CALIFORNIA PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC RESOURCES, INC.
PATRICIA MCTAGUE-LOFT, MS, LMFT, FAPA, SAP
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Posted on: July 1, 2021
Individual Counseling Insights brought to you by California Psychotherapeutic Resources, Inc.
Books have been written about the power of positive thinking. But the flip side of that, unfortunately, is also true in its own way: negative thinking can be powerful in its own destructive fashion. It can draw up unwanted memories and distressing flashbacks as well as generate a variety of upsetting emotions.
Fortunately, there are many ways to cope with negative thinking. “You can use grounding techniques to help create space from distressing feelings in nearly any situation,” according to an article in Healthline, “but they’re especially helpful if you’re dealing with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociation, self-harm urges, traumatic memories, substance use disorder.”
The techniques fall into three basic categories: physical, mental and soothing techniques.
Examples of the physical include:
Examples of mental techniques include:
Examples of soothing techniques include:
All of these grounding techniques have one thing in common: they bring you into the present moment. Much distress is caused by being caught in an unpleasant past moment or experience. Mindfulness and these grounding techniques are all intended to help you be in the present, which is a sure path to easing anxiety and creating a calm state of mind. See Healthline’s complete list of 30 grounding techniques here.
Posted in: Individual Counseling
Disclaimer: The screening tests and videos that are linked on this web site are not designed to provide diagnoses for the various clinical issues. They are intended solely for the purpose of identifying the symptoms of the issues and to help you make a more informed decision about seeking help. An accurate diagnosis for these clinical issues and other psychiatric disorders can only be made by a physician or qualified mental health professional after a complete evaluation. If you have scores that indicate that you meet criteria for these issues or think that you may be at risk, please contact a mental health professional or your physician.