Anita Sanz.com

Exciting News: A New Project for Building Hope.

After co-hosting on the Giving Voice to Depression podcast, I found myself searching for a new way to build hope--not just for myself, but for others who need it, too. That search has led to an exciting new project: a space dedicated to building hope through guided meditations, affirmations, inspiring stories and poems, inspirational photography, and conversations with fabulous folks

If this resonates with you, I'd love for you to be a part of it! Sign up for email updates, and you'll be the first to know when The Building Hope Collective goes live.

Let's build hope -- together.

Need some help now?

You may call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 anytime 24/7. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. You can find other mental health resources here: https://givingvoicetodepression.com/resources.htm Please get help if you need it. Thank you.

You have found the place for people who know they need to or want to make changes to be healthier, happier, and more fulfilled. It’s for people who want to lose weight, gain weight, or stop eating disordered behavior. It’s for people who want to stop walking around day after day criticizing themselves and not feeling “good enough.” I’m glad you’re here and I hope you’ll come and read often! ~Anita.

Discover our Resources

Graduation Dance

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 27, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

Graduating from a school, college, or program is supposed to be one of those “happy” events we celebrate, falling in the same category of major life transitions as weddings and births. You are moving from one place to another, from one status to another, from one...

A Season of Change

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

A Magical Time of Transition Have you ever walked out of your front door on an Autumn morning and you just knew something was different? The air was crisper, the colors more intense, even the air smelled different? Autumn is a magical time when...

Who left your Mood in Charge?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 9, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Does This Sound Like You? You set goals for yourself, but if you don’t “feel like it,” you do nothing about them? You have plans for the day, but if you wake up in the morning feeling down and depressed, you ditch them for a pint of Ben...

Stop Kicking the Turtle! Or How to Let Yourself Grieve

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 9, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

If you’ve ever suffered an important loss in your life…whether it was the loss of a loved one, a beloved pet, or a special dream…then you know what it means to grieve. Mourning a loss is an important process, and it’s one that you cannot just skip because it feels...

What’s Your “Baby?”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 12, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

Babies…cute, cuddly, sweet, adorable. Right? Well, yes… and no. Now I know some people love taking care of babies and I have incredible respect for anyone who can do this and do it well. Major confession time: I am not a baby person. There. I said it and I...

How Do You Get Someone To Go To Therapy?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 29, 2024 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

For the sake of this post, let's assume you have a friend you're concerned about. There's 3-Step process you can adapt to meet the needs of your specific situation when attempting to encourage someone to go to therapy. Empathize...

Mothers are People, Too…

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day! “If it’s not one thing, it’s your Mother!” There’s a saying in psychotherapy that goes “If it’s not one thing, it’s your Mother.” Shall I say the field of psychology has often been less than kind when it comes to Moms, blaming them for causing...

Don’t Say You’re Sorry!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 2, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

Say you are fighting with your significant other. I know. It’s not fun, but it happens. What do you think your partner wants the most from you when you’re fighting? A. for you to give an apology B. for you to share control of decision...

Face It

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 27, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

When I am working with clients in therapy, I often share with them this piece of universal wisdom: The extent to which you are willing to cope with reality is the extent to which you can be mentally healthy. It’s just a phenomenon I have observed over the past 25...

Why Is Forgiving So Hard?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 17, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

You Are Wired to NOT Forget What Hurt You You know you need to do it, you know it would free you to let it go, but it’s just so hard to forgive someone who has hurt you. But why is it so hard to forgive when it would be so good for you? I think it is hard to forgive...

How to Kill Your Relationship in 10 Easy Steps

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 3, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

I’ve been seeing a lot of couples lately who are in the death throes of the process leading ultimately to divorce. There is no doubt in my mind that the economic and financial stress of the last 18 months is taking a huge toll on marriages out there. There’s more...

The Art of Being Present

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

Marina Abramovic This week I am compelled to tell you about an amazing documentary I recently watched on HBO of the performance artist, Marina Abramovic, titled The Artist is Present, which takes the viewer through the process of creating and enacting her 2010...

Sometimes You Just Gotta Let Go

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 27, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

You know you need to let go of your need to be in complete control of everything and everyone in your life. Or maybe you don’t yet. Either way, something is going to happen to you that is going to challenge you and make you see that you don’t, as a matter of fact,...

Let’s Put the FUN Back in DysFUNctional!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

The Holidays Are Coming! For many people, that means increased contact with family and extended family members… a source of love and support for some, a source of stress and aggravation for others. If you’re dreading seeing family for holiday get-togethers,...

Should Psychotherapy Sessions Hurt?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 10, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

“No pain, no gain!” Is psychotherapy supposed to hurt? Is it necessary to wear waterproof mascara to every session? Are you going to be a royal mess after you spill your guts out on the floor and have to scoop them back up after “our time is...

I Didn’t Put RELAX on my To Do List!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 10, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Maybe this isn’t your problem. Maybe your problem is you’re relaxing TOO much and the dishes have been sitting in the sink in the kitchen for over two weeks now. Growing an interesting mixture of molds that might just cure cancer if we knew what to do with them. But...

Mental Health Symptoms To Not Ignore

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 11, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

There are hundreds of symptoms that can indicate a mental health issue is developing, but it can be difficult to know when to pay attention to them and when they are not a concern. Here is a relatively simple way to be able to assess whether you are experiencing...

Your Best Life Habits

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 10, 2023 | Life Planning, Health | 0 Comments

As a psychologist, I’ve given this a lot of thought, because no matter what someone coming into therapy says they want to work on, eventually, the subject of habits comes up. Usually, we will work to get a particularly healthy habit established or eliminate an...

Where Are My Happy Pills?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 4, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

I know there’s no such thing as a “happy 🙂 pill.” But for some people, there are some medications that come close. The issue of psychotropic medication (that’s medication to help with mental health symptoms) comes up frequently in my line of business. ...

Poke At Your Depression

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 9, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

What Does Depression Have to Do With Bread? When you’re making bread the old-fashioned way, using yeast, kneading dough, then putting it in a bowl and letting it rise in a warm place… getting bigger is exactly what you want it to do. But if you’re dealing with...

Embracing Ambivalence

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 20, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

You know you need to leave him or her. It’s a bad…no…it’s a truly toxic relationship. But you just can’t quit it. You know you need to stop _____________. (Smoking, drinking so much, overeating, cutting, gambling, working so much, killing yourself.) You just can’t...

How To Help Your Doctor Help You

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 25, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

You and I both know you are not a human Bento box. Trying to “unpack” your health experience by neat packages of symptom categories is not what the average person has been trained to do. Your physician, on the other hand, has been trained to conceptualize...

Control Burn, Baby!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 10, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

A Controlled Burn I live in Florida and lately, we’ve been in a drought. In order to decrease the likelihood of serious forest and brush fires in this state, in the cooler months, the authorities will order prescribed hazard reduction burning of certain areas… or...

You Have Reached Your Destination

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

Many of you will be able to actually hear the GPS system’s voice in your head when you read the words: “You have reached your destination!” As the incredibly geographically challenged but quite resourceful individual I like to think I am, I rely on my car’s GPS system...

Stop freaking out!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 16, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Finding the balance is what we are all trying to do… whether we are talking about the balance between work and play, taking care of others and taking care of ourselves, or between caring too little or caring too much. Finding the Sweet Spot Athletes and anyone else...

How To Accomplish Anything

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

How Do You Make Dreams Real? You want to write a book, learn how to cook vegan, make a new group of friends, or climb a mountain. How do you go about accomplishing anything in life? It actually depends on the kind of person you are! You’ll be more successful in...

A Life Planner For Better Mental Health

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 8, 2023 | Life Hacks, Life Planning | 0 Comments

Most people think using a life planner just helps you to remember dentist appointments and when your kid has soccer practice. But there are some great mental health benefits to using a life planner consistently and the right way. How can using a life planner help...

Managing Holiday Stress and Post-Holiday Let-Down

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 2, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

Still, gearing up for the holidays or dealing with the aftermath of them? Either way, it can be stressful. Here are some tried-and-true tips for getting ready for the holidays and for coping with Post-Holiday Let-Down. Gearing Up Just because there are 25 additional...

Dealing with Bipolar Disorder?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 16, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

If you’ve been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, then I don’t have to tell you that you are dealing with one of the most challenging mental health diagnoses that exist. After Anorexia Nervosa, it’s the diagnosis in our field most likely to lead to death. Surviving the...

What Are You Waiting For?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 17, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

Do you think that you’ll be happy when you finally lose those 15-20+ pounds? Do you think that when you find the perfect man/woman, that’s when you will finally be at peace and fully loved? How about when you finally get your dream job/promotion/corner office? That...

Got An “Invisible Illness?”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 17, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

“You Look Fine To Me!” What is it like to live with an invisible illness? It’s different from living with something that everyone around you can plainly see. If you break your leg and you’ve got a cast on, that is at least a clue that you might be in some pain, that...

Coping with Morning Depression

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 24, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

For those who suffer from depression, mornings are often the worst time. Once the day gets started, a person’s mood usually lifts and energy will return. But those first few moments of having to adjust to a day when everything feels bleak is beyond challenging. Here...

Take Another Look At Cognitive Therapy

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 16, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

What do you see when you look at this image? Do you see a carved goblet? Or do you see two faces, almost touching their noses? What’s The First Thing You See? Usually, you will see one image first, and once it is pointed out to you that there is another way to look at...

Getting a Jump on Seasonal Depression

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 13, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, then that first cool hint of air untinged by the humidity of summer doesn’t make you feel excited for the beginning of Fall. Where others become inspired by the changing colors of Fall...

Mental Health Hygiene

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 20, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Cut Your Therapy Bill In Half! Psychotherapists can do so much to improve mental health. They can provide information, teach you skills you need to learn to cope better with stress, handle panic attacks, or fight fair without damaging your intimate partnership....

Uh Oh…It’s Fall Again

by Dr. Anita Sanz | March 26, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, then that first cool hint of air, untinged by the humidity of summer, doesn’t make you feel all excited and happy for the beginning of Fall. Instead, it can make you dread the eventuality of shorter...

Someone I Love Is Being Deployed: How Do I Cope?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 30, 2024 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

This blog post is in honor of all Veterans this Veteran’s Day. My heart goes out to each and every somebody out there who has a loved one serving in the Armed Forces who is being deployed overseas. Of course, my heart goes out to each and every somebody out there who...

No One Likes A Bully!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Imagine you’re given two choices about getting something done: Choice #1: Do it or else bad things are going to happen to you. OR Choice #2: Do it and I’ll give you the reasons why it would be a good idea for you to do it. Which choice appeals to...

Don’t Hit the SNOOZE Button!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 24, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

The Submarine Expert My husband tells this awesome story: Something’s gone wrong on a nuclear submarine and they call in “the expert” to help figure it out and fix it. So he comes aboard and spends about an hour walking up and down the entire submarine, finally...

Can You Have Too Much Downtime?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 10, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Most people I know complain about their pace of life being too fast. “Crazy-busy” fast. They are trying to find a way to add that 25th hour to the day so they can read a book for fun, get more sleep, play, or recreate. Or even get more work done! But I also see people...

How To Avoid Getting Sick

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 25, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

Who Gets Sick? When Dr. Sheldon Cohen and his team at Carnegie Mellon University studied which participants became sick after having a cold or flu virus squirted in their noses and then isolating them in a hotel room (I know, you’re thinking, “How...

Do You Know How to Enjoy A Harvest?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 30, 2024 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Your Miniature Thanksgiving Day Heading f you stay up with the latest in self-help and coaching, you will notice that many therapists and coaches are great at teaching f you stay up with the latest in self-help and coaching, you will notice that...

Progress by Erosion

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Are You In “Project Purgatory?” You want to get your garage organized but you know you will never get an entire weekend to get it all done. So you sit in Project Purgatory. Same with your new business project or shredding last year’s old files. There’s not enough time...

Today Is A Crappy Day

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 20, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Have A Crappy Day! One of the good things about positive psychology is that it encourages individuals to view the glass as half full instead of half empty. Seeing the silver lining in dark clouds can help you cope with the flood of an emotional monsoon...

How Good Therapists Prevent Getting Compassion Fatigue….

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 4, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

I love my job. And I know how lucky I am to be able to say that and mean that. I love what I do every day. I look forward to going to work and when the workday is done, I usually feel very satisfied about what I have been able to do. I don’t create...

How Steady Is Your Relationship?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 18, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

COMFY? How Stable is Your Relationship? Take your typical 4-legged wooden stool. It’s nice and stable…if it’s got all 4 legs. You can probably even manage with 3 solid ones. But fewer than 3 and there’s instability…you don’t want to sit on a 2-legged stool. Although...

Daily Emotional Dialysis

by Dr. Anita Sanz | March 21, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Filtering Difficult Experiences I’m a big fan of the emotional equivalent of “emptying the trash.” By writing in a journal people get in touch with their feelings and express them without censorship. It’s a research-tested treatment for those suffering from...

How To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 2, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

Not everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions… there are some people who don’t see the new year as a time for reinvention, recharging, reconditioning, reenergizing, reinvigorating, and reorganizing. It’s just January. But if you’re one of those people who have made a...

Yes, You DO Need A Vacation!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 12, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Vacation Poor America Of all developed countries in the world, Americans are the worst at taking time off from work. Compared to the good people in England, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Norway, Denmark, Italy, and Sweden (I can go on), the good people in the...

Your Rights and Responsibilities When You’re Sick

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 4, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Being Sick Sucks The greatest wealth is health. ~Virgil Whether it’s a bad chest cold, or a serious diagnosis of a cancer tumor, being sick is just the worst. There is a process of adjusting to all of the ways our lives change when...

I’m Tired of Being a Survivor

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 10, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

Have you survived something very difficult in your life? A tough childhood? A major trauma? An abusive marriage? It takes a lot to go through the steps of naming your pain and feeling your pain and moving from being a victim of something very traumatic or painful...

I Just Can’t Get Over It

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 2, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

Being able to heal past wounds and move on to live a happy, healthy life is a goal of many people who enter therapy. But what you may not realize is that in order to do this, at some point, you have to be able to let go of what has happened to you that hurt you,...

An Easier Path to Meal Planning

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 10, 2023 | Life Planning, Health | 0 Comments

Are you spending too much going out to eat? Trying to eat healthier, but getting either bored or overwhelmed with the process of meal planning and food prep? Before you give up on your goals of improving your nutrition, saving money on food, and reducing the amount of...

How to Take Mental Health Meds Safely

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

Mental Health Medication If you take psychotropic medications, meaning anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, or anti-psychotic medications, it’s not unusual that at one time or another during the course of your working with your psychiatrist,...

How to Stop Procrastinating: A Three Step Plan

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 29, 2024 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

I’m probably the best procrastinator in the world. I could have procrastinated for England… if I got round to it and didn’t keep getting distracted by other stuff. But, it made me sad that everyone else got stuff done and I didn’t, so I asked my psychologist friend,...

What Psychotherapy CAN’T Do For You

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 17, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

In recent weeks, the American Psychological Association has produced some wonderful material to help the general public understand what psychotherapy is, how it works, and why it is so effective in the treatment of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health issues.

Self-Esteem “Off the Grid”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 10, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Love the concept of living off the grid? A home that creates its own energy and water supply, so that there is no need to pay for and rely on outside sources would be the ideal home for many people. In a home that’s “off the grid,” you might even be able to get the...

How To Make Better Decisions

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

“We are our choices.” ~Jean Paul Sartre Do you have trouble making decisions? Is it hard for you to choose between options? Or are you great at making decisions… Do you just make the wrong ones over and over? Decision-making is a life skill that just can’t be...

When You’re Feeling Stuck: First, Don’t Panic…

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Do you feel stuck? Nothing’s moving? Can’t get going? Like when you’ve gotten your car or truck stuck in soft sand. And the harder you try to get out, the deeper you dig yourself in. No matter where you are on your journey through life, there are going to...

The Vow You Really Need

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 18, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

THE SECRET TO A LONG HAPPY RELATIONSHIP I’m going to share with you one of the greatest secrets to a long-lasting, healthy relationship…other than using the Bobsled Principle, that is! It has to do with the vows that you are willing to make to your partner, once you...

How to Deal With Change

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 23, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. ~W. Edwards Deming This is a time of year when people often are readying themselves for change. The start of a new year is only days away. You might be thinking about making some New Year’s...

When Should You Freak Out?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 9, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Ho, Ho, Ho? It is January 21st today and my Christmas tree is still up. A hectic holiday season that included 2 bouts of the flu, preparing to teach Abnormal Psychology, and other commitments have taken their toll on seasonal order. All my other Christmas decorations...

Why Should I Use a Life Planner?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 3, 2023 | Life Hacks, Life Planning | 0 Comments

If you already know how to successfully use a life planner, then I don’t need to tell you how it’s changed your life. How it keeps all the little details from slipping through the cracks. How it has allowed you to get all the things done and make sure you have time to...

Another Way to Manage Your Anxiety

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 29, 2024 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

The most commonly suggested way to manage anxiety is to calm the nervous system by using diaphragmatic breathing. By breathing deeply, you are physically behaving in a way that sends a message to the brain that you must not actually be in any danger, so it will kick...

The Therapist of Oz

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 16, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

We’re Off to See the Therapist! Clients come to therapy with many different expectations, wants, and needs. Some people want their therapist to just be there and listen to them… an experience they don’t get very often and one they need to be able to understand...

What Would You Attempt to Do if You KNEW You Could Not Fail?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

What would YOU attempt to do if you KNEW you could not fail? Would you start your own business? Would you learn how to play an instrument? Would you invest in the stock market? Would you begin a weight-loss program? This phrase is on a paperweight I bought...

What If I Don’t Have a Higher Power?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | December 30, 2024 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 77 years (that’s when Alcoholics Anonymous first got started), you’ve heard that accessing a “Higher Power” can be helpful, if not essential, for recovery from addictions and for giving you the necessary resource to...

You Have Permission

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 18, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

Got Critics? Do you have people in your life who are, shall we say, “unsupportive” of you? How about downright discouraging? Critical? Judgmental? Dismissive? It may be time for you to do something about that… time to get very generous. It’s Better To Give Than...

My Favorite Life Planner Hacks

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 8, 2023 | Life Hacks, Life Planning | 0 Comments

I have been using a Life Planner for decades, switching between different types to see which one worked best for me. You may have done the same thing, but if not, I hope you will until you find your “good-enough” planner. Remember nothing is perfect and your...

Decide on the Daily

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 4, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Everyone is looking for a good “life hack,” something that makes life easier and better. Here is one that definitely does both: it’s what I call “Decide on the Daily.” It’s short for “decide how to get the things done that you deal with on a daily basis.” Here is what...

Spinning Plates

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 27, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

So you’ve been trying to eat healthier, lose those last 10 pounds, get an exercise program going, learn how to meditate or golf or parent, and be to work on time every single day for a month. Yeah. Just that. Doesn’t seem like it should be impossible, but...

Falling Out of Love Is Not the End

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 17, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

I’m Not IN LOVE Anymore I know you’ve heard this. You might have said it. “I LOVE her, but I’m not IN LOVE with her anymore.” The kiss of death to most relationships, right? Not if you understand how relationships work. The Wedding Is Not the Marriage First...

Why People Don’t Change Until They Have To

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 8, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

I became a therapist thinking that people just naturally wanted to change, grow, get better, become healthier… and how cool was that going to be to assist in that process?! Boy, was I naive. After 20 years as a therapist, what I discovered is that it is extremely rare...

Do You Smell Smoke?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 18, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

You probably know what it’s like when the smoke alarm goes off. The sound is so annoying, irritating, and ear-piercingly unbearable. Alarms are this way for a very good reason. Every thinking person understands that it is to motivate you to either wake up or...

How To Talk to Your Psychiatrist

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 5, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Why Can’t My Psychiatrist Be More Like My Therapist? “My psychiatrist doesn’t listen to me!” “I just walked out with 2 more prescriptions!” “15-minute med checks… give me a break!” These are some of the complaints I hear on a weekly basis from clients who see...

So You Want to Stop Taking Your Anti-Depressant Medication?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 10, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

“I’m Tired of Taking These Pills!” You want to stop taking your medication. It’s too expensive. You’re feeling the stigma at the pharmacy, thinking people are looking at you differently, wondering why you’re taking them. You’re sick of the side effects....

What Your Mirror Can’t Show You.

by Dr. Anita Sanz | March 22, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

Have you looked in a mirror lately? You were probably looking for something: spinach stuck in your teeth from lunch, a stain on your shirt, another laugh line. “The mirror is the worst judge of true beauty.” ~Sophia Nam Mirrors and...

The Train is Leaving the Station

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Well Being, The Big Picture | 0 Comments

A Beautiful Day for A Trip It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, a light breeze… a perfect day for boarding the train to take you on that trip you’ve been wanting to go on forever. You’ve boarded, put your bags up, and walk to the back of the train to stand on the...

What Can Kwanzaa Teach Me?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 14, 2023 | Well Being, Holidays | 0 Comments

In the spirit of the holidays at this time of year, I decided it was time to learn more about Kwanzaa. All I really knew about Kwanzaa was that it was a celebration created in the 1960’s and was based in African culture. I have great respect for anyone who takes...

Working With Your “Healthy Rebel”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 5, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

Have you ever decided you were going to make a change in how you eat or how active you are and you make a plan and set your goals and… you don’t follow through with it? If the answer is yes… it means you’re human. But wouldn’t you like to be able to stick with...

How to Catch More Zzzzz’s

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

Elusive Sleep Insomnia for many people has become a frustrating fact of life. 30% of the population suffers from it, and more than half of Americans lose significant amounts of sleep due to stress and anxiety. If insomnia visits you more than once every few...

How To Kick A Food Addiction

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

How do you get over an addiction to food? You're Not Addicted to Food To be clear, you can't have an addiction to food. Or if you do, you also have an addiction to air, too. Unlike alcohol, drugs, gambling, and a few other things people become addicted to, you...

Drug Free Pain Management

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 19, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

There are over 100 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain. If you have ever experienced severe pain that lasts over a week, you know the personal cost of chronic pain and the levels of desperation that pain can drive you to get rid of it. Pain As A...

You Can Do Better Than “So, How Was Your Day?”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

“So, how was your day?” Fine. “What happened in school today?” Nothing. You’re trying to connect. You’re trying to get them to open up. But even when you ask open-ended questions, sometimes no one really wants to talk. How do you get beyond one-word answers and...

Dump It On the Table!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 4, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

I’ve Got Some Emotional Baggage Here… “I’m sorry I’m dumping all of my problems on you.” How many times have I heard this from a client? It seems like it is a version of the statement, “I don’t know how you can sit and listen to people’s problems all day long….” Both,...

Which Comes First: Depression or Fatigue?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 20, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Why are people suffering from depression almost always also very tired? The relationship of depression to fatigue is very complicated, for the following reasons: 1. Fatigue may actually precede or predict the development of depression, through mechanisms...

Please Don’t Try to Change

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 10, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

Don’t Try! I mean it. Don’t try to change. Not one thing. Not your bad habits, your bad behavior, or your bad attitude. Surprising advice from a therapist? Not at all! Here’s why. Trying Doesn’t Work If there is something in your life that isn’t...

Giving The Love That Heals

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 27, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

Happy Birth Day! Our daughter turned 12 this week, and I’ve been reflecting on what I have learned about parenting since the day she came into the world… “Yes! Make Her Cry!” Hayley’s birth was very quiet and peaceful. I went inward to focus on the job at hand, and...

Happily Married…With Children?!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 11, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

Married With Children. I’ve counseled many couples through the transition from being single to becoming a married couple, and then from being a married couple to the bliss and stress of “married with children.” Raising children can be an amazing journey for...

How To Cope with Things Outside of Your Control

by Dr. Anita Sanz | March 21, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Imagine the following scenario: You are in a large, beautiful interior space with everything you need to accomplish any task that is put before you or to create anything you can dream up, along with every possible distraction and form of recreation you could imagine....

Coping With The Loss Of A Pet

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 5, 2023 | Therapy, Depression | 0 Comments

Pets for Mental Health Pets add immeasurably to the quality of life…. so much so that I have often advised clients to get one in order to improve their mental health. Pets can give you a reason to get up in the morning if you suffer from depression or grief. Pets can...

The Bobsled Principle

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 18, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

IT’S NOT MY PROBLEM… My favorite image of a team is the 2-person bobsled. (Known fact: I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!!!!) Imagine for a moment that the person in the back of the bobsled says to the one hunkered down in the front “Hey, teammate, something just fell off the...

How to Get Things Done When You’re Just Not Feeling It (#NoMotivation)

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 8, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

I’m Just Not Feeling It So, I asked, “You have to wait until you’re able to “get into” doing a chore before you can do it?” “Yeah, that’s right,” he said. So I asked if he was getting about 10–15% of his chores at home done. He said ‘Yes! How did you know?” I asked...

Who’s Afraid of the Dentist?

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 1, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

Odontophobia or Dentophobia You know if you have it…a fear of going to the dentist. It’s the smell of the office. It’s the sound of the drill. It’s the fear that it’s going to hurt. If you’ve put off having dental work done, it’s the embarrassment of having to admit...

Self-Esteem Is YOUR Job

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 18, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

Self-Doubt and Low Self-Esteem Not sure if you’re all that sexy and attractive? Do you constantly need approval from others? Are you never sure that you are good enough? These are all examples of a situation where there’s a hole that needs to be filled. The fact that...

“I Don’t See Myself Getting Better”

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 20, 2023 | Therapy, On The Couch | 0 Comments

The Curtain Falls You might have just hit a rough patch. Or maybe those feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt are part of a larger problem that relates to anxiety or depression. Whatever the reason, you might feel like a big curtain has fallen that makes it hard...

Feed a Human, Starve a Troll

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 8, 2023 | Well Being, Life Hacks | 0 Comments

If you spend much time online, especially on social networking sites, you’ll get a chance to meet a troll. Okay, not a “real” troll. But in truth, you may never get to know their real identity, because trolls like to hide in the dark a lot. Evidently coming out into...

Keeping Grandma Healthy

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 2, 2023 | Well Being, Health | 0 Comments

Would You Know What To Do? You get the phone call that your 79-year-old grandmother has just been admitted to the hospital and when you get there, you discover that she is confused and thinks she is at a hotel instead of a hospital, and is complaining about all the...

Interdependence

by Dr. Anita Sanz | May 12, 2023 | Well Being, Relationships | 0 Comments

In the progress of personality, first comes a declaration of independence, then a recognition of interdependence. ~Henry Van Dyke So where do you place yourself on the scale of being dependent or independent? How do people describe you, and do they regularly use...

This Stress Is Killing Me!

by Dr. Anita Sanz | April 12, 2023 | Anxiety, Therapy | 0 Comments

An interesting study just released this week showed that all other factors being equal, people who believed that stress was having an adverse effect on their health had double the risk of heart attack compared to people who did not believe that stress...

Dr. Anita Sanz

PHD - Clinical Psychologist

My primary aspiration in life (beyond survival!) has been to try to foster hope, create safe spaces for good work to occur, and improve well-being through co-creating unique and helpful life strategies with others. To that end, I became a licensed psychologist and coach, and have written extensively about mental and emotional wellness. Becoming the new co-host of the Giving Voice to Depression podcast fits perfectly with my intention of wanting others to know that they are not alone in their experience of struggling in the world. I believe there is so much that we can do to help each other get through… and then get to where we can thrive and enjoy life. I have worked successfully for over 25 years with clients with a broad range of mental, emotional, and physical health issues and also taught psychology classes at the University level. My own lived experience as a late-diagnosed autistic person with ME/CFS gave me a unique set of challenges that have helped me to appreciate the struggles of others with increased humility, empathy, and compassion. Because of both my training and my life experience, I am very good at breaking down the overwhelming into manageable pieces and helping my clients learn how to trust their own experience to craft life strategies that work. It brings me the greatest joy to connect with others and be able to help in whatever way I am able.

As Featured On

A Year To Change

What Would YOU Like to Change? This inspiring book helps you figure out where you are right now and where you would like to be. Then it gives you a road map to help you make positive changes, week by week, in all areas of your life: Mind, Body, Heart, Soul, and Spirit. In a year’s time, you can improve your thoughts, behaviors, relationships, self-esteem, and clarify your sense of purpose.

Anita Sanz.com

Exciting News: A New Project for Building Hope.

Success!

Need some help now?

Dr. Anita Sanz

As Featured On

A Year To Change