I recently was a guest speaker on the Beautiful Shifts Podcast. I share my personal story here. If you'd like to listen to it, click below. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beautiful-shifts/id1647275683?i=1000655540706

Best Wishes,
​Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach

I really like this TED talk by Amy Morin, LCSW. She discusses the key to becoming mentally strong. She wrote this during a low point in her life. Click HERE to watch the 15 minute talk on YouTube. It's worth the watch! 

I also love her article on "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do".  Be sure to highlight what mentally strong people do instead. It's a great road map! 

Cheers,
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT

Have you been stress eating during COVID? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people have!! We experienced a curve ball with a pandemic. As a result, many of us went inside our primitive brains. However, that doesn't mean we have to stay in our primitive brains. 

​Tip #1: S.T.O.P.
Stop what you’re doing.
Take a breathe.
Observe your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. 
Proceed with a choice rather than react. 
 
Tip #2: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. your body. (see attachment.)
 
Tip #3: Self-Compassion. Don’t shame yourself. It’s okay. You were suffering and needed some compassion. 
 
Thanks for watching and please share!
 
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT
 
P.S. This is the 3rd video on the “Reducing 2020 Stress Series”. For other videos, see previous blog posts. For more information on intuitive eating, visit https://www.facebook.com/flourishwithcamille/ or call her at 385-242-3242.

​Have you heard all the craze about Brainspotting? It’s an off-shoot of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). Both are great at reducing anxiety and trauma. It can also help improve athletic performance and improve self-esteem.  My colleague, Shanna Gwilliam,  introduced Brainspotting to me. She said it goes deeper than EMDR and the results are incredible. It’s a quick way to release trauma from the body rather than doing years of talk therapy. 
 
Dr. David Grand discovered Brainspotting in 2003. He says, “Where you look affects how you feel.” It locates the part of the brain where the trauma is stored and then allows the brain to process and release the trauma at a quicker rate. He worked with a professional ice skater who was able to do a trip-loop after Brainspotting. (See the book ,“Brainspotting”, by David Grand, PhD.)
 
Would you like to see a demonstration? See below! 
 
(Please note:  I did this with my friend, Robyn. I was not able to use a real client for the demonstration due to confidentiality and respecting privacy.) Disclaimer: Results vary from person to person. If you have trauma, don't do this on your own. I recommend you work with a mental health professional who is trained in Brainspotting. 
 
If you’d like to see if Brainspotting can work for you, call me at 801-505-1332. For more detailed information on Brainspotting, visit www.brainspotting.com. 

Thanks for watching! Please share this with someone who could benefit from it! 

​Heather Severn Callister, LMFT

Here is a guided imagery download to help you clear your mind and be present. 

I tried using Garage Band to add music to the background. Yah, well...I need more practice with that. ;)

Enjoy!
​Heather

Let’s be honest, life has been disrupted big time during COVID 19. This has caused a lot of stress for everyone. However, there are still things you can do to help reduce the stress. This is not an all-encompassing list but here are at least a few suggestions. 

1. Follow your routine as much as you can. For example, exercise and get dressed for the day. If you’re wearing PJ’s all day and you typically wouldn’t do that, that’s not your routine. (Ok, I confess, I wore PJ’s & sweats the first week when I wasn’t doing Telehealth.) However, I did notice a difference when I did get dressed for the day. Our brains like what’s familiar. 
2. Stay Connected. Schedule Zoom/FaceTime/Skype calls with loved ones. Check in with people to see how they’re doing. My dad checked in on me the week before my birthday. (This was before quarantine really hit). He wanted to know what he could get me. I told him I really could use toilet paper and paper towels. He thought that was funny but he hadn’t been to the stores yet to see that they were gone! So, he ordered me paper towels online for my birthday present. Best birthday gift ever!!
3. What Went Well? Write down things that went well or ways that people have helped you during this time of quarantine. I call it my “How Others Have Helped Us During COVID19” list.  For example, I’m amazed at how many people who have offered to bring us distilled water when we couldn’t find any at the store. Our friends know that we have 2 family members in our household who are on sleep apnea machines and we need distilled water to operate those machines. We were so touched by the generosity that we pay it forward in other ways. One way to pay it forward is by thanking medical staff. Send emails of appreciation to hospitals or medical staff you personally know. 

 
I’m curious, what has helped you during this time to reduce stress?

Heather Severn Callister, LMFT

P.S. Follow me on Instagram and share with your friends. 

​Photo Courtesy: @seainside_photo

​Thanksgiving is a time to reflect upon things we’re grateful for. It’s also a time to share and bring people together. I loved learning about the very first Thanksgiving. Did you know the very first Thanksgiving lasted three days? Well, here are three activities to bring family and friends closer together on Thanksgiving Day. 

1. Gratitude Name Sheet.  Have separate pieces of paper for each person in the room. While dinner is being prepared everyone goes around and writes down things they appreciate or admire about that person. Then they read them out loud after dinner. People want to feel appreciated and valued. 
2. Volunteer in the community. Retirement homes could use visits. Some places need volunteers to serve food. Contact https://211utah.org or https://www.justserve.org to find service opportunities near you. Some soup kitchens are overwhelmed by the large numbers of volunteers on Thanksgiving Day. By visiting these links, you can type in your zip code and they will direct you to the locations that really need the help. Volunteering in the morning is a great way to get out of the house while the turkey is cooking. 
3. Thanksgiving Trivia Game with Prizes.  Divide up into two teams for a trivia game. Team A gets the odd numbered questions. Team B gets the even numbered questions. Each team member gets asked a question. The winning team gets a prize. Attached below is a copy of the trivia questions. 

 
What are some things you like to do for Thanksgiving?

Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach

Down below is the news segment about it. Courtesy: KUTV 2News. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Many of us have heard that going out of town with kids is really a trip not a vacation. My husband and I have learned that from firsthand experience! We have two small boys. One of our sons has both Down Syndrome & Autism who is medically complex. As a result, we have a lot of medical equipment we need to bring and our routine can really be thrown off being away from home. Aside from that, we have found some ways to make traveling more enjoyable with our two little ones. Here are some tips on how to make your trip feel more like a vacation. 
 
1. Bring a relative or friends. Bringing other adults with you, allows you to have more adult conversation. Plus, it’s nice to have extra helping hands to trade off with. You can rotate who goes on the lake or to the pool. We brought my sister-in-law with us before and it was so fun to trade off spending one-on-one time with her.  She also was kind to watch our then one son at the time one night so my husband and I could go on a date together. If you can afford to bring a nanny, then do it. I always thought it was so great how Alice from the show “The Brady Bunch” would go on vacation with the Brady family.
 
2. Go to a destination to visit family or friends. If you cannot travel with other adults, visit a destination where you will see other adults. We visited my relatives in CA and it was so nice to be able to spend time with them. They sure loved spending time with our kids. And our kids loved the extra love and attention. This allowed my husband and I to go on walks together around the block without the kids. Renting a cabin with another family is a great way to have everyone together. It also allows a chance for kids to play together and the adults to play games together. 
 
3. Special needs-notify the airport/hotel. Let the airline know if you have special needs. They will direct you on who you need to contact if necessary to receive reasonable accommodations. This can apply when it comes to needing assistance with boarding on the airplane. Bring noise cancelling headphones. Airports can be very noisy which makes it difficult for kids who have sensory issues. Even if kids do not have sensory issues, babies have a hard time napping with loud noises and overstimulation. The headphones have been a lifesaver for us!
 
4. Pack light but still bring toys, games, and activities. Bring 2-3 toys per kid and activities to keep kids entertained. You don’t want to bring too much. If you do, the chances of things getting lost increases. It’s better to pack light. Collect something from the place you visit such as rocks or seashells to create a memory. Some vacation spots will have a washer and dryer. If they do, this makes it easier to pack light. The less stuff you have to manage, the less stress!
 
5. Do your research and make plans. Call the hotel or the place where you will stay and ask them about available family friendly activities in the area. Come up with some specific plans that way you are not spending all day trying to figure out what to do. This helps to create a somewhat of a routine and provide structure. Some family friendly destinations include places with bodies of water, swimming pools, zoos, and amusement parks. Cruises are known for having activities planned for kids. For more family friendly destination ideas, see the list down below.  
 
6. Give yourself an extra day to recover when you arrive home. If possible, give yourself an extra day when you come back from your trip. This allows time to unwind, unpack, do laundry, and go to the grocery store. If you can squeeze in a dinner date with your partner that night, even better. 
 
What helps you to enjoy traveling with kids? 
 
Best wishes to you all! Thanks for reading and please share!
 
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach
 
Family Friendly Destination Ideas Whether You’re A Single or 2 Parent Family
I compiled this list together from people who have traveled successfully with their kids. Thanks to all those who gave recommendations! :)

• San Diego, CA has Sea World, beaches, and great Mexican food. 
• Renting a cabin at Lake Tahoe or Bear Lake. 
• Camping at Yosemite or other National Parks. 
• Cruises that have activities for kids. 
• Maui has fun hikes, zip lines, and an aquarium.
• Renting a beach house.
• Staycation in Park City or Midway, UT. They have outdoor concerts and fun resorts. 
• Great Wolfe Lodges 
• Stay at a Motel with a pool and visit the zoo. 
• Sun Valley, ID has something for everyone. Gorgeous place with swimming, biking and hiking, ice skating, and the ice skating show with world famous skaters.
• https://www.downatahotsprings.com in Idaho. 
• Jackson Hole, WY

 
Please feel free to add to the list with your comments. It’s so nice to learn from each other! Thanks!

Summer is here! Now is the time to come up with a summer schedule. Kids do much better with a routine and it will be easier for you to keep your sanity. Here are five tips on how to survive family home for the summer.

• Activity & Goal Sheet. Sit down with the kids and pull out a sheet to come up with activities for the summer. Include vacations, visits to family, swim days, park days, summer camps, service projects, etc. Attached is a sample activity/goal list. When kids help contribute ideas, they are more inclined to want to do them. When kids tell you they are bored, refer to the activity list.
• Kids calendar. Create a visible summer calendar on the fridge for the kids so they know what to look forward to. When kids know there are things planned, that helps them to prepare and give structure to their lives. 
• Set a daily routine. Even though kids do not need to get up as early as they did for school, set a routine for the summer. An example would be the following: regular bedtime/wake-up time, meal time, exercise, school workbook or reading time, inside/outside chores, practice instrument, outside play time, and go on an outing (park, swim, hike, walk). It’s okay to have time to relax too!
• Activity Resources. Libraries and recreation centers are great resources for kids. Libraries will have scheduled reading activities. Recreation centers will have a summer schedule of events. Dial 211 if you would like to find out about volunteering opportunities in your area. Craft stores like https://www.michaels.com or https://www.joann.com will have classes for kids. Links such as https://utahfamilyfunstuff.com and https://saltlakecity.kidsoutandabout.com/homepage will tell you of current activities happening nearby. 
• Keep kids busy. If you’re planning a vacation or if kids want to purchase something, have them earn it. For example, have them wash your car to earn extra money. It could turn into a fun water fight for them. Another idea is to have kids help you tackle that cluttered garage to earn extra spending money for a vacation. 

All in all, it’s about creating memories. Below is a downloadable document of a sample list of ideas to do for the summer.

​What do you like to do in the summer?
​
Thanks for reading and please share!
Heather Severn Callister, LMFT & Coach