is so ungrateful”.
Feelings: “More anger, frustration, feeling out of control.”  
And the unhelpful cycle continues while propelling negative thoughts, feelings, and outcomes.
This pattern of response is automatic. Your body is on autopilot and you are choosing to be in the backseat.
Habitual and automatic responses will not help you achieve your goals. This type of response does not communicate your desired outcome of connecting with your son and causes ruptures in the relationship.

Helpful cycle of response:
Thought: “My son doesn’t pick up his phone when I call, he doesn’t care or respect me.” PAUSE. Is this thought true or false? Sure, your son may not pick up the phone at times when you call. Can there be other reasons for not answering his phone, besides “he doesn’t care or respect me?” YES, he is busy at work, school, doesn’t see his phone ring or maybe just needs time to himself.  2. Is this thought helpful or unhelpful? In this situation the thought is unhelpful, so feeding it attention will create more unhelpful outcomes.
Emotion:” Angry.” PAUSE. “Sad, lonely, scared” (identify true vulnerable emotions that your anger is masking).
Now you can choose a helpful behavior: “Call once and leave a voicemail indicating that you are thinking of him and that you are feeling worried because you haven’t heard from him in a few days. Ask him to call you back when he gets the chance.”
When you receive a return call, choose the behavior congruent with the desired outcome. If you want your son to call you more often, express exactly what behaviors you would like to see in the future.
Focus on vulnerable feelings and expressing your want to connect. Stay positive.

The helpful cycle encourages healthy expression of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It also promotes desired outcomes. It will take time, effort, and practice. You must think and change to grow.

Sandra Knapp, LPC
Founder/Therapist
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

Have you ever browsed through Psychology Today or Google searched for a therapist?  You may have found yourself scrolling through pictures and taglines of clinicians describing their work.  Did you spend hours reading professional biographies, researching clinical jargon, and then after feeling overwhelmed with information, closed the window without calling any of them? You are not alone. Choosing the right therapist can be a difficult task. There is no one-size-fits-all approach in therapy. The steps below will help to narrow down your search of finding the right fit for you.

1. Before you search for a therapist, explore yourself. Identify your preferences in a therapist.
Does the therapist’s gender or age matter? Are you looking to see someone long-term or do you want quick interventions and solutions? Are you looking for someone who provides online therapy? How far are you willing to travel? Do you need someone who offers evening and weekend appointments?  Make those decisions before you begin your search. It will narrow down your outcomes to more specifically fit your needs.

2. When researching possible candidates, make sure they have the tools to solve your problems.
You wouldn’t choose to marry someone because they were your first match on a dating app, would you? Don’t choose the first therapist you see.  Identify what concerns and struggles you have such as anxiety, nightmares, inability to get out of bed, irritability, struggles with parenting, relationship problems and so on. Then, make sure that the clinician you choose has appropriate education and training to help with your concerns.

3. Avoid the Jack of all trades master of none. Find a specialist.
The field of mental health is heading towards specialization – just like the medical field has. Find someone who lists your concerns as their specialty. When we have medical problems, we see a specialist. We don’t see an allergist for leg pain. Although most doctors undergo similar training, specialty is what sets them apart just as with Therapists and their training.  Therapists can’t be a Jack of all trades and be the best at what they do.    

4. An educated client is the best consumer. Have an over-the-phone consultation.
Once you narrow down a few therapists, call for a consultation and ask the difficult questions. This is your time to interview your potential therapist, helper, and your future support system. Ask where they went to school, about their training, and how they developed the specialty for the particular issue you are calling about.  Ask about approach to treatment, fees, and availability. Your questions should be received with openness and enthusiasm. Your initial interaction will give you an insight into what the therapeutic relationship may look like.

5. Attend the initial assessment with an open mind. Commit to at least three sessions before you decide on fit.  
The first meeting is a chance for your therapist to get to know you as much as it is the time for you to get to know your therapist. Many clients experience fear over the first session and thoughts about sharing “their story.” It takes vulnerability and willingness to share personal and private information with a stranger. Sometimes you will feel immediate connection and can safely share your struggles.  In other cases, it takes a few sessions to ease into treatment. Keep an open mind and attend at least three sessions before you discontinue. If you don’t mesh with your therapist, ask for a referral elsewhere. Your well-being should be a therapist’s priority.

Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC
Founder/Therapist
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

Next time you are outside, look up at the sky and notice the clouds. Notice the shapes and sizes, the colors, and the movement. Then bring your attention to your thoughts and feelings. Think of your thoughts and feelings as clouds you just observed in the sky.  Picture that you, your body, and your general being are like the open sky, which provides the space for clouds to form and pass by. As thoughts and feelings come up, put them on a cloud and watch the cloud float away. Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go, just like clouds in the sky. No overthinking the process, no judgements, no rushing. Just being present.

Just like clouds are part of the sky, your thoughts and emotions are part of you. Clouds come in different shapes, sizes, and varying colors. Your thoughts and feelings do as well. Clouds only cover the sky as they pass by. No matter if the clouds are white, light, and fluffy, small with shades of blue, or cover the sky with a dark shade of grey…Behind these various clouds, the sky remains the same. Thoughts and emotions are not you, they pass through your body and you have a choice to keep them or to let them go. People and things around you can trigger certain thoughts and feelings, but you are in control of which thoughts and feelings you want to keep and which you let float by. Allow your body to experience different thoughts and feelings. Stay present. Then, let go and watch them float away.


Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC
Founder/Therapist
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC

Racing heart, pounding in ears, nausea, stomach cramps, difficulty breathing, dizziness, blurry or spotty vision, thoughts of dying or going crazy, dry mouth, sweat, and numbness in the face, feet, and arms. Do these symptoms sound familiar? If so, you have met our friend anxiety. All of us have experienced anxiety at different times in our lives. Whether we felt our dry tongue and lips sticking together when giving a presentation in class. Or the butterfly-like feeling taking over our stomach when going on a first date. Or that dreaded job interview, where our bodies were so anxious that we could not feel much besides the drops of sweat evacuating our armpits and back. Yuck….Why would anyone call anxiety their friend?

Anxiety protects us from danger. When we are in a dangerous environment or at least perceive something as a dangerous situation, our bodies trigger the fight-flight-or-freeze response. This response starts a chain reaction of physiological changes all over the body which are intended to prepare you to either flee, confront, or stay still as you face the threat.  A question we may ask: “Why would I get nervous when on a date with someone I like? He or she is not dangerous or scary…is my body confused?” Well interestingly, even threats to emotional well-being such as fear of embarrassment or a thought about something going wrong on the date can trigger the same bodily reactions as being chased by an alligator!

Although anxiety is a normal response to different everyday situations, excessive or severe anxiety can become debilitating. Instead of protecting us, it interferes with daily activities and tasks. So what’s the solution? Get rid of it???  NO.  Pushing anxiety away, can only help for a short period of time. Similar to being afraid of the dark, you can wait out the night until the daylight. However, whether you like it or not, the nighttime will fall again. Anxiety is part of our body and whether we like it or not, it will get triggered in time.

A way to cope with anxiety is to accept it and to experience the feeling for what it is. Become one with anxiety, become friends. Remember that you are not anxiety. Anxiety is a friend who comes to visit. When anxiety is visiting, use coping skills such as rhythmic breathing, muscle relaxation, guided imagery, physical exercise, or other things you enjoy doing to help the encounter be less about anxiety and more about you.  Anxiety is a friend who lacks boundaries and it comes over at times you wished it would not. But when it shows up unexpected it is better to greet it as your friend rather than push it away as your enemy. Next time you run into anxiety, take it as an opportunity to practice your coping skills and just hang out with it.  You are in control of this friendship!


Sandra Knapp, MS, LPC
Founder/Therapist
Mind Matters Therapy Services, LLC