Hello, Fall
October! My favorite month.
(because I am a Libra)
A close friend told me the reasons she doesn’t like fall. She sees fall as the time when leaves are dying and we’re going into the colder, more difficult months. While she is right about this, I admire the way the summer ends with the most radiant colors. I love the crisp air in the morning and sleeping with the windows open at night. I think we all relate most to one season.
What season do you enjoy most? What season do you feel the most like yourself?
📍 Woodstock, NY
One of the most frequent topics in my sessions is, unsurprisingly, body image. Body image refers to our perception, beliefs, and emotional experience towards one’s body. Body image can be intertwined and impact all aspects of our life— when we have a job interview, in communicating our needs to friends, our confidence in setting boundaries, intimacy with a partner, buying a new pair of jeans, how we feel walking into a room, and what we feel we deserve. The way we feel about ourselves and how we feel in our skin is reflected in the way we walk, speak, move, and engage with friends around us. When we work on our body image, begin to move about the world with more comfort and confidence. This gives others to do the same. In a culture where having negative body image is the norm, it can be refreshing to welcome a new way of experiencing your body.
When I am helping clients work on their relationship with their body, I like to approach it like I would with OCD treatment. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy involves exposing oneself to the very thing one is most fearful of. When we have fear and feel disgust towards our own body, we can practice by exposing ourselves to it. Practice being in your room in just your underwear. Try avoiding oversized clothing for the sake of body covering. Allow your partner to place their hand on your belly and breathe. Each of these mini exposures is building neutrality with your body. Your body is not something to be fearful of.
What are two things that your body allowed you to do this week that you feel proud of?
@jessraeking
Sweet tooth.
My little food tip this month is about chocolate chip cookies!
My friend who is a baker taught me this great trick. When you make the homemade dough, scoop small balls and place them on a plate in the freezer. Once frozen, place the pre-made dough balls into a ziplock in the freezer. This way you can go into the freezer any night, preheat the oven to 350, take out 2-3 cookies, throw them on a sheet pan, and bake fresh cookies! Having a stock of homemade cookies ready to go is a luxury I didn’t know I needed.
I use the recipe right on the toll house semi-sweet chocolate chip bag!
Quick thoughts to be shared:
Your therapist thinks about you on their off-hours
When I experience great food, am happy and frolicking at a music festival, and experience joy and love with a friend— I can’t help but think of my clients. I want each client to know how I want them to experience the good the world has to offer too.
Hug your people more
This one is simple. Ask for hugs. Give hugs more. There is so much comfort and reassurance we can get through a quick embrace. Sometimes a hug can say and do more than words.
Lunch
Oftentimes, lunch is seen as the easy and convenient meal in the middle of the day. We sometimes throw together meals that aren’t as satisfying or adventurous as dinner or breakfast. Try making a lunch that you are looking forward to. Bring leftovers of that delicious dinner you made to work. To me, a delicious lunch excites me and keeps me energized.
Last but not least
I am going to leave you all with a quote a client of mine shared last week that I continue to think about:
“We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” - Richard Rohr
see you next month!
xxoo,
Marina
