Jennifer's Blog

The word boundary may feel prickly, intense, and anti-social, but in reality good boundaries can bring us closer in connection. In fact, many people already practice some healthy boundaries in their lives unintentionally. For example, you have likely said or heard someone else say, “I don’t bring work home” or “I keep my work life […]

We are often told by doctors, therapists, parents, teachers, influencers, and friends to “take care of your mental health” and “practice self-care”. For many of us, the first images that come to mind when we hear this are face masks, mani-pedis, scented candles, and maybe a bath bomb. “Self-Care” is synonymous with “Spa Day” in […]

Setting intentions for the new year is a great way to focus your energy and create a roadmap for the year ahead. Here are a few steps you can take to set intentions for the new year:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that is often used to help people who have experienced trauma. It is based on the idea that when a person experiences a traumatic event, their brain may not fully process the experience, and the memories of the event can become “stuck” in the […]

We all know that practicing mindfulness is a way that we can ground and center ourselves, but did you know that practicing mindfulness in communication contexts is equally as important? Communicating mindfully means creating understanding through awareness. Doing this allows us to have more effective conversations and also helps us to navigate through conflict in […]

The term codependent is probably a word you’re familiar with as you may have used it yourself or maybe heard someone else refer to either themselves or a partner being perhaps ‘clingy, needy, or even overbearing’’. Due to this overuse of the term, it suggests a negative trait for someone who has needs in a […]

1. Take care of your physical health: 2. Practice Intentional scheduling/time management: 3. Parents: Be a good listener: 4. Promote Kindness 5. The best way to teach your kids how to manage stress is…….. Jennifer Smith, LMFT 2043 Westcliff Drive, Suite 201 Newport Beach, Ca. 92660 949-922-8661 www.smithpsychotherapygroup.com jennifer@smithpsychotherapygroup.com Most common stressors for teens 14-18 […]

For students Mindfulness: “Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn. Benefits of Mindfulness Mindfulness Exercises for Students 1. Learn to Meditate Meditation is perhaps the best possible way to cultivate mindfulness. Practicing quieting your busy mind is an important step towards achieving the clarity necessary to […]

Blog taken from https://tim.blog/2021/12/27/past-year-review/ “I’m often asked about how I approach New Year’s resolutions. The truth is that I no longer approach them at all, even though I did for decades. Why the change? I have found “past year reviews” (PYR) more informed, valuable, and actionable than half-blindly looking forward with broad resolutions. I did […]

A huge thank you to Jason Wahler and Hilary Roberts from the Red Songbird Foundation for giving us the space to talk about very important mental health topics. Go give this episode a listen! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-the-journey-begin/id1504950655?i=1000536372355 Episode #078 Notes This week, Hilary and Jason are joined by therapist and CEO of Smith Psychotherapy Group, Jennifer Smith, […]