Book of the Month
During the month of October, therapists at Bellaire Family Counseling read Gabor Mate’s best-selling book, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress.
“When we have been prevented from learning how to say no, our bodies may end up saying it for us.”
Mate lays out a case for repressed emotions playing a role in the development and prognosis of serious illnesses including cancer, MS, and autoimmune diseases. He points to a close connection between our brains and immune systems and dives into the ways that our mental and physical health are interconnected. Here are a few of our key takeaways:
Setting boundaries and attending to emotional needs isn’t indulgent or selfish.
Avoiding the experience of emotions puts physical stress on our bodies.
Realistic thinking is more valuable than “positive thinking”, which causes you to disregard the parts of reality that seem negative to you.
Sometimes anxiety accompanies anger, particularly when experiencing anger might feel like a threat to an important relationship. Rage is a defense against the experience of anxiety that can accompany anger.
In reading the book, we were able to reaffirm the importance of setting personal boundaries, recognizing signs of stress, and being able to say “no” when we need to protect ourselves.
Speaking Presentations
Previous Presentation Topics include:
- Clinical Supervision for LPC Associates
- Developmentally Appropriate Practices with Children
- The Effects of Poverty on Mental Health
- Guidelines for Mandated CPS Reporting
- Helping Kids Manage Anxiety During Uncertain Times
- How to Motivate your Kids (and how not to)
- How to Spot Emotional Abuse (and what to do about it)
- Non Suicidal Self Injury
- Positive Discipline/Redirecting Negative Behavior
- Recognizing and Preventing Bullying
- Responding to Natural Disasters: Helping kids in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
- Social and Emotional Development of Children
- What to Do When a Friend Wants to Hurt Themselves
We have shared presentations with the following organizations:
A Children’s Village | Harris County Juvenile Probation Officers | Herod Elementary | KidConnect | Pines Presbyterian Preschool | Post Oak School | Renew MediSpa | Small Steps Nurturing Center | St Luke’s UMC | T. H. Rogers School | University of St Thomas
Speaking Presentation Request
If interested in having one of our counselors give a presentation, please fill out the form below and our Administrative Director will contact you.