Journal Prompts to Relieve Stress and Anxiety by Sharon Martin, San Jose therapist and counselor

15 Journal Prompts to Help Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Everyone experiences stress – the tension and pressure of too many demands on our time and resources (both emotional and material).   Even if you don’t meet the clinical criteria for an anxiety disorder, I’m sure you’ve experienced some of the hallmark symptoms from time to time: uncontrollable worry trouble concentrating insomnia rumination or obsessive thoughts muscle tension stomach aches, […]

Healing Shame and Self Criticism

Healing Shame and Self-Criticism

Healing shame Shame is a feeling that you’re wrong, bad, unimportant, or unworthy. Shame defines you as “less than” or “damaged”. The terms guilt and shame are often used inter-changeably, but guilt actually refers to a feeling or belief that your behavior is wrong or bad. Shame is a much more painful experience as it’s felt internally as a core […]

Create a Routine to Promote Good Mental Health

Create a Routine to Promote Good Mental Health

    It’s January. You’re back to work and the kids are back to school. It’s time to put a routine in place that supports good mental health and wellness. Many of us plan to set up new routines and develop good habits in January. January feels like a fresh start, so it’s the natural time to recalibrate our habits. […]

Counseling in Campbell with Sharon Martin

New Counseling Office in Campbell

    Welcome to my new counseling office in Campbell! I’ve moved my psychotherapy practice about a mile down the road from San Jose to Campbell.     The new office is light and bright and much bigger. I’m excited to share this upgraded space with you!     My therapy office is now located at 901 Campisi Way, Suite […]

How to Create Lasting Change through Therapy

After 20 years as a therapist, I know a few things about how to promote lasting change through therapy. I wrote a post called How to Succeed in Therapy and another one called How to Get the Most Out of Therapy. But there are still a couple things worth emphasizing if you’re serious about changing. I like to set realistic expectations when I […]

Is Silicon Valley Stressing You Out?

After 20 years in Silicon Valley, I’m well acquainted with the ups and down of life in the high-tech world. Silicon Valley is a unique place – home to technology giants like Google, Facebook, Adobe, and Apple, a diverse workforce, and housing shortage that can only be described as insane. And stress. Lots of stress. For as long as I can remember, […]