Blog

• posted: Dec. 03, 2024
• Old City Counseling,  Philadelphia,  Old City,  Gratitude,  Gratefulness,  Blog,  Thanksgiving

The holidays are hard sometimes and bring out the complexity of our human experience. We may be surrounded by family and still feel empty. We might be grieving and feel happy being with those who are here with us. We might feel grateful for all that we have in this life and sad for what we have never had. It is okay to feel grateful and other emotions like sadness, anger, loneliness, and grief at the same time. Our feelings can coexist and each be valid in their own separate experiences and stories. This concept is also known as “dialectics” coming from DBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, an evidence-based treatment, founded by Marsha Linehan. Dialectics means “the idea that opposing ideas, emotions, or experiences can coexist.” The DBT framework aims to teach us how to practice acceptance in our lives and also work towards changing behaviors that do not serve us. Read More