Ever have one of those days where it feels like everything is working against you? You might be hangry.   Welcome to Vulnerability Factors.   In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), we talk about Emotion Regulation, and if you’ve ever felt your mood skyrocket for no apparent reason, this is for you. Enter the acronym HALT. This gem comes from the 12-step recovery world and stands for: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

It’s easy to be hard on ourselves, especially when we’re navigating the effects of trauma. But self-compassion is about treating ourselves with the same kindness and understanding we would offer a friend. When we face our pain, it’s important to be gentle with ourselves. This means acknowledging our emotions without judgment and giving ourselves permission to feel whatever comes up.

In our exploration of trauma, we’ve touched on the importance of understanding and acknowledging our experiences. But what about support?...

Grief and depression can look similar, but they aren’t the same. Learn how to tell the difference—and why it matters.

Your inner Firefighters react to emotional chaos like Olivia Rodrigo calling her ex—fast, impulsive, and a little reckless.

Your most tender parts—the ones carrying heartbreak, rejection, and loneliness—aren’t burdens; they’re Exiles longing for care.

Ever find yourself in need of a quick emotional reset, but you're not sure how to do it without attracting attention and looking like a weirdo? Enter the world of Overt vs. Covert TIP skills—your secret weapons for calming down in any situation!   Overt TIP Skills are the more obvious strategies, while Covert TIP Skills are your undercover tactics when you need to fly under the radar. Here's how you can use both.

Ever feel like your emotions are like trying to steer a car on an icy road with no brakes?   Enter TIP skills—a quick pit stop to recalibrate your body chemistry and bring your emotions back into balance.   These Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques are for those moments when, as T. Swift sings, "YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN!"    TIP is like first aid for emotional overload.

Sometimes, when we face a crisis or high-stress situation, our body’s first instinct is to freeze. That sense of shutting down or feeling paralyzed is a survival mechanism—our nervous system’s way of protecting us. But in situations where staying stuck isn’t helpful, learning to “push” our way out of freeze mode can make all the difference.

What we do to relax matters, especially when we’re trying to heal from anxiety or trauma.   Sometimes, our downtime habits might inadvertently keep our stress response on high alert. If this resonates, it might be time to refresh your approach to relaxation as we enter into 2025 with a creative exercise inspired by Lisa Ferentz, LICSW, from her book Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors.

Reading the news can be upsetting. Regardless of your politics, it's important to learn strategies on how to stay globally informed and emotionally regulated. We might get dysregulated when we read the news. What matters is what we do with it. What matters is how we take care of ourselves afterwards so we can respond instead of react.