Drop the BS w/ Dr. Kirleen

Everyone has challenging thoughts occasionally. But when you start to see the negative in everything, it can leave you feeling bad about yourself, or make you feel hopeless. You may have tried practicing gratitude or being more positive and those things work but can quickly fade away. You don’t have to keep living with this mindset. Several techniques can help you look at life through rosier-color...

It goes without saying that most of us spend an enormous amount of time and energy in our work setting, whether we work from home or go into an office. So, when our jobs are no longer aligned with our needs, wants, and desires, it can truly impact our mental health. While doing something like quiet-quitting or just checking out may sound appealing, they're not realistic solutions to move back in a...

If you’ve ever considered using medication to deal with your mental health, questions about how it may affect your personality or do they even work may have crossed your mind. After all, we have all heard those horror stories about people looking like zombies after taking mental health medication. But what is often not talked about is the thousands of people each year who are able to break free fr...

Have you ever been so far in your feelings that you are literally having a conversation with yourself about how someone or something has done your wrong? When we feel pain, betrayal, or hurt, it's easy to get stuck in our feelings. Processing emotions is healthy but staying in our feelings for too long robs us of the present moment and gives people and things power over us that they don't deserve....

Have you ever felt like, with everything you’ve accomplished in your life, you should have more confidence and self-esteem? If you answered YES, you are not alone. Many highly successful individuals struggle with feeling like an imposter. These insecurities often stem from past experiences that have never been worked through. When left unchecked insecurities, can lead to overthinking situations, p...

It seems that conflict is all around us these days, from political discord to conflict on the job, to fights with partners. The interesting thing is if asked, most people would say the one thing we want more than anything else is peace. However, if that’s the case, then why does it seem that so many of us are having trouble controlling tempers, comprising, and finding the peace they say they want....

Making the choice to go to couples counseling can feel like a very big step. It involves admitting things are not perfect in your relationship which often brings up feelings of failure, blame, and shame. For those who are unfamiliar with the therapeutic process, questions and concerns about couples counseling can limit a couple from seeking assistance. Some may wonder how talking to a complete str...

Talk therapy and medications are wonderful ways to treat mental health issues. However, there are many other therapeutic avenues that could be beneficial but are often not explored. One such therapeutic approach is the use of Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Many people swear...

The best part about a good vacation is how it can bring feelings of relaxation, peace of mind, and restoration. For a lot of people, however, those feelings are fleeting, and it’s not too long till you’re planning another vacation just to get a little bit of that peace and happiness again. As a society, we are constantly chasing happiness in the form of a stress-free life, but it always seems just...

We often dismiss what we want in life in order to maintain a present moment illusion of security, acceptance, or control. We may know that we are playing small yet continue to do so to keep the illusion. Why do we do this? Maybe it’s imposter syndrome, anxiety or the fear of the unknown. Whatever the root cause playing small limits our potential and holds us back from success. Recognizing your gif...

Do you feel like where you are at in life is where you’re supposed to be? I ask this a lot in therapy, and very few people can say they have achieved their true potential in life. The distance between where you are at and where you want to be is usually filled with lost dreams, disappointment, and feelings of regret. We let other people’s dreams get in the way or we let life circumstances derail u...

When a relationship turns abusive, it is one of the most devastating experiences. Shame, embarrassment, and self-blame often keep victims from seeking help. Abuse, also known as domestic violence, when in a household and/or intimate partner violence when within a couple, can come in varying forms; physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, and financial. Regardless of the type, domestic violence can hav...

Why am I so easily irritated? Where does my irritability come from? These are some questions that may roll around your mind if you find yourself snapping at your loved ones, yelling at your dog, or experiencing road rage. Irritability is an instinctual reaction to feeling overwhelmed. There’s often a root cause for this irritability whether that be physical or emotional. Determining why you are ex...

In the last few years, meditation, mindfulness, and manifestation seem to be the buzzwords used to talk about mental wellness. Many have gravitated towards and practiced these concepts, but many others are still a bit skeptical. Emerging research, however, has shown that these practices can have many benefits. To help explore and understand this topic a bit better, I brought in mindfulness expert...

It's inevitable that at some point in life, you will run into someone who is a boundary breaker. Boundaries can be created around various things, like time, space, money, and even energy. Without boundaries, you may feel like you are being taken advantage of or overlooked. In today’s show, we will identify the various tactics boundary breakers use and look at tools you can use to teach boundary br...

On today's Drop the BS podcast episode, I am joined by New York Times Best-Selling Author Kristine Carlson, co-author of the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” series. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, and The Today Show. Her life story has recently been turned into a Lifetime movie, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story". Kristin walks us through her life story o...

Have you ever felt like no matter how busy you are during the day, you never get as much done as you had hoped? It may feel like you’re running in place, and your destination keeps getting pushed further and further away. When we feel like this, life may be trying to tell us that something else is going on that we might not be dealing with or managing very well. We may be burnt out from our job, s...

Sweetbread, cakes, and ham with a side of hot pepper sauce were the smells that overwhelmed my West Indian home as a child during the holidays. I could indulge in these delicacies without a second thought. As an adult, however, holiday eating can be a real challenge while trying to improve my health. There’s this battle between wanting to enjoy food, family and friends during the holiday but not b...

How many times have you heard someone say, “I have trust issues”? It's become such a common cliché to indicate that you've been hurt in the past. Trust issues can wreak serious havoc on your life, and are characterized by fears of betrayal, abandonment, and manipulation. Trust issues can lead to becoming defensive, shutting down, and building higher walls where you should be tearing them down. In...

When passion and Intimacy are lost in a relationship, it can be devastating. When I work with couples struggling with Intimacy, it has often been months or years since they’ve had physical touch. To the outside world, everything may seem completely normal, but most of the time, I can see in their eyes that they truly want to connect again. The problem is they don’t know how to find that spark agai...

Most of us have a desire to be GREAT at something, whether it’s writing a book, launching a business, or having a successful relationship. But the distance between being okay and great is usually filled with obstacles like fear of success, analysis paralysis, and the ever so sneaking procrastination monster. One major reason we fail to achieve our goals is because we fail to anticipate resistance....

Have you ever heard someone say, "I don't' care what anyone thinks of me," but a lot of that person's actions scream that they do care? As humans, we are hard-wired to seek approval. It's like there is an unspoken belief that unless people approve of you, your worthless. There are real-life consequences for approval seeking, consequences that impact relationships, career, and your peace of mind. A...

During our weakest, most stressful moments, many of us find ourselves staring into the fridge or pantry for comfort. Feeding our feelings is a common coping response to life stressors. In fact, 38% of adults admit to overeating or eating unhealthy foods due to stress. Using food to suppress or calm negative emotions is a temporary, short-term solution that does little to address the actual problem...

Do you have someone in your life that you absolutely love and want to keep in your life, but aspects of their personality drive you up the wall? Things like being manipulative, jealous, too needy, controlling, or always wanting to debate everything. Some of the most difficult personality types can be people closes to us; parents, children, spouses, or even a best friend. On today's show, we are go...

I'm not a fan of labels because every person on earth has unique quirks and traits. That's why it's a little bothersome that the label of "narcissist" is being thrown around left and right these days. Social media posts like "Are you married to a narcissist?" or "How to get over a narcissist" are everywhere. Overusing the term can be to the detriment of real victims and slander ordinary people dea...