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JOURNAL
Notes from the Treatment Room
What I'm reading, what patients keep asking about, and the occasional thing worth knowing about your own health.

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Embrace Your Authentic Self Without Guilt
Many people struggle with expressing who they truly are. Fear of judgment, rejection, or misunderstanding often holds them back. Yet, living authentically is essential for personal happiness and meaningful connections. This post explores how to embrace your authentic self without feeling guilt or shame. Why Authenticity Matters Being authentic means showing your true thoughts, feelings, and personality without hiding behind masks. When you live authentically, you: Build stron

Lisa Baas
2 min read


Understanding Psychosomatic Pain and Healing Through Acupuncture PsychoKinesiology and Bach Flower Remedies
Psychosomatic pain affects millions of people worldwide, yet it often remains misunderstood. Unlike pain caused by clear physical injury, psychosomatic pain arises from the complex interaction between the mind and body. This type of pain can be persistent and frustrating, as it does not always respond well to conventional medical treatments. Fortunately, alternative therapies such as acupuncture, PsychoKinesiology, and Bach Flower remedies offer promising approaches to addres

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Unpacking Shadow Work and Its Essential Role in Self-Discovery and Psychological Health
Shadow work is a powerful tool for understanding ourselves more deeply. It involves exploring the hidden parts of our psyche that we often ignore or reject. These hidden parts, known as the "shadow," contain feelings, desires, and memories that we may find uncomfortable or unacceptable. Engaging with this shadow can lead to greater self-awareness, emotional healing, and improved mental health. What Is Shadow Work? Shadow work comes from the idea that everyone has a shadow sel

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Break Free from Guilt and Shame: Leaving an Abusive Relationship Behind
Leaving an abusive relationship can feel overwhelming. Many people stay trapped not because they want to, but because guilt and shame weigh heavily on their hearts. These feelings can create invisible chains that make it hard to take the first step toward safety and healing. If you or someone you know is struggling with this, understanding how guilt and shame work can help break those chains and open the door to a better life. Understanding Guilt and Shame in Abuse Guilt and

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Understanding Connections Between Physical and Emotional Brain Centers: Its Impact on Your Life and How Acupuncture & PsychoKinesiology Can Help
The brain is often described as the control center of the body, managing everything from movement to mood. What if the areas responsible for physical sensations and emotional experiences are not separate but actually overlap? This connection between the physical and emotional centers of the brain changes how we understand our reactions, health, and well-being. Exploring this link can help you better manage stress, improve relationships, and enhance your overall quality of lif

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Harnessing Mindfulness to Thrive During Challenging Times
When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to get caught in a cycle of stress and worry. Difficult moments can cloud our judgment and drain our energy, making it hard to see a way forward. Mindfulness offers a practical approach to navigate these tough periods with greater calm and clarity. By paying attention to the present moment without judgment, mindfulness helps us respond to challenges instead of reacting impulsively. This post explores how mindfulness can support us in su

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Unlocking Inner Peace: The Transformative Benefits of Inner Smile Meditation
Finding moments of calm in daily life can feel like a challenge. Stress, anxiety, and constant distractions often pull attention away from our well-being. Inner Smile Meditation offers a simple yet powerful way to reconnect with yourself and cultivate peace from within. This practice, rooted in ancient traditions, invites you to bring a gentle smile to your inner organs and mind, promoting relaxation and emotional balance. What Is Inner Smile Meditation? Inner Smile Meditatio

Lisa Baas
4 min read


Exploring the Roles of Our Parts in Internal Family Systems Therapy
Understanding the different parts within ourselves can unlock new ways to heal and grow. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers a unique approach by viewing the mind as a system of distinct parts, each with its own feelings, thoughts, and roles. This perspective helps us recognize internal conflicts and build harmony within. This post explores the roles of these parts and how they interact in IFS therapy. What Are the Parts in Internal Family Systems? IFS suggests that

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Understanding Psychosomatic Pain and Effective Strategies for Relief
Psychosomatic pain is a complex condition where emotional or psychological stress causes real physical pain. Many people experience discomfort that doctors cannot fully explain through tests or physical causes. This pain is not imagined or fake; it is very real and can affect daily life significantly. Understanding psychosomatic pain helps people recognize the connection between mind and body and find ways to manage their symptoms effectively. What Psychosomatic Pain Means Ps

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Understanding Trauma's Impact on the Nervous System: The Salience Network, Default Mode, and Executive Network
Trauma leaves a deep mark on the brain, altering how it processes information and reacts to the world. To understand this impact, it helps to look at three key parts of the nervous system: the salience network, the default mode network, and the executive network. Each plays a unique role in how we perceive, respond to, and recover from traumatic experiences. This post explores how trauma affects these networks and what that means for healing and daily life. The Salience Netwo

Lisa Baas
3 min read


How Acupuncture Regulates Your Nervous System for Better Health and Relaxation
Acupuncture has gained attention as a natural way to support health and well-being. One of its key benefits lies in how it influences the nervous system, helping the body shift into a state often called "rest and digest." This state promotes relaxation, healing, and overall balance. Understanding how acupuncture works with your nervous system can help you appreciate its role in improving health and managing stress. Understanding the Nervous System and Its States The nervous s

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Healing Micro Traumas Through Somatic Practices for Lasting Emotional Wellbeing
Micro traumas are small, often unnoticed emotional wounds that accumulate over time. They can stem from everyday stress, subtle emotional hurts, or repeated negative experiences. While these traumas may seem minor individually, their impact can build up, affecting emotional wellbeing and physical health. Somatic practices offer a powerful way to address these hidden wounds by reconnecting the mind and body, promoting healing from within. This post explores how somatic approac

Lisa Baas
3 min read


The Power of Negative Speech: How It Rewires Your Brain
Negative speech often feels like just words spoken in frustration or anger. Yet, these words do more than express feelings—they can change the way your brain works. Understanding how negative speech rewires your brain helps explain why constant negativity affects your mood, decisions, and even your health. How Negative Speech Affects Your Brain Chemistry When you speak negatively, your brain reacts by releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. This hormone prepares your body

Lisa Baas
3 min read


Spring Forward: How Daylight Savings Disrupts Your Circadian Clock
Every spring, millions of people adjust their clocks forward by one hour to mark the start of daylight savings time. While this shift may seem minor, it can cause significant disruptions to your body's internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This natural rhythm controls sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and many other vital functions. Understanding how daylight savings affects your circadian clock can help you manage the transition more smoothly and maintain your ove

Lisa Baas
3 min read


The Science Behind Sleep Disruption During Full Moon Nights
Many people notice that they struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep on nights when the moon is full. This common experience has sparked curiosity and debate for centuries. Why does the full moon seem to affect our sleep patterns? Is it just a myth, or is there scientific evidence behind this phenomenon? How the Full Moon Affects Sleep Several studies have investigated the connection between the lunar cycle and human sleep. One of the most cited studies, published in 2013 in t

Lisa Baas
2 min read


Dancing Beats Antidepressants How Movement Can Boost Your Mental Health
Mental health challenges affect millions worldwide, and finding effective ways to manage symptoms is a priority for many. Recent research suggests that dancing may offer benefits that rival or even surpass those of antidepressant medications. This discovery highlights the powerful connection between movement and mental well-being. Exploring how dancing influences the brain and mood can help us understand why it works and how to incorporate it into daily life for better mental

Lisa Baas
3 min read
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