In 2007, I worked as a psychologist in prison. My favorite inmates were the women in solitary confinement. They were by far the most interesting people I had ever met. Even though they sat in cages with plexiglass barriers, they were extremely receptive to counseling. Living in lockdown for an indeterminate amount of time, confined…

The woman in this photo is Kris Carr. She’s been living with a rare, untreatable Stage IV cancer since 2003! She is also the author of the best selling book, Crazy Sexy Cancer. In 2009 when I read her book, I suddenly realized that our society conditions us to believe we are victims of our…

Many clients work with me to overcome anxiety. My strategy for helping clients is quite simple. When clients contact me for their first appointment, anxiety has completely taken them over. There is no longer a separation between them and the “anxiety.” Basically they have become their anxiety. You Are NOT Your Emotions: In the first…

In 2017, when I first learned that cold showers could significantly improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, I immediately began suggesting it to all of my clients. Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which can…

Sometimes we get stuck thinking about a particular thought and it feels like we have no control over our mind. All of this brain chatter can be overwhelming and affect how we feel each day.  But if we really tune into our thoughts, we’ll notice how much they wander. We might be: Thinking about plans…

Nightmares can be overwhelming and distressing. They can ruin your day and leave you feeling anxious, depressed, and out of control. I never experienced debilitating nightmares until I worked as a psychologist in prison. I was absolutely stunned by how severe and disruptive dreams could be. I worked in the prison system for over 3…

Distorted thinking can create a great deal of stress and anxiety. Most of us do not know when we’ve distorted reality with our thoughts. Everyone distorts reality from time to time because many cognitive distortions are socially acceptable forms of thinking. For example, when emotions are high it is common to “blame others” “overgeneralize,” and…

If you are passionate about putting the principles from Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now” into practice, this 8-week virtual workshop is perfect for you. Each week Pleasanton clinical psychologist, Dr. Christine Dickson will discuss a section of Eckhart’s book as well as strategies on how to put his teachings into practice. This down…

Being an effective parent with children who’ve had their lives turned upside down due to the COVID-19 crisis can be difficult. Emotions are heightened, no childcare is available, and parents are still expected to perform at high levels in full-time jobs. I cannot think of a more challenging situation for parents and children. Worst of…

The emotion of shame can be overwhelming to say the least. Shame-inducing thoughts tend to fall into three categories: Self put downs such as “I’m stupid,” “I’m fat,” “I can’t do anything right.” Catastrophic thoughts about one’s ability to handle the future. Critical or shaming thoughts of remorse and regret such as obsessions about past or…