Embrace Aging
Wellness Wednesday, Expectations, Self-Care Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday, Expectations, Self-Care Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Embrace Aging

Recently, I got my first pair of prescription glasses after a long while of harassment from my husband, telling me that I needed glasses. I knew he was right, but I resisted. Why? If you cannot see, you cannot see, which can happen at any age. But full disclosure: I do not look my age. I do not have gray hair or many wrinkles, and my spirit is young. So, although I always proudly tell people my age, I know I do not look it.

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Women’s History Month
Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Women’s History Month

March is Women's History Month, and last Friday(March 8th) was International Women's Day. Incorporating activities is a wonderful way to celebrate and honor yourself as well as the women around you. Here are some ideas for doing just that!

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Being Comfortable with Discomfort
Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Being Comfortable with Discomfort

No one wants to be uncomfortable. We are all human and strive to have the best life possible. Free from as much discomfort as possible. Over the last few years, I have discovered something. Sometimes, there is a blessing in the uncomfortable parts of life. Many of us would be on a mundane perpetual loop of life if we did not have the discomfort that life often brings to move us forward.

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2024
Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

2024

The start of a New Year is always exciting because it is acknowledged universally as a RESET – a time when the year begins again, and we all have the opportunity to do something different from what we were doing. Of course, this can happen at any point in our lives. I don't know what it is about the New Year that makes it seem more significant, but for me and millions of others, the excitement about transformation is real.

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Friendship
Wellness Wednesday, Work-Life Balance Kimberly VanBuren Wellness Wednesday, Work-Life Balance Kimberly VanBuren

Friendship

Recently, I have been able to spend the weekend with 2 of my four core friends, and I was feeling so blessed for those connections of over 30 years. And these are not the typical “we lost touch for 12 years, and now we are back” stories you hear from people.

We have been a consistent part of each other’s lives for 30 years, and I love and value them so much that it sparked me to talk about friendships.

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Fear and Burnout
Wellness Wednesday, Burnout, Fear Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday, Burnout, Fear Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Fear and Burnout

As a young therapist, I thought working for an agency was the only way to succeed. A hospital or non-profit agency that kept my schedule, found my clients, and did all the prep work for me. So, that is what I did. One day, I thought, "Why don't I open a private practice?" Then the fear monster crept in and told me it was too hard, I wouldn't get enough clients, and I would not be able to support myself.

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The Reset Movement
Burnout, Work-Life Balance, Self-Care, Self-Awareness, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Burnout, Work-Life Balance, Self-Care, Self-Awareness, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

The Reset Movement

The heart of TRM lies in aligning six key areas of our lives: Mood, Health, Schedule, Relationships, Sleep, and Productivity. Picture a life where everything is in balance, where you feel energized, fulfilled, and in control.

Even more incredible is that TRM isn't just a course – it's a supportive community of people facing similar challenges. We all know that having someone to share our journey with and hold us accountable can make all the difference. Peer support is a cornerstone of TRM, and together, we'll motivate each other to make positive, lasting changes.

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Our Brain in Burnout
Burnout, Self-Care, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Burnout, Self-Care, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Our Brain in Burnout

It's easy to convince yourself that you can push through the physical symptoms that accompany burnout, whether you're a busy mom or entrepreneur. With people relying on us and endless problems to solve, many of us feel we don't have the time or space to pause and deal with our stress and exhaustion.

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Why we need to be Self-Aware
Self-Awareness, Self-Care, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday, Mental Health Awareness Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Self-Awareness, Self-Care, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday, Mental Health Awareness Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Why we need to be Self-Aware

Self-awareness is the ability to identify how our thoughts and feelings influence our behaviors. To be self-aware, we must understand our emotions, behavior, and thinking patterns. What are thinking, behavior, and emotional patterns? I am glad you asked!

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Escapism
Wellness Wednesday, Work-Life Balance, Stress Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday, Work-Life Balance, Stress Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Escapism

I was thinking about Escapism and how prevalent it is to immerse ourselves outside our reality. Is it healthy? Should we be concerned about Escapism?

Watching ten consecutive hours of the same show would seem unusual a few years ago, but now it is just a random Saturday. I have some thoughts about what that amount of content does to the brain, but we will save that for another time. Right now, I want us to consider what we are escaping from and why.

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Creating Moments
Wellness Wednesday, Moments, Self-Care Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Wellness Wednesday, Moments, Self-Care Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Creating Moments

Our lives are so busy pursuing and maintaining that we often forget the importance of being. In my house, we often will have "Wellness Weekend," "Focus Friday," or "Sleepy Saturdays." These days are nothing more than acknowledging and celebrating the everyday aspects of our lives.

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New Year New Us
Self-Care, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Self-Care, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

New Year New Us

I hope the new year has settled peacefully. During this time of year, we hear a lot about making changes and improving our wellness. I believe it is because of how we end the year that we start the year hyper-focused on making positive changes.

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Goodbye 2022!
Mindfulness, Wellness, Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Mindfulness, Wellness, Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Goodbye 2022!

If you are like me, you have recently said, "I cannot believe it is December already?" at least once this week. Christmas is upon us, and then New Year will quickly follow. The days are passing faster and faster, and before you know it, we will be celebrating another milestone that should have taken longer than it did to arrive.

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The Positive Effects of Gratitude
Gratitude, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Gratitude, Wellness, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

The Positive Effects of Gratitude

Gratitude is a subjective concept. We can argue a dozen different ways, with everyone having valid points. But practicing gratitude is a personal journey. Filled with varying methods of thinking and showing our gratitude. Creating gratitude goals and committing to the experience of appreciation helps us focus on the things we currently have in our lives instead of reaching for more items or something different. 

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Joy
Joy, Self-Care, Career, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Joy, Self-Care, Career, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Joy

Finding joy in our lives can be difficult for many of us. Life consists of many made-up moments. Some moments are so unique that one can hardly believe they are happening, while others can make us wonder, "why am I here?" As the years go by and we gain insight and wisdom, we understand that every day is not remarkable. Embrace that knowledge but know that there are things that we can do to improve the joy we experience.

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7 Things to STOP Doing to Improve Your Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

7 Things to STOP Doing to Improve Your Work-Life Balance

Creating a balance between our work life and our home life is not easy. It is more of a flow than a balance between the two. Many things must happen for us to create a flow and a balance that is healthy.

To understand how much work goes into having a healthy work-life flow, we must first highlight the things we must stop doing.

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Self-Care is no longer an option….it is mandatory!
Self-Care, Stress, Wellness, Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S Self-Care, Stress, Wellness, Work-Life Balance, Wellness Wednesday Dr. Kimberly VanBuren, PhD, LMFT/LPC-S

Self-Care is no longer an option….it is mandatory!

If you live on earth like me, you have noticed that many negative things happen everywhere we look. Everything from inequity in education to the opioid crisis to COVID to mass shootings… things can seem as though they are all bad.

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