Juneteenth is a day to remember delayed freedom, honor Black resilience, and reflect on what liberation means today. For many people, it is also a day that brings up grief, anger, exhaustion, or complicated feelings that deserve to be met with respect, not judgment. At DBT of South Jersey, we believe healing should be practical, […]
Juneteenth, Liberation, and the Work of Healing After Oppression Read More »
Pride month can bring joy, grief, relief, exhaustion, and hope all at once. For many LGBTQIA people, it is a season that highlights both the power of being seen and the cost of having to stay guarded in a world that has not always been safe. At DBT of South Jersey, we believe that affirming
Pride Month Mental Health: Finding Safety, Belonging, and Support Read More »
Many people move through their day feeling overwhelmed without fully understanding why. Emotions build quickly, reactions feel intense, and everything can start to blur into one general experience of “too much.” This is more common than you might think. Most people were never explicitly taught how to identify and label their emotions with accuracy. And
Why Identifying Your Emotions Is the First Step Toward Feeling More in Control Read More »
A lot of people get stuck not because they lack motivation, but because their minds get trapped in extremes. It can sound like, “I love this person or I resent them,” “I need to quit or I clearly do not care,” or “I did this wrong, so I am a failure.” If that sounds familiar,
It’s almost Super Bowl time, and I have been counting down the days! We know who the teams are now, but we’ve known about the TRUE meaning of the Super Bowl for months… If you do not know me, I’m Shaelene, and I am the proud owner of DBT of South Jersey. I am also
Channeling Bad Bunny as a DBT Skill: Validation, Belonging, and Representation Read More »
If you have ever wondered whether Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is only for specific diagnoses or “very serious” mental health struggles, you are not alone. Many people hear the term DBT and assume it must be reserved for extreme situations. At DBT of South Jersey, a different perspective is offered. DBT has something meaningful to
Is DBT Right for Me? Understanding Who Benefits from Dialectical Behavior Therapy Read More »
Avoidance is one of the most human coping strategies there is. When something feels painful, scary, or exhausting, it makes sense to want to pull away from it. Ignoring the email, postponing the conversation, distracting from uncomfortable feelings, or staying “busy” instead of checking in with yourself can all feel like short-term relief. Over time,
Avoid Avoiding: Small Steps Toward Change That Lasts Read More »
Many people reach a point in life where they quietly wonder, “Is this really it?” Maybe things look fine from the outside, but inside there is a sense of disappointment, numbness, or grief about the way life has unfolded so far. In a world that constantly tells you what you “should” have achieved by now,
Why It’s Never Too Late to Build a Life You Love Read More »
The turn of the year often brings pressure to “fix” everything at once. Resolutions can become harsh demands, rooted in self-criticism instead of self-compassion. At DBT of South Jersey, the focus is different. Rather than chasing perfection, the goal is to gently and deliberately build “a life worth living” as defined by you. In DBT,
Life can sometimes feel like a series of tasks to get through. Wake up, go to work or school, respond to messages, take care of others, repeat. Especially during busy or painful seasons, it is easy to slip into survival mode, where the main goal is simply to make it through the day. If that
