The Grouport Journal

Explore all things mental health. Check out some of our latest journals below.

Exploring the Purpose: Functions of Emotions

DBT

Exploring the Purpose: Functions of Emotions

Emotions are an integral part of human existence. They influence our decision-making, our relationships, and our perceptions of the world around us. While emotions are often viewed as reactions to external stimuli, they also play significant roles in shaping our behavior and guiding our interactions with others. This article aims to shed light on the vital functions that emotions serve in our lives.

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Understanding Stoicism: The Opposite of Emotional

DBT

Understanding Stoicism: The Opposite of Emotional

In our emotional lives, where feelings and sentiments play pivotal roles, it's valuable to examine the concept that lies at the other end of the spectrum: Stoicism. Stoicism, often understood as the opposite of being emotional, promotes emotional resilience and clear, rational thinking. This article will delve into the essence of stoicism, its impact on individuals, and how it contrasts with emotional responses.

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Check the Facts: A Guide to Objective Thinking

DBT

Check the Facts: A Guide to Objective Thinking

In a world filled with information, learning how to sift through it all and determine what's valid and what's not is a critical skill. This process, often referred to as "checking the facts," allows us to understand better and evaluate the information we encounter daily. This article delves into what fact-checking entails, its importance, and how to improve your fact-checking skills.

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The Echoes of Dissent: Understanding Alternate Rebellion

DBT

The Echoes of Dissent: Understanding Alternate Rebellion

Alternate rebellion, a term used to describe non-traditional forms of resistance or dissent, encapsulates a variety of actions and attitudes individuals or groups may adopt to challenge norms, authority, or the status quo. Understanding this concept helps us navigate the complex dynamics of societal interaction and the continuous evolution of self-expression and identity formation.

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Decoding Feelings: The Importance of Identifying Emotions

DBT

Decoding Feelings: The Importance of Identifying Emotions

Identifying emotions plays a crucial role in our lives, influencing our decision-making process, interpersonal relationships, and overall mental health. Gaining a deeper understanding of what we are feeling and why can lead to improved emotional intelligence and personal growth.

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Transforming Thoughts: The Art of Turning the Mind

DBT

Transforming Thoughts: The Art of Turning the Mind

The ability to turn the mind, or alter one's thinking patterns, is a vital skill for managing stress, anxiety, and overall mental health. Through various strategies and practices, individuals can learn to steer their mind away from harmful or unproductive thoughts and towards a more positive mindset.

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Enjoying Life More: A List of Pleasurable Activities

DBT

Enjoying Life More: A List of Pleasurable Activities

We often get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of life, forgetting to take out time to enjoy the small and big pleasures that life offers. Engaging in pleasant activities not only offers a break from routine stress but also rejuvenates the mind and body. Here's a list of activities that you can enjoy whenever you need a breather.

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Cognitive Distortions: Misinterpretations Shaping Your Reality

DBT

Cognitive Distortions: Misinterpretations Shaping Your Reality

Cognitive distortions are inaccurate or exaggerated thought patterns that are believed to perpetuate many psychiatric disorders, especially depressive and anxiety disorders. By better understanding these distortions, we can equip ourselves with tools to challenge these unhelpful thoughts and maintain healthier mental frameworks.

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Understanding and Managing Intrusive Thoughts

DBT

Understanding and Managing Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are an often misunderstood aspect of mental health. They are unwelcome involuntary thoughts, images, or unpleasant ideas that may become an obsession, are upsetting or distressing, and can be challenging to manage. They are often associated with mental health such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. This article explores what intrusive thoughts are, why they occur, and strategies for managing them.

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Journey to Wellness: An Overview of DBT Skills Online Courses

DBT

Journey to Wellness: An Overview of DBT Skills Online Courses

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills online courses can be a transformative tool for those seeking to navigate emotional discomfort and build healthier relationships. These courses offer a comprehensive and accessible way to learn DBT skills in a flexible and convenient format. This article will delve into the nature, content, and benefits of DBT skills online courses.

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Mastering Grounding Techniques: Strategies for Enhancing Mental Stability

DBT

Mastering Grounding Techniques: Strategies for Enhancing Mental Stability

Grounding techniques are therapeutic strategies used to help individuals manage overwhelming feelings or intense emotional or mental distress. By focusing on the present moment and reconnecting with the physical world, these techniques provide a way to navigate situations where one feels disconnected, anxious, or overwhelmed.

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Emotional Intelligence: The Cornerstone of Effective Social Skills

DBT

Emotional Intelligence: The Cornerstone of Effective Social Skills

Emotional intelligence and social skills are intricately intertwined, each contributing significantly to an individual's ability to interact effectively with others. Emotional intelligence, which refers to the capacity to understand, use, and manage one's own emotions in positive ways, is a vital component of robust social skills. It allows individuals to navigate their social environments successfully, foster stronger relationships, and achieve personal and professional growth.

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Transforming Lives Through Social Skills Therapy: A Comprehensive Overview

DBT

Transforming Lives Through Social Skills Therapy: A Comprehensive Overview

Navigating the complex world of human interaction can often prove challenging, particularly for individuals grappling with social skills deficits due to conditions such as autism, ADHD, or social anxiety disorder. This is where social skills therapy steps in as a vital tool. Social skills therapy is designed to help these individuals develop effective interpersonal skills, enabling them to build healthier relationships and enhance their overall quality of life.

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Nurturing Peer Social Skills: Building Blocks for Healthy Relationships

DBT

Nurturing Peer Social Skills: Building Blocks for Healthy Relationships

The world of human interaction is an intricate web, where one's ability to navigate social landscapes often relies heavily on peer social skills. These skills, including communication, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution, lay the groundwork for forming and maintaining meaningful peer relationships. They play a vital role during childhood and adolescence and are equally crucial in adult life, impacting both personal and professional realms.

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Enhancing Communication through Effective Social Skills Activities

DBT

Enhancing Communication through Effective Social Skills Activities

In the present era, the role of social skills in shaping one's personal and professional life is invaluable. Strong social skills catalyze personal growth, enabling individuals to build meaningful connections, increase self-confidence, and enhance their overall quality of life. Social skills activities are beneficial tools designed to aid this growth process, catering to all age groups and helping participants hone their interpersonal skills.

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Navigating the Path: Understanding Court-Mandated Therapy

DBT

Navigating the Path: Understanding Court-Mandated Therapy

Court-mandated therapy, often called court-ordered therapy, is a form of therapeutic intervention assigned by a judge as part of an individual's legal sentencing or agreement. Typically utilized in substance abuse, domestic violence, or child custody cases, this judicial measure aims to rehabilitate the individual and reduce recidivism rates. This article offers a comprehensive overview of court-mandated therapy, including its purpose, process, and potential benefits.

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Decoding Emotional Inhibition: 6 Crucial Signs

DBT

Decoding Emotional Inhibition: 6 Crucial Signs

Emotional inhibition, or the suppression of feelings, can be an individual's defense mechanism to avoid discomfort or pain. However, consistent suppression can lead to unhealthy consequences. Understanding the signs of emotional inhibition is the first step to addressing it and fostering healthier emotional expression.

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The Half Smile Technique in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Closer Look

DBT

The Half Smile Technique in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Closer Look

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is renowned for its wide range of unique strategies designed to help individuals cope with emotional distress. Among these, the 'Half Smile' technique stands out for its simplicity yet profound effectiveness. This technique focuses on how changing physical behaviors can impact emotional states. This article will explore the half smile technique, its role in DBT, and its potential benefits.

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Building Resilience: A Guide to Tolerance Exercises

DBT

Building Resilience: A Guide to Tolerance Exercises

Tolerance, whether emotional, physical, or mental, is a vital skill that can enhance resilience and help us navigate life's challenges more effectively. Engaging in tolerance exercises can boost our ability to endure difficult situations without getting overwhelmed. This article provides an overview of the concept of tolerance, its significance, and practical exercises that can help enhance it.

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The Art of Understanding: Breaking Down Judgmentalness

DBT

The Art of Understanding: Breaking Down Judgmentalness

Judgmentalness is a common human tendency that can often shape and color our interactions with others and the world around us. While it's natural to form opinions and judge, being overly judgmental can lead to negativity, conflict, and misunderstanding. This article explores the concept of judgmentalness, its implications, and ways to manage this behavior.

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What is group therapy?

Grouport Info

What is group therapy?

If you’ve recently discovered the concept of group therapy, you might be wondering, “What is group therapy like?” When considering any type of talk therapy or psychotherapy, it’s important to be aware of your options and to understand the benefits and challenges associated with them. Once you have a basic understanding of what to expect, you can make an informed decision about whether or not group therapy is the best choice to address your mental health concerns and move forward with positive ch

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Social Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms & How to Manage Them

Anxiety

Social Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms & How to Manage Them

Do you struggle with social anxiety? Social anxiety is “an irrational fear of regular, daily social interactions that culminates in avoidant behaviors that can disrupt your life”. So what does this mean? It means that if you have social anxiety, you may experience disruption in your work life, education, and daily routine, as well as your relationships with the people around you. Social anxiety can bring a great degree of fear, worry, and missed opportunities to your life on a daily basis. 

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5 Things You Need To Know About Group Therapy

Grouport Info

5 Things You Need To Know About Group Therapy

The American Psychological Association says that we have been experiencing a continuous rise in the popularity of group therapy here in the United States since the aftermath of the second World War. During this time period, returning combat veterans were placed into therapy groups and the licensed mental healthcare providers leading them saw major benefits from these therapy sessions.‍Some therapy groups can be organized around a similar experience, such as navigating the aftermath of losing a l

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How to Manage Life With OCD

OCD

How to Manage Life With OCD

Dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, can be incredibly difficult. People who suffer from OCD tend to be stuck in a destructive pattern of obsessions followed by compulsions. Obsessions are defined as unwanted fears and thoughts, while compulsions are defined as repetitive behaviors meant to quell anxiety or prevent bad things from happening.‍If you are trying to navigate dealing with OCD thoughts, you might try to ignore or even stop your obsessions, but in fact this will likely o

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Depression Or Clinical Depression? How To Spot the Difference

Depression

Depression Or Clinical Depression? How To Spot the Difference

The Mayo Clinic explains that depression is a type of mood disorder characterized by a loss of general interest and regular feelings of deep sadness. It is important to remember that depression is more than just a period in which you feel down: if it reaches a clinical level, it could interfere with your daily life, productivity, and relationships. ‍WHAT IS CLINICAL DEPRESSION?Clinical depression is more than just periodic episodes of feeling down or discouraged, it instead involves a perva

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How To Know The Difference Between Boredom And BPD

BPD

How To Know The Difference Between Boredom And BPD

Boredom is defined by feeling uninterested and unsatisfied and is most evidenced through periods of high energy (where you feel you have nowhere to channel that energy), or when you are having a hard time staying focused on a particular task. Boredom is a pretty common issue found in adolescents as well as children. It is important to remember though, that young people may complain that they feel bored when they are actually having a difficult time handling their feelings or thoughts.‍There are

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Understanding And Treating OCD

OCD

Understanding And Treating OCD

Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental health disorder marked by a pattern of escalating obsessions (unwanted fears and thoughts) that lead to compulsions (repetitive behaviors). This pattern of obsessions leading to compulsions can end up interfering with your daily activities, ultimately causing significant distress and a diminished quality of life.‍Those suffering from OCD will often ignore or try to stop their obsessions, which can in turn escalate their levels of anxiety and dis

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New York & Distress Tolerance...Navigating A Tough City with Mindfulness & DBT

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New York & Distress Tolerance...Navigating A Tough City with Mindfulness & DBT

New York City is one of the toughest cities to live in: if you want to live here for the long haul, it’s important that you develop strong levels of distress tolerance. There will always be external stimuli threatening to overwhelm you, whether it is a car honking, music blaring, or people rushing around you and often bumping into you. Are you familiar with experiencing all of these stimuli at the same time? Welcome to NYC!‍There are many different approaches that can help you deal with this str

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Overcoming Fear Of Abandonment And Rejection

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Overcoming Fear Of Abandonment And Rejection

About 10% of people in the United States struggle with some type of phobia; this means that millions of individuals are currently coping with different types of fears. While fear of abandonment is not officially considered a phobia, it is widely considered to be among the most commonplace–and potentially damaging–fears. Individuals who suffer from a phobia of being abandoned might behave in ways and engage in thought patterns that not only negatively affect them, but also their relationships wit

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DBT And What It’s Good For

All Articles

DBT And What It’s Good For

What is DBT?Dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) under the psychotherapy umbrella that seeks to provide people with critical skills that can help them diminish conflict in their relationships as well as manage difficult emotions. DBT hones in on equipping individuals with skills in four major areas:‍‍1. Interpersonal effectiveness: Equips individuals with techniques that can help them better communicate with the people around them in ways that s

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How To Navigate "Stormy" Relationships By Practicing Mindfulness & Setting Boundaries

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How To Navigate "Stormy" Relationships By Practicing Mindfulness & Setting Boundaries

We all know that relationships, no matter what kind, can be incredibly difficult to navigate. Whether you are having difficulties in your relationships with your peers, friends, or family, “stormy” ones–ones that are characterized by frequent ups and downs–can be tricky. Toxic relationship patterns can undermine your self-discipline, your work and home life, your sleep habits, physical health, and mental health if not managed successfully long-term. Are you feeling the strain of unhealthy relati

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3 Ways Your Self Image Impacts Moods, Decisions And Priorities

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3 Ways Your Self Image Impacts Moods, Decisions And Priorities

According to the Cleveland Clinic, self image is defined as “the mental picture we hold of ourselves.” This image we hold of ourselves defines what characterizes us and sets us apart from others. In other words, the different characteristics we use to describe ourselves come together to form a collective self representation that is the culmination of our strengths and weaknesses as seen from our own perspective.‍ Here are three major ways that our self image can impact our moods, decisions, and

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Anger Management with DBT

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Anger Management with DBT

DBT, which stands for dialectical behavior therapy, is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1980s to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Over the past few decades, experts have found that DBT can also be effective in the treatment of various other issues, such as:Substance abuseMood disordersDepressionDisordered eatingPost traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Bipolar disorder‍DBT therapy works to equip clients with useful skills in four major areas:

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What is DBT Treatment?

DBT

What is DBT Treatment?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral treatment developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1980s which was originally intended to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). People who are trying to cope with BPD often experience incredibly intense negative emotions that might be very difficult for them to manage. These emotions can negatively affect their mental health, sleep, eating, working, and interpersonal relationships, along with other facets of their lives. It’s

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The Beneficial Scope of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT

The Beneficial Scope of Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive-behavioral therapy initially designed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder. However, its scope has expanded over the years. It is now used to treat various mental health disorders by teaching patients to live in the moment, develop healthy coping strategies, and improve relationships.

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What Happens In DBT Therapy: 5 Things To Keep In Mind

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What Happens In DBT Therapy: 5 Things To Keep In Mind

Here at Grouport we offer a wide variety of therapy types conducted completely online, from the comfort of your home. These sessions often include various forms of psychotherapy and talk therapy, including but not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Our therapists are well versed in treating a wide variety of mental health issues and other conditions, and are formally trained in many different therapeutic approaches, including DBT.‍Typically, ind

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Using Therapy to Manage Chronic Illness or Disability

Chronic Illness

Using Therapy to Manage Chronic Illness or Disability

Living with a chronic illness or disability presents a unique set of physical and mental challenges. While medical treatments focus on managing physical symptoms, therapy can play a vital role in addressing the emotional and psychological aspects. This article explores how therapy can be an effective tool for managing chronic illness or disability.

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Chronic Illness & CBT For Mental Health: An Introductory Guide

Chronic Illness

Chronic Illness & CBT For Mental Health: An Introductory Guide

Whether you recently received a diagnosis of chronic illness, or are years into your journey, you’ve likely wrestled with the intense mental health challenges that can follow a diagnosis. It’s not surprising that the uncertainty, lifestyle changes, and costly or even painful treatments often come with emotions such as depression, grief, sadness, denial, and anxiety.‍When working through living with chronic illness, it can be common for doctors and caregivers to focus primarily on your physical h

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Healing From Grief & Loss

Grief & Loss

Here’s What You Need To Know About Healing From Grief & Loss

Moving on after losing a loved one is never easy. Wherever there has been deep emotions, like love and affection, there will be emptiness and grief in its absence. Adjusting to the reality of life without your loved one is not easy, quick, or predictable in its process. Healing from grief & loss is unique to each person and their journey. ‍Your Grieving Journey Is Unique To YOU‍Some people describe moments in their healing process as dissociative, while others feel shattered, or even co

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A Survival Guide To Living With BPD

BPD

A Survival Guide To Living With BPD

If you’re struggling under the weight of your Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) diagnosis, you’re not alone. For almost 2% of the American population, this mental health condition poses significant challenges. You may be overwhelmed by intense emotions, loneliness, hopelessness, anger, or even numbness. All of these feelings can make everyday life very challenging for those living with BPD. The good news? Thousands of people just like you have learned how to live rich and fulfilling lives, e

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