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Dr. Russ Morfitt

There are few things as exciting as seeing someone stare their fears in the face until they no longer live with that fear.
Getting Back Up When You Fall Down Stress & Anxiety

Getting Back Up When You Fall Down

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 5 If you fall off the horse, you better get right back on that horse.  Why do they say that anyway? Have you ever actually fallen off a horse? I have many times. Sometimes it really hurts. But the reason to get back on that horse is because, once you start avoiding that horse, you risk a lifetime of continuing to fear the horse. I also like to say that if it's a little too scary to immediately get on that horse, you might want to at least try getting on a smaller…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
July 11, 2023
Learn to identify and examine your thoughts
Wait, upon further examination, things look different… Mental Health

Wait, upon further examination, things look different…

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 4 Thoughts affect our feelings Around here, we put a lot of consideration into our approach to thoughts. Our cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs include the idea that your cognitions (thoughts) — the C in CBT—affect how we feel and that idea can change our worlds. That realization was central to the cognitive revolution that was led by pioneers like Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis. So, their ideas are integrated into our programs. To examine our thoughts, we must first identify them. We introduced the sentence stems I created several years ago (e.g.,…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
June 27, 2023
Changing automatic negative thinking traps with CBT
When the simplest answer is the most memorable and compelling Mental Health

When the simplest answer is the most memorable and compelling

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 3 When I was working in an inpatient mental health unit, I began an effort to focus groups on evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We needed a topic that busy nurses could lead on Sunday nights. We picked one that was simple, but very useful: automatic negative thinking traps (ANTs).  Many group members were new to the concept of ANTs, but I noticed that people remembered it. Even if they forgot everything else, ANTs stuck.  What ANTs Really Are ANTs aren't the same as the emotion-causing thoughts, like I'm going to fail this…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
May 9, 2023
Learn about what really causes your feelings and what you can do about them.
Breaking Down Emotions and Facing Negative Feelings Stress & Anxiety

Breaking Down Emotions and Facing Negative Feelings

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 2 Have you ever wondered why you are having a pleasant emotion like happiness or peace? Most have not. We just accept those emotions and move on. But everything changes when we are feeling discouraged, fearful, or angry. I'd like to share with you a CBT strategy that has been helpful to many people who face negative feelings. I call it the STEPP model. One of the key concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the idea that our thoughts affect how we feel. Many people struggling with depression or anxiety say that…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
April 3, 2023
Woman struggling to sleep
A Recipe for Insomnia Insomnia

A Recipe for Insomnia

How Learn to Live Delivers CBT: Part 1 Here's a recipe that too many people try: Add one part poor sleep environment, Two parts pressure to sleep, Three parts going to bed early to try to catch up on sleep. What's the result? A big batch of insomnia! An Underused Tool for Insomnia Insomnia is widespread. Studies show that more than 30% of us have markers for insomnia at least some of the time. One of the best kept secrets in insomnia and health care is that there is an entirely natural solution. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) has…
Dr. Russ Morfitt
March 1, 2023
Ripple effect: preventing depression by helping people sleep better
Ripple Effect: Preventing Depression by Helping People Sleep Better InsomniaMental Health

Ripple Effect: Preventing Depression by Helping People Sleep Better

When I started creating content for the Learn to Live Insomnia program a few years ago, the research was clear—the single most powerful thing we can do for vitality-draining insomnia is take a serious look at the “what-if” thinking patterns that keep us forcibly awake, and our well-intentioned behavior patterns that undermine efforts to right the bobbing ship of sleep.
Dr. Russ Morfitt
April 14, 2022