Glossary
Our glossary is crafted to enhance your understanding of both clinical and industry-specific terminology. Ideal for professionals across various stages of their careers as well as individuals embarking on their own therapeutic journeys, this resource provides a comprehensive guide to the latest terminology used in the field, ensuring you stay well-informed and current.
This technique forces our mind and body to focus on regulating our breath, rather than replaying worries in our minds. One may begin by exhaling completely through the mouth, making a whoosh sound. Then close the mouth and inhale quietly through the nose to a count of 4. Soon after, hold the breath for a count of 7. Lastly, exhale completely through the mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.
Several adults grow up in homes as children with a parent living with an active addiction. These struggles continue to plague their ability to live emotionally healthy and balanced lives as adults. A child that grows up in such a household may not have gotten the parental guidance they needed or may have created a distorted view of healthy attachment as an adult. As a result of this dysfunction, children of alcoholics may face several characteristic difficulties in adulthood, making it harder to find balance and peace, resulting oftentimes, in unhealthy coping skills such as substance misuse, self-harm, and other interpersonally-disruptive behaviors.
All Lives Matter: A slogan used to demean and challenge the Black Lives Matter Movement, and maintaining a perspective centered upon "racial dismissal, ignoring, and denial.”
Someone who is educating themselves about anti-racism and actively working to educate others about anti-racism and who works to end racism and other forms of intersectional oppression.
Alternate nostril breathing also called Nadi Shodhana, is a yogic breath control practice. It improves our ability to focus, supports respiratory function, rejuvenates the nervous system, and diminishes stress. To do this practice, one is encouraged to sit in a comfortable position. Lift your right hand toward your nose, exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers. Open the right nostril and exhale through this side. Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril. Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side. This is one cycle. Continue for up to 5 times.
The amygdala, a marble-sized brain area, helps coordinate responses to things in your environment, especially those that trigger an emotional response. This structure plays an important role in fear and anger. Amygdala hijack happens when your brain reacts to psychological stress as if it's physical danger and triggers your fight-or-flight response.
In the Greek language, anhedonia is directly translated to “without pleasure”, a key symptom of Major Depressive Disorder. It is characterized by the inability to experience pleasure in normally enjoyable experiences.
Anorexia is another common eating disorder characterized by abnormally or unhealthily low body weight; an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of their body and weight expectations. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme methods that tend to significantly interrupt their day-to-day functionality. In order to prevent weight gain or encourage weight loss, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is critical for both stress and inhibitory control processes and has been implicated in childhood trauma. Sitting right under the top of your head, it serves to help us stay aware and take in stimuli around us to make informed-decisions. When impacted by trauma, this part of the brain diminishes in size over time and is unable to take in environment cues optimally, and instead relies on past learning data to make decisions.
A practice, set of beliefs, and value system that recognizes the historic oppression and violence perpetuated against Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American bodies in the US and that works to educate people about this oppression and to end that oppression in our current day.
Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that encompasses repeated, and excessive spells of fear, worry, and anxious feelings. Apprehension and anxiety on the other hand are a normal facet of life. They are, after all, what guide and motivate us to achieve goals, and take risks. However, when anxiety begins to stick, becomes your baseline, or feels unshakeable, it may get in the way of optimizing your quality of life.
Process of taking on social and cultural traits of the majority race in the nation in which one resides.
Attachment theory believes that humans are born with an innate drive to develop deep emotional bonds with their caregivers. A bond that exists beyond the basic fulfilment of physiological needs, but also of emotional needs. The safety or lack thereof of our early relationships go on to influence our psychological wellbeing and interpersonal-connectedness later on in life.
This system controls conditions inside one's body. Most activities in this system are done without any conscious control over them. It is interestingly divided into 2 main sections. The sympathetic nervous system (our hot system) and the parasympathetic nervous system (our cool system). These 2 systems are inclined to have opposing actions, where one system stimulates a response, and the other inhibits it.
Attempts to avoid non-white people and communities or to be formal, correct, and cold in dealings with them.
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
The acronym BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. This term seeks to unite all POC in the work for freedom and liberation while acknowledging that not all people of color face the same level of oppression and injustice. This conscious awareness allows us to recognize that Black and Indigenous bodies face some of the worst injustices in society as a consequence of racism, classism, and settler colonialism.
An international activist movement bringing justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe. #BlackLivesMatter was founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi.
At its core, body neutrality is the idea that we can exist without having to think too deeply or often about our bodies - either positively or negatively. You can simply exist and be worthy of self and social respect without thinking about your body at all. It encourages us to accept the ebb and flow of our relationships with our bodies- whether it be feeling good about it one day and not as good about it the next
Breathwork involves the practice of utilizing breathing exercises to increase one’s conscious awareness. A breathwork therapist may guide their client through meditative practices, involving breathing techniques, that seek to explain one's self-awareness and promote holistic well-being.
Bulimia Nervosa is a common eating disorder that may be potentially life-threatening. People with bulimia may binge (eat large amounts of food with a loss of control over the eating behavior) and then purge, (trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way). To rid themselves of the calories ingested and prevent weight gain, people with bulimia may use different methods. For example: regularly self-inducing vomiting or misusing laxatives, taking weight-loss supplements, diuretics or enemas after bingeing.
Chakras refer to various energy centers that correlate to specific internal organs and nerve bundles in the body. The 7 major chakras run from the top of your head to the base of your spine. A high-stress environment, trauma, loss, may create blockages in energy flow that may manifest into anxiety and worry. One way to stabilize or unblock these imbalanced chakras is by partaking in somatic interventions to promote holistic healing and well-being.
Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.
A health insurance claim is a request made for direct payment or reimbursement for medical services that an insured person has obtained. Health insurance benefits or payments are obtained after the insured submits a claim to their insurer.
Group of individuals who share a similar socioeconomic status.
CBT is a skills-based treatment modality that focuses on the interrelationship between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. A CBT therapist utilizes techniques to examine and reduce dysfunctional thoughts and introduce new ways of behaving through homework that may result in positive behavioral and emotional outcomes.
CBT-I, is a therapy used as the first line of treatment for insomnia. CBT-I is used for folks struggling with chronic sleep problems and is a structured program. It helps one identify and replace behaviors and thoughts that create or worsen sleep issues, with habits that promote sound sleep. Unlike reactive interventions like sleep medication, CBT-I helps clients overcome the underlying issues of sleep disruption. Your therapist may utilize techniques such as improvement of sleep hygiene, sleep environment, and may also encourage relaxation training along with many other effective interventions.
Coherent breathing is a very simple breathing technique of taking 5 breaths per minute. The purpose of this type of breathing is to increase heart rate variability. A coherent breathing state is a neutral fluid condition, in that as you inhale you allow for some arousal by moving into your hot system, and as you exhale you allow for restorative action by moving into your cool system. The state achieved with coherent breathing allows for one to experience relaxation whilst also allowing for a quick transition into a state of activation.
This is the percentage of the total cost of a therapy session you pay after you meet your deductible or if your insurance won't cover all of your therapy costs. Like a copay, this amount is fixed and will be the same every time you see your therapist.
European effort to maintain control of weaker nations made palpable by language eradication, land dispossession, and governing hegemony; the United States followed a similar policy in the Philippines, the Caribbean, Latin America, and importantly North America’s Indigenous.
A belief that one should treat all persons equally, without regard to their race.
Complicated grief is when an individual may feel trapped in their pain, and sense of loss after the death of a loved one. Grief itself is a normal human emotion and should be transitory. However, when this grief becomes chronically debilitating is when it is termed complicated grief.
Conscious relaxation involves becoming conscious of your mind and body and then relaxing them by “letting go”. In this state, you are experiencing the release of tension without distraction in the mind.
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in response to stress and is one of the three hormones involved in the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response. Cortisol helps to regulate our blood sugar, blood pressure, and maintain our immune system. However, the issue arises when we are continuously exposed to stressful stimuli resulting in the overproduction of cortisol in our bodies, which may lead to health issues.
In couples therapy, the therapist works with couples from an unbiased and non-judgemental stance, to work through interpersonal issues that may be relevant to their relationship.
Couplings are associations between a stimulus and the response that follows. There can be "over-coupling" (over associations) or "under-coupling" (fragmented or dis-associate. An awareness of this coupling dynamics is what guides us to more of a sense of presence.
Creative arts therapy, often referred to as “Art Therapy”, seeks to improve clients' overall physical and mental well-being. This modality uses techniques derived from various art forms to improve coordination and communication, increase social function, and enable the expression and processing of feelings.
The Crown Chakra is the highest chakra, sitting at the crown of the head and represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually. When you fully open your crown chakra—you're able to access higher consciousness. Located at the very top of the head.
Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is defined as the psychotherapeutic use of body movement to promote cognitive, social, emotional, and physical integration, for the purpose of improving physical and mental health, and overall well-being.
The practice of using the former name of a transgender person—the name they were given at birth rather than the name they have chosen for themselves.
The deductible is the amount you have to pay before your insurance kicks in. There is a seperate out-of-network deductible that needs to be met. For example, if your deductible is $1,000, than that is the amount your sessions would need to total before your insurance begins to reimburse your for the cost. Deductibles can range based on different plans and companies.
This is another defense mechanism, involving an inability to consciously acknowledge feelings, desires, thoughts, or facets of reality that may be too painful or unacceptable for the self.
DBT treatment is a type of psychotherapy that implements a cognitive-behavioral approach. However, it emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment. It is support-oriented, skills-based, and very collaborative. It provides clients with skills to manage intense emotions and decrease interpersonal-conflicts. Its 4 main components are mindfulness, distress tolerance, assertiveness or interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. Mindfulness: bringing awareness to thoughts, feeling, sensations in the present moment Distress Tolerance: employing skills to self-sooth, relax, and cope with crisis and discomfort that are not harmful to oneself Emotional Regulation: learning how to deal with primary emotional reactions before they lead to a chain of distressing secondary reactions Interpersonal Effectiveness: by combining listening skills, social skills, and assertiveness training, one can change situations while remaining true to their values and deepening connection to others
Discernment counseling is a type of brief couples therapy that is designed for couples who are uncertain of whether or not they want to continue in their relationship. This type of therapy aims to help partners consider all options before they make a decision to work on their relationship or terminate their relationship.
While dissociating, one may feel disconnected from themselves and the world around them. Often dissociation is one way the mind copes with excessive stress, such as during a traumatic event.
The tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing.
Dopamine is a chemical messenger made by our bodies, and is controlled by our nervous system. It plays a primary role in determining how we feel pleasure. It guides our ability to plan, draw motivation, think, find things interesting, and focus.
Notion attributed to W. E. B. Du Bois that black folks are able to see racialized events and structuring from two perspectives—that of the majority group and their own—at the same time.
The ego is the psychological component of the personality that is represented by our conscious decision-making process.
Egodystonic is the opposite, wherein, one's thoughts and behaviors conflict with the needs and goals of one's ego and ideal self-image.
Egosyntonic refers to values, feelings, and behaviors that are in harmony with the needs and goals of the ego, and one's ideal self-image.
Endorphins are chemicals that our body releases when it is in pain or is under stress. These chemicals help in reducing emotional distress, relieving pain, and offering a sense of well-being. These chemicals interact with receptors in the brain that help in lessening our perception of pain.
Preferred description for people who endured/suffered under chattel slavery rather than “slave”—enslavement is a condition not an identity.
Epinephrine (also called adrenaline) is one of the three hormones involved in the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response. It is an evolutionary adaptation that allows us to cope with unexpected and dangerous situations. It increases our heart rate, and gives us a surge of energy and focus allowing us to brace for and/or confront a threat.
Practice of collective indifference towards the processes of overall eradication to the identity, history, stories, and culture of a group, rendering them invisible.
ERP is a type of cognitive behavior therapy that is most effectively used to treat OCD. Folks are repeatedly and gradually exposed to thoughts, situations, and images that elicit their obsessions while resisting their compulsions. Through a gradual increase in intensity and frequency of the exposure, folks reach a point where they are desensitized to the trigger, and hence no longer partake in disruptive behaviors or ruminations.
Exposure Therapy is a type of behavioral therapy created to help folks manage problematic fears. In this therapy, one is gradually exposed to the situation that causes them distress. The goal of exposure therapy is to create an environment of safety, within which a person can decrease avoidance behaviors, reduce anxiety, and improve quality of life.
Expressive Art Therapies are the use of the creative arts as a form of therapy, including the distinct disciplines of: expressive arts therapy and creative arts therapy. Unlike traditional art expression, emphasis is placed on the process rather than the final product.
EMDR is a form of trauma treatment that encourages the processing of distressing memories while restoring the brain's organic healing abilities. Along with several other techniques, an EMDR therapist may lead their client in a series of lateral eye movements, while reprocessing or focusing on a distressing memory, encouraging desensitization of overwhelming feelings and allowing for therapeutic healing.
Family Therapy sees individuals as existing within a whole system, with each sub-system affecting the well-being of the other. Family therapy is a therapeutic modality that seeks to nurture change and development, in order to better the psychological health of the family as a whole.
Gaga is a movement language developed by the Batsheva Dance Company in Isreal. Gaga has two educational tracks: Gaga for Dancers is intended for trained dancers and comprises the daily training of the Batsheva Dance Company; Gaga for the People is designed for the general public and requires no dance training. Many folks have stated that after taking Gaga classes, their passion for dance has been re-ignited; they have found new ways to connect to their inner beast without being self-conscious about how the movement looks while at the same time discovering how to deeply listen to their bodies and self. Try one of our a Gaga-informed class through the Repose Studio today!
Gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex.
Gestalt Therapy strives for personal growth by increasing conscious awareness of present moment experiences. A Gestalt therapist engages the client in exercises and discussions that bring awareness to thoughts, feelings, and movements as they arise, enhancing the client’s understanding and acceptance of their inner world and guidance.
Racial slurs and epithets or other harsh language that has no purpose other than to demean and marginalize other people or groups.
The heart Chakra is the bridge between the lower chakras (linked to maternity) and upper chakras (linked to spirituality). This chakra influences our ability to receive and give love. Someone with a blocked Anahata will struggle to fully open up to the people in their life. If someone's Anahata is open, they can experience deep compassion and empathy. Located in the center of the chest.
Heternormativity is the belief that heterosexuality, predicated on the gender binary of male-female, is not only the norm or default sexual orientation but also the only acceptable sexual orientation.
Preference for straight relationships and view that same-sex relationships are unnatural.
HIPAA is an acronym that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US law designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, therapists, hospitals and other health care providers.
The hippocampus is a key area of the brain involved in basic function. It is part of the temporal lobe and intimately related to the amygdala. The hippocampus is involved with memory retrieval and storage. When functioning optimally, the hippocampus is thought to create an appropriate context for memories, helping to support a coherent narrative of what is and isn’t dangerous, keeping the amygdala regulated so that it is active only when appropriate.
Identity is loosely defined as who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you see yourself, the way you are viewed by the world, and the characteristics that define you.
There is often a link between one’s identity and the risk of traumatic exposure. Any verbal or nonverbal prejudiced communication whether on an individual or systemic level, may contribute to one feeling overwhelmed. This may then turn into an inability for one to adequately cope. Some traumatic events occur solely as a result of how someone may describe or express their identity (gender, racial and sexual minorities for example). Such chronic traumatic experiences may negatively impact an individual's identity and identity expression, and result in an alteration in identity and self-esteem.
Political and economic domination of one nation or group over another. Implicit bias: Unconscious association of one idea with another, such as race and personal qualities, frequently evincing a negative attitude.
A goal of anti-racism work is to create systems that are inclusive and/or that have inclusion as a primary value. See equity.
Individual therapy is a type of therapy that is typically between a psychotherapist and client exclusively. This type of therapy allows individuals to explore their feelings and thoughts with a trained professional, who may be guided by varying theoretical approaches and principles. In such a modality, the client-therapist fit is crucial, which is why here at Repose, we match you with a therapist that fits your needs.
Intergenerational trauma is a psychological term that asserts that trauma can be transferred between generations. It states that after the first generation of survivors experiences trauma, they transfer this trauma to their children via altered genes and behavioral conditioning often perpetuated by continued race-based traumatic stress.
IFS seeks to increase self-awareness by exploring varying “sub-personalities” of the mind while nurturing our connection to the self. An IFS therapist will work with clients to explore, understand, connect with, and alter disruptive parts of the mind, enabling clients to enjoy the liberation and peace of living a self-determined existence.
“The hidden sense that shapes wellbeing”. It is your brain’s perception of your body’s state, transmitted from receptors on all your internal organs. It is your brain’s representation of sensations from your own body.
The fear and targeting of people perceived to be Muslim. It has often resulted in violence enacted against Muslim people or anyone perceived to be Muslim.
This term describes a person of Latin American origin or descent and is used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to the commonly used terms “Latino or Latina”.
LGBTQIA++ is an umbrella term that seeks to encompass all identities of the gender and sexuality minority. Some but not all of the identities include: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Demisexual, Pansexual, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Graysexual, and more.
Political philosophy that holds the purpose of government is to maximize liberty; in civil rights, the view that law should enforce formal equality in treatment of all citizens.
Depression is classified as a mood disorder that causes pervasive feelings of sadness, and loss of interest (anhedonia). Also called Major Depressive Disorder or clinical depression. It affects how we think, feel, and behave, and also leads to a variety of physical, emotional, and interpersonal problems. Folks with MDD may struggle to perform basic activities of daily living, and some may even experience thoughts of suicide. More than just “feeling low” or something to “snap out of”, depression may require long-term treatment. However, efficacious treatment options for MDD do exist.
In psychology, mentalization is the ability to understand the mental state, of oneself or others, that underlies overt behavior. Mentalization can be seen as a form of imaginative mental activity that lets us perceive and interpret human behavior in terms of intentional mental states (e.g., needs, desires, feelings, beliefs, goals, purposes, and reasons). It is sometimes described as "understanding misunderstanding." Mentalization can occur either automatically or consciously. Mentalization ability, or mentalizing, is weakened by intense emotion.
Metacognition is quite simply “thinking about thinking”. It involves conscious awareness of one’s thoughts. Separating the thought from you, the onlooker. This emboldening idea lends the notion that if we have the ability to observe our thoughts, we may possibly have the power to change our thoughts.
Metta meditation is one of many types of Buddhist Meditation. The term is derived from the Pali language, meaning friendliness, amity, goodwill, benevolence, loving-kindness, and active interest in others. The goal of such meditation is to cultivate kindness for oneself and for all those around us. The main technique of this meditation involves reciting positive affirmations towards oneself and these surrounding beings.
Small encounter with racism, usually unnoticed by members of the majority race, but one in which the cumulative impacts of microaggressions take an emotional toll on a person.
Mindfulness is a state of being. It is the quality of being wholly present and completely engaged in whatever we are doing in the moment. Allowing ourselves to be free from judgment and distraction, and fully attuned to our thoughts and feelings without getting trapped in them. This moment-to-moment awareness is one that is trained through breathwork, meditation, and guided imagery, allowing us to enhance this skill and utilize it in our daily lives.
Neuroception is the term used to describe the process that the brain undergoes to immediately recognize danger and keep us safe.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to changes in an individual's environment by creating new neural connections over time. It explains how the human brain is able to master new skills, store new memories, adapt, and even recover after a traumatic brain injury or traumatic exposure.
Last but not least in hormones involved in the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response is Norepinephrine. Norepinephrine works alongside Epinephrine. Its primary purpose is to invoke arousal. Similar to the purpose of Epinephrine, it serves as a backup system of sorts.
OCD is a common, and chronic disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, intrusive, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that they may enact in order to alleviate anxiety provoked by these obsessions. Although an anxiety disorder, OCD differs from generalized anxiety. There are three distinct features between both disorders. These are - the content of your anxiety, the fixedness of your thoughts, and whether or not compulsions are involved. Folks with generalized anxiety jump from one anxiety to the next through the day (or have a global sense of feeling overwhelmed) whereas someone with OCD is more likely to obsess over one intrusive thought and direct excessive attention to it. Within OCD, one may also experience Pure O, which is marked by obsessions alone. An individual experiencing Pure O may not engage in visible behaviors to mitigate their intrusive thoughts, but may instead partake in hidden mental rituals.
Rule of hypodescent, that any person with discernible black ancestry (one drop of African blood) is black and can never be white
Out-of-network means that a therapist does not have a contract with your health insurance plan provider. Some plans may have OON benefits, and some may not. Some OON benefits may even cover up to 80-90% of costs. Some health plans, such as an HMO plan, will not cover care from out-of-network providers at all, except in an emergency.
Oxytocin is a powerful hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It plays a crucial role in reproduction, childbirth, and childcare. It is also involved in broader social behavior and cognition. Often called the “love hormone” due to its pair-bonding, it reinforces attachment between mother-infant as well as adult romantic relationships.
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder diagnosed in people who experience seemingly out-of-the-blue and spontaneous panic attacks. Such individuals are very preoccupied with the fear of another attack coming on. Panic attacks may occur very unexpectedly, and oftentimes, even when awakening from a deep sleep.
The parasympathetic nervous system often called the rest-and-digest system, is tasked with saving the body’s energy by increasing the activity of the intestines and glands during periods of rest and slowing the heart rate. It inhibits the body from being overworked and restores it to a calm and regulated state.
A process by which the child is made to take on the role of “parent” to their own parent or sibling due to a reluctant or not able parent. In this process, children are pushed into taking on the role of caretaker, and giving up their role as the child.
Crossing the color line and gaining acceptance into a race other than one’s original one.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS): a broad term intended to encompass the range of mental health issues that a woman may experience throughout pregnancy and up to two years postpartum that are unique to physical, emotional, and mental shifts occurring during the transition to motherhood.
The acronym POC stands for Person of Color. This denotes a person who is not white. Although this term is increasingly common, it may still not be acceptable to all audiences and excludes the experiences of some marginalized communities within the substrata of racial and ethnic identities.
Polyvagal Theory is a tool for working with trauma as well as understanding social connection and communication. The polyvagal theory posits how all of us experience some degree of trauma in our early lives. Whether this trauma was a singular event that brought great fear or a prolonged sense of feeling unsafe. Each of these experiences elicits responses that remain ingrained in our nervous systems and frequently emerge to add fear to situations experienced later in life. Polyvagal theory offers a precise science about the vagus nerve, which is one part of our autonomic nervous system (our control room).
The condition of being beyond race; an era when race no longer matters, and individuals are no longer assessed by such.
Postpartum Depression: a commonly used term to describe mental health issues a woman may experience after giving birth. It is a misnomer because symptoms are not limited to that of depression and has been renamed perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADS). Maternal Wellness specialists believe that this term better encompasses the entirety of mental health issues that a woman may experience throughout pregnancy and up to two years postpartum that are unique to the transition to motherhood.
Pre-commitment counseling is an opportunity for you and your partner(s) to actively and intentionally navigate various elements of committed life that you will be sure to face in your marriage, while simultaneously developing skills designed to enhance your relationship
The prefrontal cortex is a brain area that is involved in emotional and cognitive processing and emotion regulation. It regulates anxiety-like behaviors and stress-induced fear responses by enforcing inhibitory effects. It is our brains, chief executive officer, in charge of planning complex behaviors, attention, personality expression, memory, and decision-making abilities.
PMDD is a more severe form of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). It induces behavioral and physical symptoms that usually dissipate after the onset of one's menstruation. PMDD may result in extreme mood swings that hinder our personal and work life. Symptoms may include hopelessness, anger, irritation, sadness, and physical symptoms such as bloating and breast tenderness. Therapeutic guidance surrounding changes in diet and lifestyle may help in reducing these symptoms.
Right or advantage, often unwritten, conferred on some people but not others, usually without examination or good reason.
In psychology, projection is a defense mechanism, wherein one may attribute intolerable thoughts, impulses, urges, or feelings that they do not want to admit, onto other people.
Proprioception, otherwise known as kinesthesia, is your body's ability to sense movement, action, and location. It's present in every muscle movement you have. Without proprioception you would be unable to take another step without thinking through it. Proprioception allows us to for example, keep walking without consciously thinking about every single step.
Psychoeducation is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention for clients and their loved ones, it helps to provide information in order to better support, understand and cope with a mental illness.
Psychodynamic therapy is a form of depth psychology that involves the interpretation of emotional and mental processes rather than the exploration of behavior. A psychodynamic therapist may aim to help clients find patterns in their unconscious thoughts, beliefs, and emotions to gain insight into their present selves.
This therapy involves the interpretation of emotional and mental processes rather than focusing on behaviors alone. Psychodynamic therapists attempt to help clients explore and identify patterns in their thoughts, emotions, and beliefs to gain insight into their current selves.
View that racial progress is sporadic and that people of color are doomed to experience only infrequent peaks followed by regressions.
The concept of radical acceptance is one that describes accepting life on life’s terms, and not pushing back against what cannot be changed.
This is why your health insurance pays you back a portion of the cost of therapy. This reimbursement is sent via check, and you would be required to pay your therapist their full fee upfront.
This is a state of deep rest that allows you to change your body's response to stressful situations, both external and internal. It is an inborn mechanism and is vital for reducing the negative effects of psychological, emotional, and physical wear and tear on our bodies and minds.
Remembered Wellness, previously called the “placebo effect” is the belief that we all have the ability to heal based upon the projection of our intense desire for wellness and healing. It posits that we all can “remember” and draw upon the calm and strength associated with moments of health and happiness. These memories are not only psychologically and emotionally soothing but are also physically soothing.
Restorative Yoga is a practice that encourages slowing down and opening up one's body through passive stretching. It strives to eliminate the pull of gravity by bringing the ground up to one's mindfully positioned bodies through the use of props. It allows for deep relaxation of all the muscles in one's body and helps in the cultivation of the skill of conscious relaxation. It down-regulates one's nervous system and allows for healing through the sense of unshackled release. It helps in reducing the production of stress hormones and muscle tension, improves the functionality of the immune system, and helps with insomnia.
The root chakra represents our foundation. It is located in the base of our spine, in the tailbone area. When the root chakra is open we feel secure in embracing challenges on our own two feet. When blocked, we feel unstable as though our grounding is shaky.
“Rupture and repair” refers to the breaking and restoring of connection with one another. Since human beings are wired for social connection, and connection is what researchers say brings most human beings happiness, rupture and repair is a crucial concept to have awareness around for wellbeing. Stemming from attachment theory, rupture is the disruption of a perceived “positive” relationship and repair is the healing that is facilitated to mend that rupture or fracture, resulting in a deeper and more strengthened relationship.
The Sacral Chakra helps inform how we relate to the emotion of others and our own. It also governs creativity and sexual energy. Those with a blocked sacral chakra could experience a lack of control in their lives. Located in our lower abdomen, 2 inches below the navel.
View that a racial minority group should separate itself from mainstream society and pursue its own interests primarily.
Serotonin is another important chemical messenger. It helps us in regulating mood and social behaviors. It often guides our appetite, digestion, sexual desire, and functioning, as well as sleep and memory. Low serotonin levels are often linked with depression symptoms.
Unlike sobriety, which is often the absolute surrendering of alcohol from one’s life, sober curiosity is defined as having the option to question, to choose, or to change your drinking habits for mental and physical health-specific reasons. Sober-curious culture encourages sobriety but welcomes folks that are currently unwilling or not ready to completely give up alcohol.
A chronic mental health disorder in which social interactions elicit irrational fear and anxiety. This fear and anxiety may lead to avoidance behaviors that disrupt day-to-day functionality.
The Solar Plexus Chakra speaks on your self-confidence, self-work, and self-efficacy. If your solar plexus chakra is blocked, you might feel overwhelming amounts of shame and self-doubt. Those with an open solar plexus chakra are free to express their true selves. Located in your upper abdomen.
Somatic Education is a method of teaching folks how to release chronic muscle tension, improve posture and movement, so they may feel free of the pain and damage they are experiencing in their bodies.
Somatic experiencing is a form of therapy aimed at relieving the symptoms of trauma-related health problems by focusing on the client's perceived body sensations. This involves the therapist introducing small amounts of traumatic material to the client, and then logging the physical sensations that may appear in the response. This is paired with the equipment of self-regulating strategies in an environment of safety.
It is posited that emotional events begin with non-conscious changes in our bodily states, called “somatic markers”: when you see a big cockroach, for instance, and your body tenses and your heart begins to race, this experience is noted as a somatic marker. This physiological reaction occurs before we are even aware of the emotion, and it is only when the brain detects the alteration to the body’s internal state, through interoception, that we actually experience the feeling and allow it to impact our behavior.
This therapy involves conscious present moment awareness and explores body sensations, bodily tension, and gestures through a combination of movement, awareness dialogue, and touch
Specific phobia is an anxiety-type disorder, wherein one may experience an intense irrational fear of something that poses little to no real danger. Although adults with a specific phobia may be able to identify that their fears are irrational, even the idea of thinking about facing the feared object or situation brings upon intense fear and anxiety.
Square breathing is a technique used when taking slow, deep breaths. One may begin by gently exhaling all their air out. Then, gently inhaling through their nose to a slow count of 4. Hold at the top of the breath for a count of 4. Then gently exhale through the mouth for a count of 4 and at the bottom of the breath, pause and hold for a count of 4. This breathing technique can heighten performance and concentration while also being a powerful stress reliever.
A superbill is an itemized form, used by healthcare providers in the United States, which details services provided to a client. It is the main data source for creation of a healthcare claim, which will be submitted to payers for reimbursement
This gradual shift in terminology is motivated by the fact that the term survivor denotes a sense of empowerment and strength in recovery to some, while the term victim may denote a sense of helplessness to others. However, some people identify as a victim, while others may prefer the term survivor. At Repose, the best way for us to honor your therapeutic journey is to ask for your preference.
The sympathetic nervous system guides our body’s swift involuntary response to dangerous or stressful situations. A flash flood of hormones heightens the body's heart rate and alertness, sending extra blood to our muscles, allowing us to be prepared for any perceived threat/danger.
This is a physiological reaction that arises when we are in the presence of something that may be psychologically or physically terrifying. This response is triggered by the release of several hormones that prepare your body to fight the threat, freeze or hide from the threat, fawn or convince the threat not to cause you harm or flee the threat.
The Psoas muscle plays a pivotal role in the functioning of the hips, as it connects your torso to your legs and helps you stay in an upright position. This area plays a key function in your fight or flight response and retains stress pockets, especially when dealing with overactivation of the nervous system. One way to release and break down these stress pockets is by engaging in yoga and other tension-release exercises.
The vagus nerve, is one part of our autonomic nervous system that connects the brain to the organs of the belly, and the heart. It relates to our human ability for connection and communication with others. Learning about the vagus nerve allows us to understand our human nervous system and how it predictably relates to stimuli in our environments and determines varying levels of danger and safety.
The Third-Eye Chakra controls our ability to see the big picture, seek and impart wisdom, imagine, and connect to our intuition. Often called the eye of the soul. Located in the forehead between both eyes.
The Throat Chakra gives voice to the heart chakra and controls our ability to communicate our personal power. Someone with a blocked throat chakra will feel like they have trouble finding the words to say how they truly feel.
A psychological and physiological response that a “body feeding” parent has as a result of the need to provide continuous physical comfort to their child. It means that they have spent so much time in physical contact with another human that the thought of any more touching makes them feel ill or repulsed. It’s something that new parents are especially prone to, as small children are all-consuming and need both their mental and physical attention.
Route used for forced removal of certain Native American nations (North American Indigenous) from the southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi River. See also Indian Removal Act.
TIC is an approach that guides itself from the assumption that an individual is more likely than not to have a trauma history. TIC recognizes the prevalence of traumatic experiences in society and acknowledges the ongoing role trauma may play in an individual's life.
Racism that operates at an oblivious or subtle level.
Vinyasa literally means to place with intention. When translated in a yoga class with asana (postures), this refers to synchronizing the breath with the movement of the body - sometimes referred to as a flow class.
Wise mind refers to a balance between the reasonable and emotional parts of our brain. Wise mind is able to recognize and respect ones feelings, while responding to them in a rational manner.
The term Womxn is a powerful encompassing of a broader range of gender identities other than “woman”. It seeks to foreground transgender, nonbinary, and womxn of color.
Yin Yoga, conversely, is an active practice. Muscles are typically not warmed up beforehand so that heat is generated by way of deep stretching in a pose that is often held for a few minutes at a time. Through a well-being lens, Yin Yoga allows us to sit with our discomfort – a key component of resilience. Yin Yoga may serve as a powerful somatic tool for developing emotional regulation, integrating trauma, and increasing neuroplasticity.
Yoga Nidra is a form of guided meditation also known as “effortless relaxation”. It is most often practiced lying down with a teacher guiding the session. It encourages us to draw our attention inwards, and we develop the skills to surf between states of sleep and wakefulness, where our body returns to its natural state of homeostasis.