Wellness Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/wellness/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:28:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png Wellness Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/wellness/ 32 32 The Difference Between Emotional Regulation and Emotional Suppression https://heatherhayes.com/the-difference-between-emotional-regulation-and-emotional-suppression/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7477 Emotional management is one of the key skills we all need to develop over the course of our lifetimes. Feelings are a crucial part of the human experience, yet no two emotional experiences will be exactly the same. You might feel hurt and sadness in a very different way than I do, and my best […]

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]]> Across Cultures, Women Are Carrying Pain Quietly, and the Future of Wellness Depends on Whether We Respond with Shame or Support https://heatherhayes.com/across-cultures-women-are-carrying-pain-quietly-and-the-future-of-wellness-depends-on-whether-we-respond-with-shame-or-support/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:24 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7470 Across cultures, languages, religions, and economies, women are carrying pain quietly. In boardrooms and refugee camps. In gated communities and rural villages. In faith communities and on university campuses. In families with privilege and families in poverty. While the external narratives differ, the internal experiences are often the same. Women are disproportionately carrying trauma, relational […]

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]]> The Ark of the Covenant: Psychological Containment, Ethical Power, and Why Uncontained Systems Collapse https://heatherhayes.com/the-ark-of-the-covenant-psychological-containment-ethical-power-and-why-uncontained-systems-collapse/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:56:39 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7279 Introduction: Why an Ancient Object Still Speaks Across millennia, cultures, and belief systems, few symbols have retained the psychological gravity of the Ark of the Covenant. Often reduced in popular imagination to a mystical relic or cinematic artifact, the Ark is far more enduring and far more relevant than myth alone would suggest. Psychologically, the […]

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]]> Mentorship is not a Shortcut: Why Learning Requires Effort, Presence, and Respect for the Craft https://heatherhayes.com/mentorship-is-not-a-shortcut-why-learning-requires-effort-presence-and-respect-for-the-craft/ Mon, 29 Dec 2025 17:26:32 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7223 In the past few years, especially at conferences, trainings, and even in airport lounges, people have approached me with the same request: “Can I pick your brain about becoming an interventionist?” I understand the longing. This field is complicated, demanding, and deeply meaningful. People want guidance, direction, and a key to understanding the path. I […]

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]]> Gender-Responsive Interventions: From Disconnection to Open-Hearted Aliveness https://heatherhayes.com/gender-responsive-interventions-from-disconnection-to-open-hearted-aliveness/ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:45:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7199 “In the face of intense yearnings for connection and in order to remain in the only relationships available, we develop strategies that keep more and more of ourselves out of connection.” Carol Gilligan (1991); Gilligan, Lyons & Hammer, 1990 At the core of gender and trauma-responsive practice lies what Carol Gilligan called the Central Relational […]

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]]> Your Mind, Your Health: Understanding the Connection Between Body and Brain in Healing https://heatherhayes.com/your-mind-your-health-understanding-the-connection-between-body-and-brain-in-healing/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:15:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7192 In 1637, French philosopher Renee Descartes famously wrote that “Je pense, donc je suis”, which translates to “I think, therefore I am.” This phrase, which was originally meant to highlight the importance of the thinking mind to human beings’ lives, has informed a widespread assumption, especially in Western cultures, that our minds and bodies are […]

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]]> Connection as Medicine: Reclaiming Relationships after Trauma and Substance Use Disorder https://heatherhayes.com/connection-as-medicine-reclaiming-relationships-after-trauma-and-substance-use-disorder/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7180 “Every person I’ve ever met in the throes of addiction has been searching for the same thing: connection.” – Johann Hari Addiction, at its core, is not about moral failure, weakness, or lack of willpower. It is about separation or disconnection from self, from others, and often from any sense of safety in the world. […]

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]]> ChatGPT Psychosis: What it is, how it develops, who’s at risk, and how to build a healthy relationship with AI https://heatherhayes.com/chatgpt-psychosis-what-it-is-how-it-develops-whos-at-risk-and-how-to-build-a-healthy-relationship-with-ai/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7175 First, a reality check. ChatGPT psychosis is not an official diagnosis. It’s a shorthand people use for psychotic-like episodes (or relapse/worsening of symptoms) that appear temporally associated with intense engagement with AI chatbots. The science is new, but several streams of evidence are relevant, including early case reports and newsworthy medical cases, cohort studies linking […]

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]]> TikTok Bans #SkinnyTok: A Step Toward Protecting Mental Health or Just a Patch? https://heatherhayes.com/tiktok-bans-skinnytok-a-step-toward-protecting-mental-health-or-just-a-patch/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:46:37 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7169 In a move lauded by public health experts and mental health advocates alike, TikTok recently banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok, along with related content promoting extreme thinness and disordered eating. While this step reflects growing platform accountability, specialists warn it may not be enough to curb the deeper social and algorithmic drivers of eating disorders among […]

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]]> Finding Recovery Without God: How Secular 12-Step Programs and Practical Steps Can Transform Lives https://heatherhayes.com/finding-recovery-without-god-how-secular-12-step-programs-and-practical-steps-can-transform-lives/ Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:00:36 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7161 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is one of the most recognized recovery programs in the world. For nearly 90 years, it has helped millions break free from the grip of addiction. Its model—built on connection, community, and a structured process—has stood the test of time. But for some, AA’s religious language and “higher power” emphasis can feel […]

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]]> ADHD, Trauma, and the Nervous System: Making Sense of the Connection https://heatherhayes.com/adhd-trauma-and-the-nervous-system-making-sense-of-the-connection/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:39:11 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7118 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Originally, ADHD was a diagnosis given only to children who struggled to pay attention, especially in school; however,  in recent years, the criteria have been expanded to include adult diagnoses, and many individuals from all walks of life are making […]

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]]> Women, Substance Use, and Mental Health: A Historical and Relational Perspective https://heatherhayes.com/women-substance-use-and-mental-health-a-historical-and-relational-perspective/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7112 The experience of women who are in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment has long been shaped by cultural norms, historical stigma, and systemic barriers. From the marketing of “women’s tonics” in the 19th Century to modern critiques of treatment models designed primarily for men, women’s struggles and triumphs in recovery reflect […]

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