I often get asked about the therapy process and what to expect, so today in this blog post I will attempt to answer this question.  What does the process of psychotherapy look like?  It is hard to put such a journey into words, but if I am to use words, a metaphor may be the best way.  This is my...[ read more ]

You are enough.  You have always been enough.  Just as you are.  The messy, put together, falling apart, anxious, secure, resilient, resourceful, adaptive, beautiful, succeeding, failing, perfectly imperfect human.  You always were, and you are now.  Can you let that in? Today, right now, however you are showing up, is enough.  The inner critic wants to come out.  The imposter...[ read more ]

https://shoutoutarizona.com/meet-athen-fisher-marriage-and-family-therapist/

Happy New Year! It’s 2021. This is the time of year when many of us are thinking about making new resolutions and setting goals.  While much research suggests that typical New Years resolutions are short-lived, we know it is powerful to set goals, intentions and think about what values are important to us moving forward. Sometimes it is hard to...[ read more ]

Gratitude is not easily described and defined, though it is commonly referred to as an orientation of thinking, a worldview in which someone pays attention to and is grateful for positive experiences, events and people in their life.  Gratitude is positively and strongly associated to a sense of greater overall wellbeing, mental health, lower dysfunction (less likely to experience anxiety,...[ read more ]

[Note: Fathers play an essential and extremely important role in their children’s lives and their families and I recognize that, however this particular article is written to the mothers.] I often listen to podcasts and interviews, and have repeatedly noticed themes over the last several years among podcasts for mothers.  The themes are “mom guilt”, overwhelm, comparison and the way...[ read more ]

Humans are wired for connection and attachment is at the core of our survival in this world.  Triggers elicit the fight, flight or freeze response when we sense a threat to our relationship, which could be having thoughts and perceptions like “She doesn’t care”, “I do not matter”, “I am not good enough”, or “He is pulling away and withdrawing.” ...[ read more ]

Have you ever wondered why it is so hard for some people to apologize? Or why it’s so hard for you to apologize, and when you try, maybe you are confused as to why your apology was not well received or went south, possibly even made things worse? How we say “I’m Sorry” is critically important in the outcome, and...[ read more ]

Today, I am sharing some tips from Esther Perel, therapist, author and podcast host, from her March 2020 interview in The New Yorker, and further expanding on and exploring the keys to managing stress and conflict when it arises in your relationship.  Esther explains, “I think that couples, by definition, go through harmony, disharmony, and repair. This is a dance...[ read more ]

View this post on Instagram Today I am sharing some helpful information and strategies for healthy emotion regulation. Enjoy! #therapy #couplestherapy #emotionallyfocusedtherapy #mentalhealth #chandler #survivingcovid19 #weareinthistogether #teletherapy #counseling #marriagecounseling #mft #arizona #parenting #stress #anxiety #emotionregulation #destress A post shared by Love Story Therapy (@lovestorytherapy) on Apr 20, 2020 at 5:47pm PDT