Setting Realistic Healthy Goals For A New Year

The end of one year and the beginning of a new allows us the opportunity to reflect on the past. We can take this time to consider what we want to take forward and what we might prefer to leave behind. Plenty of us have a piece or two of our lives that we would like to improve. Most of us are aware of the resolutions of "I am going to finally get organized" or "I am going to get in shape this year" and the commitment to "enjoy life to the fullest". While those resolutions sound nice; it is more helpful and effective to set clear and specific goals for yourself that set you up for success. 

A lot of resolutions, especially in the media promote physical health goals, of joining gyms and a certain weight loss plan. Perhaps you can use this opportunity to think of ways to set meaningful healthy goals this year, and not just physically, but emotional health too. Maybe you want to start each day with a gratitude journal, learn and practice meditation before bed, treat yourself with more kindness by giving yourself a daily compliment, work on trusting that gut instinct more, returning to therapy to enhance your self-esteem, wanting to set healthier boundaries with family or friends, wanting to be a more authentic you, and so many more options to better yourself in a thoughtful, kind way.

It can be helpful to explore and define your goals with a professional counselor, who could facilitate objectively what you might want to work towards in the new year. Should you choose to set your goals on your own, make sure you break your goals down into smaller steps; share your goals with someone who cares and will help you keep a healthy accountability, and manage your expectations for a realistic outcome. Once you are "there"...don't forget to celebrate that feeling of achievement and reward yourself in the most compassionate way you know how.

If you would like to see if meeting with a therapist can be helpful for you to welcome new healthy habits moving forward contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center at 240-274-5680, admin@healingllc.com, or www.healingllc.com

Building Self-Esteem

To some degree, we all face doubts and struggle at times with self-esteem. Thinking about improving your own self-esteem can seem daunting, overwhelming, and raise many other feelings, possibly even related to how you feel about yourself. While working with a therapist to understand how you feel about yourself and how you may have arrived to feel this way there are certain things you can do to help yourself along this healing journey. Below are some ways you can practice turning your self esteem toward a more positive direction.

Practice positive self talk. It is easy to talk critically to yourself, so instead try challenging a thought to a turn it into something more positive.

Try not to compare yourself to others.

Reflect on the accomplishments or times in your life you feel good about.

Get some physical exercise-  its quite empowering and reaps various physical and emotional benefits.

Set a small goal and achieve it. 

Don't beat yourself up: Talk to yourself as you would to a friend.

Focus on the things you can change/control, such as your reaction to certain experiences/events.

Spend time doing activities and things you enjoy.

Practice being in the moment, even for just a few breaths, or minutes.

Take care of you, you are the only one who truly can.

See if you can start with trying out one or two of the above self esteem building activities and check in with yourself about how you may feel. Small steps can lead to great gains to your self worth. If you find yourself struggling with self esteem or are thinking about how a therapist may be able to help you, contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center. You may reach us at healingllc.com, 240-274-5680, or admin@healingllc.com.

Tips to Help Calm and Manage Anxiety

Many of us experience anxiety on a regular basis. Anxiety can show up in various ways and times and sometimes at really inconvenient moments! Most individuals can identify with the physical and emotional symptoms that can be associated with anxiety, such as feeling overwhelmed, unable to think clearly, feeling panicky, shortness of breath, racing heart, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, shifts in mood, eating more or less than usual, irritability, to name just a few of the ways anxiety can manifest.

While learning to understand your anxiety with the help of a professional (where the anxiety may stem from and what it means), there are ways to help limit anxious feelings or symptoms when they arise. Acknowledging the presence of anxiety is an important place to start. Be mindful that you are feeling anxious and that the anxiety does not have to define you in the moment. While it may feel overwhelming, there are several tips to help you manage and take more control over anxiety producing situations. 

Tips to help manage anxiety in the moment:

-Deep breathing techniques--can be done in any place at most any time (take a deep breath in through your nose or mouth for as long as you are able and then push that breath out until you feel the need to breath in again; repeat for 10 long breaths in and out, counting each inhale and exhale as a completed deep breath. Continue as long as necessary until feeling more calm.

-Talk to someone-it can be helpful to talk about how your anxiety makes you feel and help you to feel not so alone in it.

-Distractions- turning your attention to something else is helpful to take you away from the anxiety; such as playing video games, Sudoku, word-finds, coloring books, listening and singing along to music, taking a walk outside.

While anxiety can be uncomfortable it does not have to stop you from enjoying your life to its fullest. If you find yourself struggling with anxiety and would like to see if meeting with a professional counselor could be helpful for you reach out to us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center 240-274-5680, admin@healingllc.com or www.healingllc.com.

Tips For A Good Nights Rest

Many can relate to the lethargic symptoms associated with the lack of a good nights sleep. Without a routine good nights rest the effects of sleeplessness can be felt in daily functioning at both home and work. Sleeplessness can be a factor or symptom in some mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. There are also more significant sleep issues that could be attributed to medical conditions such as sleep apnea or insomnia. It is always encouraged to discuss any sleep related concerns with your medical and mental health providers to help determine the cause and help guide best treatment for you,

Some suggestions to support a good nights sleep:

-put phone and other electronic devices aside for 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime

-as much as possible, keep a consistent bedtime and wake time

-maintain the bed for sleep time only; if you have difficulty falling asleep, get up and do something else, like read on the couch or sweep the kitchen floors

-try calming aromatherapy, such as lavender oils in the bath or linen sprays intended for bed time use.  

-develop a night time routine (think of it like we do for children...a warm bath, glass of milk, read a chapter of a book, and lights out)

-if you are laying in bed and having difficulty falling asleep instead of counting sheep, try something that works your brain differently, like recalling the first and last name of those you attended grade school with, in alphabetical order (e.g., Alison Smith, Bob Brown, Charlie Moore)

-If you happen to be more sensitive to noise within or outside your home, consider purchasing a white noise machine or small fan to drown out any sounds that could prevent you from falling or staying asleep

- With a doctors approval, try an over the counter natural herbal remedy, such as Melatonin, Valerian, or Chamomile to help.

-If you are particularly anxious or depressed there is a likelihood that you will experience some sleep disturbance, so it may be beneficial to consult with your primary doctor or psychiatrist to discuss more medical based interventions to help you get the best rest possible

If you find yourself having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and would like to discuss this with a professional counselor to see how we may be of help, contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center at 240-274-5680, admin@healingllc.com or visit our website atwww.healingllc.com

Exercise and Mental Health

It is no secret that physical exercise is so important for the health of your body. What may be more surprising are the benefits of exercise to your mental health and overall well-being. There are significant ways exercise supports mental health! You have likely heard of the "runner's high", the endorphins (the feel good chemicals) that get released during exercise and other physical activity. Beyond the endorphin release are multiple other reasons to lace up your sneakers and take a walk, or head to the gym. Some of these include:

-Taking the time out for yourself: When else do you make time just for YOU? 

-Making yourself a priority (body and mind).

-Physical activity allows you to focus on the task at hand, and practice being in the moment. A chance to put aside the to-do list/worries/concerns temporarily. 

-You get the opportunity to try new workouts and change it up if you get bored of the latest one. For example, if you are tired from running try a spinning class, yoga, interval training, or any other activity that keeps you moving, motivated and stimulated.

-Challenging yourself-ever thought about rock climbing, trapezeing, or signing up for a 5k run? There may be physical activities that sound intimidating if they are new, but it also allows you the chance to try out something different. By pushing yourself outside your comfort zone you may experience a confidence boost as well.

-Fun-if you prefer to walk with a friend, or join a club sports team it is a great chance to catch up and/or meet new friends and connect while doing your body and mind some good.

-Control-We certainly do not have control over some parts of life, but we can control what we decide to do with our bodies. By keeping a structured time to exercise your muscles allows you to have a little bit of what you can control while perhaps keeping some anxiety at ease.

-Chance to modify-Physical injuries, disabilities or limitations do not necessarily have to keep you from being active; you may need to modify what you had been doing for example, if you were running 3 times per week and developed a foot injury you may need to explore other options such as swimming or bike riding to alleviate pressure on a certain body part while continuing to achieve the benefits of regular exercise.

While it seems easy to come up with an excuse not to exercise, see if you can find a reason TO make that time for yourself.  If starting a new or different exercise routine it is encouraged to check with your physician first. If you are thinking about making some changes in your lifestyle and would like to explore this further with one of our therapists, contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center at admin@healingllc.com or 240-274-5680 or visit our website at www.healingllc.com.

Self-Care

Self Care seems to be all the buzz these days. Do you know what it really means?   Further more, what it means to you and what self-care looks like for you. Self-care is literally that; intentionally taking care of ones-self. It is giving yourself the time, love, and attention to nourish your mind, body, and soul. 

A busy mom is a good example of someone who might need a reminder to care for herself. "I don't have time" is a common reason people cite for not engaging in self care behaviors; though what some might not realize is self care can be simple and not necessarily a time guzzler. The last thing anyone seems to need these days is more on his/her plate and added stress. Taking good care of yourself may mean adding a small bit of time to your daily routine, but time spent that you will likely feel throughout the day/week.   Examples of self care include: taking a 10 minute bubble bath; 3 minute breathing exercises; 5 minute daily meditation. Other examples might be: taking a walk each morning; doing yoga a few times per week; scheduling time for a professional massage, leaving work on time to make a healthy dinner for yourself; committing to regular therapy sessions; listening to soothing music or reading a book; scheduling time away (even if for a few hours) with yourself, family, or friends. 

The mom above might wonder how she will make that time happen...But the bigger question is if she doesn't take care of herself, who will and if she doesn't have a self care practice, what is the consequence to her and her family? Is she more irritable, feeling overwhelmed, emotionally and physically exhausted.)  Self-care really is a "return on your investment" It truly is taking good care of yourself to feel like a better YOU, for you and your loved ones. 

How do you take care of yourself? If you do not currently have a routine practice of self care, can you think of what you might like to implement?

If you'd like to discuss this further to see if a professional therapist could be helpful, contact us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center, at 240-274-5680 or admin@HealingLLC.com. Or you can visit our website for more information at www.HealingLLC.com.

What are you resolving to do this holiday season and in the new year?

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Mindful Decluttering and Organizing, LLC

Guest Post by Amy Hooper from Another Look at Healing

As each year comes to a close, we’re often compelled to think of our New Year’s resolutions – this year, I’m going to…“cut chocolate out of my diet and drink less soda,” “exercise more – maybe 3 times a week?” “read more books or join a book club," “do more of the things that I want to do, but never get around to doing,”… the list goes on.

These resolutions translate into the various components of life – relationships, financial stability, health (emotional, spiritual and physical), giving back to the world, having a meaning in life – all of which influence each of us differently, shape our experiences, and affect our overall well-being.

As this year nears its end and we look ahead to 2016, what if, instead of thinking about our resolutions, we challenge ourselves to view the different aspects of our lives as part of a broader journey toward greater personal growth?

If we ask ourselves questions such as: How can I be kinder to myself? How can I ask more for what I want and need? And how can I communicate my feelings with others more effectively? Then we’re thinking about the things in life that lead to healthier living. Taking the time to figure out these issues is no easy task, so we at Another Look at Healing, Counseling and Wellness Center would like to offer several tips to help you along your journey - so stay tuned for our next post!

If you would like some support in order to be kinder and more compassionate with yourself, counseling can help. You can visit our website www.HealingLLC.com or contact us at 240-274-5680 or Admin@HealingLLC.com with any questions or to schedule a counseling appointment.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP, Director, Gaithersburg Counseling Center

Attempt to Reduce Stress - What is Stress? - Adapted from a Post written by Leo Babauta (part 2/2)

Are you stressed? It could be a result of a stressful home life, habits, or chaotic work conditions. Instead of adopting old habits (reaching for food, drinking, or smoking for comfort) to deal with stress that could only lead to other problems. Here’s more options of on a list of things you can  do to get your life to a more manageable level of stress, a continuation from our last post.


3. Simplify your finances. Spending too much, late fees, trying to remember when to pay

what bill, or finding those paper bills that you’ve placed somewhere. First, pinpoint what

stresses you out about your finances. Automate savings, bill payments, and debt

payments can be a solution. Or it could be trying to spend less by reducing your shopping

trips (online too).

4. Have a blast! Have fun each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.  This may include

playing with your kids outside, watching a funny TV show, reading your favorite comic

or looking online for silly jokes or inspirational phrases. Engage in something that takes

your mind of your stressors daily. Play sports, board games, read, dance, or watch

Youtube videos. Whatever you choose, be sure to laugh.

5. One thing at a time!

Start reducing your stress today! But remember, take it slow and do one thing at a time.

Focus as much as possible on doing one thing at a time.  Clear your desk of distractions.

Pick something to work on. Need to get ready for a presentation at work? Do only that.

Remove distractions such as phones and email notifications while you’re working on

that report. This takes practice, and you’ll get urges to do other things. But it can be done!

If you would like some support in order to manage your stress, counseling can help. You can visit our website www.HealingLLC.com or contact us at 240-274-5680 or Admin@HealingLLC.com with any questions or to schedule a counseling appointment.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP, Director, Gaithersburg Counseling Center

Dena Alalfey, Graduate Intern

References: Zen habits : Breathe. (n.d.). Retrieved May 26, 2015, from

http://zenhabits.net/10-simple-ways-to-live-a-less-stressful-life/

The Keys to Happiness - Learning to feel good about you!

What do you like about yourself!? This may be a challenging task at first, but start a file on what you like about yourself. Take your time writing it and as you write it think about what it feels like to write it. You may expand this list by writing down compliments people give you! Try to visit this file daily and read what you have, notice your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that arise while writing in the file and also while re-reading it.

Maybe these couple of exercises will help you feel more positive, grounded and balanced. Whether or not they are helpful, they might give you some insights or topics to discuss further with a counselor or trusted friend.  At Another Look at Healing, Counseling Center, we can help with this search for greater self-awareness and finding those strengths to help you feel happier and more fulfilled. For more information, you can email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or call us at 240-274-5680. Or for more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com.

Announcing: Free Phone Consultation!

We are now offering a free phone consultation! Also, special discounts are available for individual, couples and group counseling if you call us before March 25th to discuss setting up an appointment. Call today 240-274-5680.


Announcing: Personal Growth Group Openings! 
*Only 2 spaces left*

Are you feeling stuck and want to work out your issues?
Do you value self-reflection and want to find greater understanding of yourself?
Are you looking for support in changing your life for the better?

If you answered yes, consider participating in our personal growth group. A psychotherapy group is a safe, protected environment where you can learn about both who you are and how you are with others. By discussing issues and receiving feedback from the other group members you can learn to understand how you feel and how others react to you. This group is for people who are facing a range of concerns including: difficulty communicating, lack of interpersonal skills, trouble getting what you want out of life, loneliness, poor self-esteem and social anxiety.

For more information or to sign up for a pre-group interview to determine whether the group is right for you, please call or email us directly at 240-274-5680 or AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com and ask for a pre-group interview session with Lev Grotel.

If you have any comments or questions, please send them to AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.

If you are looking for support in making changes and growing the life you always wanted, feel free to contact us here at Another Look at Healing, LLC at 240-274-5680 or by emailing Admin@HealingLLC.com. Our website is www.HealingLLC.com for more details.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, Director & Dena Alalfey, Graduate Intern

Explore your Senses - Mindfulness leads to improved mood!

Oh those five senses that we take for granted! - When's the last time you noticed the unique color of the sky? Or that cool breeze brushing up against your face? When walking from your car to the office, while grocery shopping, or running errands, walk with your senses. Notice the temperature, the unique scents, the beautiful colors, the people around you and everything happening in the moment. Oh that's delicious! We need to eat to survive and everyday we're luck to have decadent food that we're eating rushed, in front of the television, or in just plain autopilot. Let's try to eat with our senses. In autopilot we tend to rush with everything, inhaling food at our desk or in front of the TV. Instead, pay attention to each bite, the texture, tastes and feelings that come up. Notice how much you enjoy that particular snack or meal! Yum!

Meditation and Mood!

Guided Meditation  Search Podcasts or YouTube for quick guided meditations. During breaks at work or any time you feel like you need to slow down, these will help you get in touch with your body. And of course there are apps for it! Check out Stop, Breathe & Think, calm, or mindfulness daily.

So many different moods! If you find yourself getting mad or upset about something, stop and examine your mood. Ask the question, if I were feeling good right now, would I see this the same way? This helps you question that thought that popped in your mind!

If you are looking for support in making changes and growing the life you always wanted, feel free to contact us here at Another Look at Healing, LLC at 240-274-5680 or by emailing Admin@HealingLLC.com. Our website is www.HealingLLC.com for more details.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, Director &

Dena Alalfey, Graduate Intern

Why Is Going to Therapy So Difficult?

Ever feel like therapy is too hard or wished it didn't have to be so hard? Most people have that feeling at one time or another during a course of treatment and it may help to have a bit of understanding of why it is such a challenge and what is going on inside of you. So, first, applause to you for taking a step in a direction of helping yourself!  Regardless of what you might feel you need help with, actually looking at what is getting in your way of change can begin the changing process! As you already may have realized, change itself is difficult. Look how long you have been going along in your life, feeling, acting, behaving, being this certain way. Even when you have the best of intentions of changing; said change is often still quite challenging. 
We as humans are hard wired to build up defenses (essentially ways of protecting ourselves from "potential" harms way). When you come to therapy often times those defenses are no longer working effectively for you. It is likely because the defenses have become more of a barrier to those around you and yourself from feeling whatever it is that you may feel. A well trained therapist will help you to become aware of these defenses and feelings that arise during your sessions and explore what might be occurring. Your therapist wants to help you reach your goals; with time, patience, and a good fit you may just see and feel some of the change you are hoping for and working towards.Try and be kind to yourself during this process; its tough, though you are worth it.


For more assistance finding a therapist who is a good fit for you, feel free to call our office at 240-274-5680 or for more information about our therapists, visit www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

What to say when someone dies...

Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one as part of life. Though it is a part of life, it can often be a difficult one to know how to navigate for those directly and indirectly affected by such losses. Others losses can remind us of our own recent or distant losses. You may be afraid to say “the wrong thing”; however if you stop and think about it, is there a “wrong” way to show and express your sympathy for ones loss? Take this opportunity to really stop and think…

Now, in thinking about someones loss try and challenge yourself to wonder what you would want and need  from a friend, co-worker, or family member if you were the one closely affected by the death.

Do you want someone to be with you?

Do you need some space and time to reflect?

Do you need to not think about making dinner for the next week?

Do you want a hug and a good cry?

It is important to remember everyone grieves differently, in our own way and own time. It can be helpful to keep in mind that even though some time may have passed, the loss is still very real and present for that person. Acknowledgement of this can be so meaningful; having a witness to ones grief (whether it  be a therapist or friend) can really offer the feeling of not being so alone.

If you have having a difficult time with a recent or previous loss, and want some support working through it, feel free to call our office at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com to start getting the help you are looking for. 

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC

New Teen & Adult Therapists for Anxiety, Depression & Relationship Issues

Hello! We hope you are enjoying the beginning of Fall! We are excited to announce the addition of a two new therapists to our busy private therapy practice! We hope you will join us in welcoming Jill Gordon, LCSW and Simone Bramble, LCSW-C to our counseling and wellness center which offers day, evening and weekend hours and reasonable rates (including a sliding scale) to help make therapy accessible and available to anyone who is looking for individual, couples, family or group counseling during these difficult times. 

The focus of our practice is on identifying each client’s unique needs so we can create an individual treatment plan to promote healthier, happier living.

 

Jill Gordon, LCSW is enthusiastic, non judgmental and compassionate in her work with teens and adults. She believes in creating a validating, supportive, empowering environment and uses a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach to help her clients make practical changes in their lives in the following areas:
 Teen Issues:
   School Stress, Friends Issues, Parent/Child Issues, Depression/Anxiety, Self Esteem
Adult Issues:
   Depression, Anxiety, Work Related Issues, Stress Management, Relationship Issues, Communication,
   Interpersonal Problems, Life Transitions, Abuse & Trauma, Assertiveness Issues

                 

Simone Bramble, LCSW-C is caring and experienced in helping teens, adults and families. She uses a directive, strengths based, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)  approach to help guide clients with the following issues:
 Teen Issues:
   School Stress, Friends Issues, Parent/Child Issues, Depression/Anxiety, Self Esteem
Adult Issues:
   Depression, Anxiety & Stress, Work Related Issues, Anger Management, Relationship Issues
Couples/Family Issues:
   Communication, Interpersonal Problems, Fighting, Problematic Sexualized Behavior, Assertiveness Issues

As we continue to build our practice, we welcome any clients who you feel would be a good fit to work with one of us. We can be reached by calling the office at 240-274-5680 or by email to AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.  For more information about the practice, or us please visit our website at www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC
AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com - Contact me with questions!

More Ideas about Resolutions and Goals

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? Are you finding it difficult to change, despite resolving to make it finally happen this year?

When reading Psychology Today, this month, I came across a very interesting article about training your brain to help you reach your goals without having to use sheer willpower.

The crux of this article was social psychologist and author, Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. remarks that using the ‘if-then’ technique can be incredibly useful (and 2-3 times more powerful) for “resisting temptation and building good habits”. The technique basically entails making a specific if-then statement about your goal. So, if your goal is to stop eating after 8pm, the revised goal would be: IF it is after 8pm, THEN I will not eat any more food. Or, if your goal is to stop leaving dishes in the sink, your revised goal would be: If I see dishes in the sink, THEN I will wash them immediately before leaving the kitchen.

The reason this technique is so useful is because your brain is biologically programmed to determine behavior from your surroundings. Your brain is always automatically scanning your surroundings for “if” situations, in order to help you know what to do next. So, using an if-then statement creates a link or a bond between the cue (seeing dishes) and the behavior (washing the dishes). This link can become automatic, so you will unconsciously have already told your body what to do in the given situation, which means you will use less conscious will power to go ahead and do the activity. In other words, the dishes will get done and you will decrease your eating after 8pm.

As I mentioned last month, it is important to be gentle with yourself and know that it takes time to get used to any new habit. No one is perfect and making changes often happens incrementally. There will be ups and downs. If you make your goals into if-then statements, your brain can do some of the hard work for you.

This is one more trick in your tool bag of living the life you want. In turn, you will find you can make the changes you want to make for 2011 and for many years to come.

For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/cso for details. 

Happy New Year – A Few Words on Resolutions

Happy New Year to all!
Did you make some resolutions this year?
Are you having trouble sticking to them now that a month has passed?

There is one secret that will help you reach your goals, and it might be easier than you think.

Perhaps you resolved to work out and lose weight this year. Or you decided to spend more time with family and friends. Have you decided this is the year you will quit smoking, drinking, or overspending?

These are great goals – sometimes they might seem too great. Sometimes we make really big goals because we want to make big changes. The secret to sticking with your resolutions is breaking them down into manageable steps.

If you are determined to lose weight this year, that can be overwhelming, which can cause stress, which can cause you to over eat or give up on exercise. Instead let’s consider breaking this resolution down into smaller steps. For example:

Goal: To lose 15 pounds.
Possible Steps:

• Plan to lose about one pound each month – this is a reachable goal.
• Get on track with exercise – plan to work out between one and three times per week for between 20 and 60 minutes. Be specific. If you aren’t sure about how to exercise, joins a gym, ask a friend or hire a trainer.
• Change your Eating – Keep a journal of what you eat for a week, and then take a look at it. Are you eating late at night? Are you making healthy choices? Make some adjustments as needed to include plenty of water, fruits and vegetables. If you need help, consult with a nutritionist.
• Get a friend or co-worker to join your plan so you have someone to be accountable to.
• Make a checklist of healthy living activities (Ate Fruit, Drank Water, Exercised etc.) and put it on your fridge – then you can check it off each day and at the end of the week, reward yourself (bubble bath, massage, lunch out with a friend).

Most of all, be gentle with yourself. No one is perfect and this is a journey. There will be ups and downs. If you make your goals specific, small, obtainable and focused, you will find you are better able to stick with those resolutions for 2011 and for many years to come.

I would love to hear from you! Please write in with any comments or questions about how to keep or maintain new years or any kind of resolution. All information will remain confidential if emailed to AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com. Or for more information, go to www.HealingLLC.com. Thanks for checking in!

Take Good Care,
Amy L. Hooper, LGSW, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC