WAVELENGTHS PSYCHOLOGY
  • Home
  • Children
    • About Child Therapy
    • ADHD and Children
  • Adolescents
    • About Teen Therapy
    • Anxiety and Teens
    • Depression and Teens
  • Adults
    • Therapy for Adults
    • Women Focused
  • Neurofeedback
  • Providers
    • Providers at a glance
    • Sharon Grand, Ph.D.
    • Jayoti Chabra, LMSW
    • Bryan Johnson, LMSW
    • Melissa Laks, LMSW
    • Melissa Marconi, LMSW
    • Ginger Mencher, LCSW
    • Linda Montalbano, LPMHC
    • Andrea Panebianco, M.S.
    • Victoria Pitz, LPMHC
    • Caroline Rudin, LMSW, MS.Ed
    • Jessica Satkunasingham, LMSW
    • Amanda Snizek, LMSW
    • Rukiya Symister, M.A.
    • Eric Walter, Psy.D.
    • Janet Whyte, LMSW
    • Denise Wright, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA
    • Staff Login
  • Contact Us
  • Blog Posts
  • Groups
    • Women
    • Young Adults
    • Teens
  • Employment Opportunities
    • Therapist Openings
    • Post-Doctoral Fellowship
    • Psychology Internships

Wavelengths Blog

Cognitive dissonance and social media

1/16/2023

0 Comments

 
The real reason why social media might be making you feel bad
by Victoria Pitz, LPMHC
Picture
Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of discomfort one feels when your thoughts or feelings about ourselves do not align with our actions.

Social media tends to exacerbate this phenomenon at an overwhelming rate. It perpetuates the feelings of “should”. I should be having more fun, I should be doing what they’re doing, I shouldn’t be feeling the way that I feel…It can be difficult to recognize the direct damage social media does to your self-esteem because it has become so ingrained in our daily lives.

So how might social media trigger cognitive dissonance? 

Perhaps you are not feeling your best lately. Things just don’t seem to be going your way; maybe you experienced something that shook you up. Life just feels awful and overwhelming right now.You scroll through social media when you're bored. Half the time you don’t even realize how long you’ve been scrolling for. But your brain is taking note:

"Wow. So-and-so went to Paris; why can’t I do that?"
"Look, this person got their dream job, but I’m still stuck in one that I hate."
"How nice, this person goes out every weekend and has a blast, here I am, feeling like cr*p."

Read More
0 Comments

How to utilize Exercise to Benefit Your Mental Health

1/16/2023

0 Comments

 
by Janet Whyte, LCSW
Picture
It is no secret that regular exercise has numerous health benefits. Aside from the more obvious physical benefits, there are many ways in which exercise is found to improve mental health. Exercise is proven to help decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, improve the body’s ability to respond to stress, increase self-esteem, improve sleep, and improve memory.  Recently, a study published in the Journal of Physiology found that six minutes of high-intensity cycling could delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
​Exercise releases endorphins, or “feel-good” brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of wellbeing and therefore reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Exercise can help improve sleep, and this in turn has a positive impact on mood, attention, and memory. Additionally, mindfulness can be incorporated into your exercise routine as you pay closer attention to the feeling of your feet hitting the ground, the pace of your breathing, or the feeling of your muscles as they are working hard. When you are focused in on your body during a workout, this may help shift your focus away from any anxious thoughts. 

Read More
0 Comments

New Year’s Resolutions: How to Set SMART Goals

1/16/2023

0 Comments

 
by Caroline Rudin, LMSW MS.Ed.
What would happen if instead of resolutions, we created aspirations? 
​Happy New Year from the Wavelengths team! For the few days between the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Eve, we are all in a relaxed yet preparatory state. I spent time cleaning and organizing my space, closing up the books on the year, and thinking about what I want to take with me into the next year. At the stroke of midnight, there is a believed phenomenon that *everything changes*. This time could be used as a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning. Enter: the New Year’s Resolution. 
Picture
​These goals that we create are made with the best of intentions, we are feeling optimistic, excited even, to achieve these quests within the next three hundred sixty five days. Some people set goals to lose weight, redesign their spaces, or make all new friends to socialize with. Often, these goals are created using all-or-nothing language: I am going to lose thirty pounds. I am going to purchase all new furniture, paint, and decor. I am going to go out every single weekend. ​This wording leaves very little room for reality and the potentially difficulties we may encounter. What happens when this newfound hope turns into acknowledging that this goal may be out of reach?

Read More
0 Comments

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022

    Categories

    All
    ADHD
    Andrea Panebianco
    Attention
    Body Mind
    Body-Mind
    Bryan Johnson
    Caroline Rudin
    Children
    Chonic Illness
    Dating
    Holidays
    Inspiration
    Janet Whyte
    Jayoti Chabra
    Jessica Satkunasingham
    Linda Montalbano
    Living Your Dreams
    Melissa Laks
    Melissa Marconi
    Mindfulness & Meditation
    Parenting
    Psychological Theory
    Rukiya Symister
    Self Care
    Sharon Grand
    Sleep
    Stress Management
    Therapy
    Trauma
    Victoria Pitz

Wavelengths Psychology 

4770 Sunrise Highway, Ste 105, Massapequa Park, NY 11762 / 520 Franklin Avenue, Ste L-18C, Garden City, NY 11530

Good Faith Estimates
As of January 1, 2022,all healthcare providers are required to provide estimates for the cost of care for all clients not utilizing health insurance.  The Good Faith Estimate shows the cost of any items and services that are reasonably expected for your healthcare needs and treatment.  This will be provided by the office upon scheduling and/or as requested.  This Good Faith estimate does not include unexpected costs that could arise during treatment.  Learn more here.

Information contained on this website is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. Nothing on this site is intended nor should be taken as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other qualified healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for self-diagnosing yourself- treating any health problem or disease, or self-prescribing any medication or other treatment.

  • Home
  • Children
    • About Child Therapy
    • ADHD and Children
  • Adolescents
    • About Teen Therapy
    • Anxiety and Teens
    • Depression and Teens
  • Adults
    • Therapy for Adults
    • Women Focused
  • Neurofeedback
  • Providers
    • Providers at a glance
    • Sharon Grand, Ph.D.
    • Jayoti Chabra, LMSW
    • Bryan Johnson, LMSW
    • Melissa Laks, LMSW
    • Melissa Marconi, LMSW
    • Ginger Mencher, LCSW
    • Linda Montalbano, LPMHC
    • Andrea Panebianco, M.S.
    • Victoria Pitz, LPMHC
    • Caroline Rudin, LMSW, MS.Ed
    • Jessica Satkunasingham, LMSW
    • Amanda Snizek, LMSW
    • Rukiya Symister, M.A.
    • Eric Walter, Psy.D.
    • Janet Whyte, LMSW
    • Denise Wright, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA
    • Staff Login
  • Contact Us
  • Blog Posts
  • Groups
    • Women
    • Young Adults
    • Teens
  • Employment Opportunities
    • Therapist Openings
    • Post-Doctoral Fellowship
    • Psychology Internships