Hope is Real

welcome to our Hope+Wellness blog where we feature
little snippets of advice for everyday challenges many people share

Acceptance, ACT, Values and Meaning Dr. Victoria Ranade Acceptance, ACT, Values and Meaning Dr. Victoria Ranade

4 Ways to Train Your Brain for Greater Happiness and Success

Life is hard and it can be painful. As humans faced with this pain and difficulty, we can get stuck in it, and feel heavy and burdened. When faced with barriers, we feel overwhelmed. When things get uncomfortable or distressing, we begin to avoid the discomfort — until eventually we forget what is truly important to us and our lives.

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Life is hard and it can be painful. As humans faced with this pain and difficulty, we can get stuck in it, and feel heavy and burdened. When faced with barriers, we feel overwhelmed. When things get uncomfortable or distressing, we begin to avoid the discomfort — until eventually we forget what is truly important to us and our lives. Some of us lose hope and forget our dreams. Others give up dreaming altogether.

But there is a way forward.

ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy — teaches us how to move from avoidance to acceptance and valued directions in our lives. Using it, we can train our minds to become more flexible, open, and able to accept the pain that life brings, all while moving towards our values — the things we find truly important in our lives.

Research shows that the human brain is plastic. It can be trained to learn new skills and patterns of thinking, which in turn influence new actions in your life. It’s not easy — it takes time, support, patience, and consistent practice — but it can be done.

A good place to start training your mind is with the acronym DARE. According to ACT, DARE stands for the following:

D: Defusion. Acknowledge your thoughts. Observe them. Recognize them for what they are — thoughts, and rather than seeing through them, let them pass like leaves on a stream.

A: Acceptance of discomfort. Make room for unpleasant emotions. Breathe into them. Make room for them and allow space for them in order to do what matters to you.

R: Realistic goals. Break down large goals into smaller, actionable tasks. Gain the necessary skills to achieve goals. Problem solve ways to obtain resources needed for goals. Adjust goals so that they are specific, measurable, and able to be accomplished. This will help you increase success and enable continued patterns of achieving goals.

E: Embrace values. Explore what is important to you. What would success, happiness, and living a whole life mean to you and what would it specifically look like? Connect your goals to your values. Are your goals serving a greater purpose for you? Do you feel that they are meaningful? Do they move you toward the person and life you want to live?

It might not be easy, but change is possible. The question then, is whether you are wiling to take the first initial steps towards change and to embrace the discomfort that goes along with it, if it means that you would be moving towards the greater, fuller life you envision for yourself.

(The source of the above acronym is from Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap. If you found this post helpful, I highly recommend checking his work out or finding a therapist who practices Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help support you toward your desired goals.)


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Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. She provides individual therapy to children, teens, and adults with stress, anxiety, and depression. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness and acceptance based therapies, and other top, premier evidence-based treatments. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!

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19 Inspiring Acceptance Quotes on Moving Forward and Letting Go

It can be hard to accept what is difficult, something you would rather not be the case. It can be hard to accept life’s disappointments — things you feel as if you will never get past or move on from.

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It can be hard to accept what is difficult, something you would rather not be the case. It can be hard to accept life’s disappointments — things you feel as if you will never get past or move on from.

But the truth is that it is possible. I know not only through my work as a psychologist, but also because I’ve been there. If you can accept what is, if you can face it, then you can move forward through it and find greater peace and wholeness.

Below are 19 acceptance quotes to help you move forward and let go.

I think that you never fall out of love with somebody, you just let go and move on.
— Ashley Rickards
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.
— Lao Tzu
There’s no point in arguing and loving someone who doesn’t want to be with you and doesn’t want to keep you in his life.. the real person will try harder to reach out and work for the best and what’s supposed to be done to their relationship.. but things are not so good this time, it’s time to try letting go.
— Ressha
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
— Oprah Winfrey
The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.
— Steve Maraboli
Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.
— Deborah Reber
Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.
— Stephen King
What happens when you let go, when your strength leaves you and you sink into darkness, when there’s nothing that you or anyone else can do, no matter how desperate you are, no matter how you try? Perhaps it’s then, when you have neither pride nor power, that you are saved, brought to an unimaginably great reward.
— Mark Halperin
They say when you really love someone, you should be willing to set them free. So that is what I am doing. I will step back and you will move on. I will let you go….Your happiness means everything to me. I will listen for your voice in the distance. I will look at the moon. I will keep you in my pocket. I will carry your smile with me everywhere, like a warm and comforting glow.
— Tabitha Suzuma
Sometimes the door closes on a relationship, not because we failed but because something bigger than us says this no longer fits our life. So, lock the door, shed a tear, turn around and look for the new door that’s opened. It’s a sign that you’re no longer that person you were, it’s time to change into who you are. It’s going to be okay.
— Lee Goff
Letting go of someone we love is the hardest thing we will ever do. Some people never surrender to love for the fear of being hurt. But to not have loved, to not have felt the immense joy it brings, would have been a far worse kind of death.
— Goldie Hawn
Take all the time you need to heal emotionally. Moving on doesn’t take a day, it takes lots of little steps to be able to break free of your broken self.
— Tere Arigo
Even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger.
— Sara Evans
Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
— Ann Lander
No matter how much suffering you went through, you never wanted to let go of those memories.
— Haruki Murakami
Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.
— Steve Maraboli
The day I understood everything, was the day I stopped trying to figure everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.
— C. JoyBell C.
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
— Lao Tzu
Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.
— J.K. Rowling

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Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. She provides individual therapy to children, teens, and adults with stress, anxiety, and depression. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other top, premier evidence-based treatments. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!

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3 Simple Ways to Cultivate Kindness and Self-Compassion

Sometimes we make mistakes that we beat ourselves up for to no end. The voice in our head gets louder and louder and just. wont. stop.

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Sometimes we make mistakes that we beat ourselves up for to no end. The voice in our head gets louder and louder and just. wont. stop. Why did you think that was a good idea? it says. How could you have been so selfish? Often times, these thoughts lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and depression. It isn’t surprising to learn that those of us who experience this may have had childhoods deeply impacted by abuse or chronic stress or family dysfunction.

How then, do you learn to love yourself, to change the internal voice and feelings about yourself from criticism and loathing to one of love and compassion? It may be counter intuitive for many of us to feel as if it is okay to love oneself, rather than to judge or criticize. But in fact, to love oneself with kindness and self-compassion, with warmth and gentle support is healthy.

No you’re not perfect. You’re human. And you make mistakes. And that’s okay! You’re loved and valued, and this is unconditionally true, no matter what you’ve done or what you’ve been through. You’re so much more than your worst mistakes.

So how do you begin cultivating kindness and self-compassion?

  1. Practice mindfulness.

    Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment, non-judgmentally, and with acceptance. Mindfulness is a powerful way to cultivate kindness and self-compassion because it helps you realize that you’re not your thoughts. Instead, you are the person observing your thoughts. You are the observer. The harsh self-critical thoughts are just that — thoughts — and not necessarily true. Moreover, mindfulness helps increase calm and reduce suffering and stress.

  2. Practice Loving Kindness

    As you meditate, send feelings of loving kindness toward yourself and for your loved ones, friends, or others. To do this, in your mind you can try reciting loving and kind wishes to yourself or others in your life. For example, you could say, “May I experience peace today, and greater awareness of the goodness of others.” “May I practice gratitude and take time to slowly enjoy my day.” You can also think of what you would say to a small child or a friend, and say them to yourself. For example, “You’ve been through a lot this past year. It’s okay if you’re feeling down. I’m here for you. I love you.” Practice this for at least one minute each day and slowly you’ll feel more compassion and connectedness.

  3. Allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Know that it’s okay to be human and to be imperfect. Actually, there is no one in this world who is perfect and we are all flawed and in this together. Know that there is a beauty in imperfection and vulnerability and in our humanity that is far greater than any perfection. Vulnerability not only increases our connectedness with others, but it allows us to see others and ourselves with softer, kinder eyes. Not eyes of harshness or judgment, but of love and humanity.

The process of becoming the people we are fully meant to be and toward being kinder and more compassionate and loving to ourselves is a lifelong journey. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. These three tips help provide a beginning point, but it can help to work with a supportive therapist to provide a safe space to work through some of these difficult emotions toward greater health and wholeness.


arlington psychologist, therapist in tysons corner, merrifield, falls church, arlington and vienna

Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. She provides individual therapy to children, teens, and adults with stress, anxiety, and depression. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other top, premier evidence-based treatments. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!





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29 Life Changing Quotes from Eckhart Tolle to Help You Cultivate Peace and Awaken to Your Life's Purpose

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher with multiple New York Times bestselling books, including The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. What is powerful about his books is the element of his own personal lived experience, in which he discusses his many years spent in a deep depression to a state of inner transformation and peace.

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Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher with multiple New York Times bestselling books, including The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. What is powerful about his books is the element of his own personal lived experience, in which he discusses his many years spent in a deep depression to a state of inner transformation and peace. Although our culture often promotes happiness as the result of reaching towards future goals, Eckhart Tolle teaches that happiness is available in the present and now, and that in fact, the gift of the present moment is all that really exists.

On the Present Moment

The past has no power over the present moment.
— Eckhart Tolle
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
— Eckhart Tolle
Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.
— Eckhart Tolle
It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.
— Eckhart Tolle
As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love - even the most simple action.
— Eckhart Tolle
Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it - don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge or analyze. Don’t make an identity for yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you. Become aware not only of the emotional pain but also of “the one who observes,” the silent watcher. This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence. Then see what happens.
— Eckhart Tolle

On Anxiety and Peace

Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose
— Eckhart Tolle
Is there a difference between happiness and inner peace? Yes. Happiness depends on conditions being perceived as positive; inner peace does not.
— Eckhart Tolle
All the things that truly matter, beauty, love, creativity, joy and inner peace arise from beyond the mind.
— Eckhart Tolle
Whenever you become anxious or stressed, outer purpose has taken over, and you lost sight
of your inner purpose. You have forgotten that your state of consciousness is primary, all else secondary.
— Eckhart Tolle
In today’s rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just Being.
— Eckhart Tolle
Don’t look for peace. Don’t look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender
— Eckhart Tolle
With stillness comes the benediction of Peace.
— Eckhart Tolle

On Change

Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.
— Eckhart Tolle
Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.
— Eckhart Tolle

On Gratitude

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.
— Eckhart Tolle
Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.
— Eckhart Tolle
The significance is hiding in the insignificant. Appreciate everything.
— Eckhart Tolle

On Awakening to Yourself

What a liberation to realize that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.
— Eckhart Tolle
Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.
— Eckhart Tolle
The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.
— Eckhart Tolle
You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.
— Eckhart Tolle
Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to “die before you die” —- and find that there is no death.
— Eckhart Tolle
All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.
— Eckhart Tolle
When you don’t cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life that was lost a long time ago when humanity, instead of using thought, became possessed by thought.
— Eckhart Tolle
Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself. When you look at it or hold it & let it be without imposing a word of mental label on it, a sense of awe, of wonder, arises within you. Its essence silently communicates itself to you and reflects your own essence back to you.
— Eckhart Tolle
You are here to enable the divine purpose of the Universe to unfold. That is how important you are!
— Eckhart Tolle
Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free.
— Eckhart Tolle
To recognize one’s own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence.
— Eckhart Tolle

mclean psychologist, therapist in tysons corner, merrifield, falls church, arlington and vienna

Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. She provides individual therapy to children, teens, and adults with stress, anxiety, and depression. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness based therapies, and other top, premier evidence-based treatments. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!

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Hope+Wellness is a mental health practice specializing in the treatment of depression, mood, stress, and anxiety in kids, teens, and adults. This is a blog about living well and finding meaning and purpose in the face of difficult challenges. This is a blog about finding hope.