Dr. Lena Agree, JD, PsyD – Licensed Psychologist and AssociatesDr. Lena Agree, JD, PsyD – Licensed Psychologist and Associates

Emotional Healing Strategies: Insights & Resources from Dr. Lena Agree

Letting Go of Resentment: Practical Strategies for Emotional Freedom and Forgiveness

Letting Go of Resentment: Practical Strategies for Emotional Freedom and Forgiveness

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Resentment grows when perceived wrongs or unmet expectations harden into repeated thoughts and defensive patterns. This piece outlines why resentment persists, how it undermines mental and physical health, and what evidence-informed steps you can take to let it go. You’ll find clear definitions, symptom checklists, therapeutic tools (like cognitive reframing and mentalization), and conversational scripts for repairing relationship patterns. There are also time-efficient practices for busy professionals, a practical comparison of benefits from releasing resentment, and guidance on when to seek clinical or coaching support. Read on for step-by-step actions, brief self-assessments, and clear criteria for when individualized therapy or coaching can speed more durable change. What resentment looks like — and why it matters Resentment is a persistent mix…

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Practical Coping Strategies for Trauma Recovery: Healing, Therapy, and Building Resilience

Practical Coping Strategies for Trauma Recovery: Healing, Therapy, and Building Resilience

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Trauma changes how we feel, think, and relate to others. Practical coping strategies offer clear steps back toward safety, regulation, and meaningful connection. This guide outlines core trauma types, the neurobiology of stress responses, evidence-based therapies, daily coping tools, and phased approaches for complex trauma and C-PTSD so readers can identify appropriate next steps. You’ll find concrete grounding scripts, breathing and movement practices, and plain-language explanations of how EMDR, CBT, DBT, and somatic methods work with attachment- and mentalization-based frameworks to restore regulation. We also cover the role of support networks and trauma-informed coaching for reintegration and growth, and when a concierge model of tailored services can help high-achieving adults, families, and couples build durable resilience. What Are the Different…

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Strategies for Treating Yourself with Kindness: How to Cultivate Self-Compassion and Emotional Well-Being

Strategies for Treating Yourself with Kindness: How to Cultivate Self-Compassion and Emotional Well-Being

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Self-kindness is an intentional practice of treating yourself with care, understanding, and patience when you struggle, fail, or feel uncertain. It operates by shifting patterns of self-criticism into soothing, corrective responses that reduce stress and increase emotional resilience; practicing self-compassion improves mood, motivation, and relational safety. This article explains what self-kindness is, why it matters, evidence-based self-compassion techniques, and practical steps to master self-acceptance while addressing common barriers like the inner critic. You will find concise definitions, step-by-step exercises (including mindful breathing and compassionate imagery), clinical perspectives on attachment and mentalization, and guidance on when to seek professional help. The sections map definitions and benefits, six top techniques, self-acceptance practices, inner-critic strategies, mindfulness routines, personalized self-care, and clear indicators for…

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The Difference Between Coping and Healing – and Why it Matters

The Difference Between Coping and Healing – and Why it Matters

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Many people come to therapy believing that if they can just cope better, they’ll feel better. But coping and healing are not the same. Coping helps you survive, but healing helps you change. Coping manages the symptoms of pain, while healing transforms the source of it. Both are valuable, but they function differently. In this post, we’ll explore the crucial difference between coping and healing, why it matters for your emotional growth, and how therapy can help you move beyond survival toward genuine, lasting well-being. What Is Coping? Coping strategies are the things we do to manage distress in the moment. They don’t necessarily change the root cause of our pain, but they make it more bearable and keep us afloat when…

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How a Diagnosis Can Prevent You from Getting Better

How a Diagnosis Can Prevent You from Getting Better

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If you’ve been struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, you may have tried to diagnose yourself in an effort to understand what’s going on. This can be helpful, but it doesn’t help you understand why you feel this way. In the realm of mental health, a diagnosis fails to provide enough information and can even be misleading. Psychiatric diagnoses are labels determined by a list of symptoms that are mostly behavioral, meaning, they describe things you’re doing or not doing (like sleeping, or eating). Most diagnoses require a threshold number of symptoms, such as four out of nine. This means a single diagnosis can encompass many – even dozens – of different experiences (American Psychiatric…

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The False Promise of Forgiveness

The False Promise of Forgiveness

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People often come to my office wishing to forgive someone, but feeling unsettled because despite their efforts, it hasn’t happened, and they are frustrated and confused. Their distress over forgiveness often brings to mind my favorite quote on the subject: My frame of mind is most peaceful. My wishes are: a modest hut, a thatched roof, but a good bed, good food, milk and butter – very fresh, flowers in front of my window, beautiful trees outside my door and if the good Lord wishes to make me completely happy, he lets me have the joy of seeing hanged on those trees about six or seven of my enemies. Deeply moved, I shall forgive them before they die, all the…

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