Podcast
Cope Well - Behavior Therapy Skills to support Mental Health and Well-being
Hosted by Ashley DeLuccia, Ph.D. · EN
Feeling overwhelmed? You're not alone. In a world where stress and anxiety seem to be winning, this podcast is your secret weapon for reclaiming your peace of mind. Dive into evidence-based strategies that transform chaos into calm. Each episode unlocks powerful behavior therapy and mindfulness techniques, giving you the tools to:
• Tame your stress monster
• Kick anxiety to the curb
• Banish judgment (both self and others)
• Cultivate genuine joy and contentment
It's time to flip the script on emotional turbulence. Join us as we explore practical, science-backed methods to build a life that doesn't just look good on Instagram, but feels amazing from the inside out.
Ready to trade overwhelm for inner peace? Your journey to a calmer, happier you starts here with emotion regulation expert Dr. Ashley DeLuccia. Listen now and take the first step towards the life you deserve.
ashleydeluccia.substack.com
ashleydeluccia.substack.com
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Coping Strategies: How to Recognize Your Patterns and Break the Cycle
1w ago00:06:19Tap to summarizeKnow Your CopingWe all cope. The question is - how? This episode breaks down the difference between helpful and harmful coping strategies, names some of the sneaky ones we don’t always recognize (hello, blame and avoidance), and offers a more empowering framework for navigating hard situations. Includes a personal share about recognizing avoidance patterns and learning to sit with emotions instead.Key Concepts: Conscious vs. unconscious coping · Avoidance · Blame as avoidance · Self-awareness · Emotional processingReflection prompts: What do I reach for when things get hard? Is it helping or hurting? What is this situation trying to teach me? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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How to Stop Negative Thinking at Night: Breaking Thought Loops and Finally Getting to Sleep
2w ago00:06:23Tap to summarizeNegative thought spirals — especially at night — are one of the most common struggles shared in our community. This episode walks through a practical, step-by-step approach: starting with awareness and reframing, and shifting to distraction and replacement when the brain isn’t resourced to do more (including the science of why 3–5 AM spirals hit differently). Includes a recommendation for Yoga Nidra with embedded theta waves for sleepless nights.Key Concepts: Negative thought loops · Cognitive reframing · Dialectical thinking · Distraction as a tool · Sleep & thought regulation · Theta wavesTools recommended: Insight Timer · Yoga Nidra recording · Sleep stories · Guided meditationKey principle: You can’t just remove a negative thought. You have to replace it with something. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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The DBT Skill That Heals You by Helping Others
3w ago00:06:09Tap to summarizeEpisode SummaryWhen emotions feel overwhelming, our instinct is to turn inward, but that can keep us stuck.In this episode, I share a simple and often overlooked DBT skill: contributing. Doing something kind or helpful for someone else can shift your focus, regulate your nervous system, and build a sense of purpose - for both you and your kids.Key Takeaways* Contributing shifts you out of emotional spirals by moving your focus outward* It builds self-efficacy (the belief that you can make a difference)* Kindness improves mental health - this is backed by research* Small acts are enough (and more effective than big ones)* Giving without recognition can feel especially regulatingTry ThisDo one small act of kindness this week - without expecting anything in return.Then notice:* How you feel* What shifts internally* The impact on othersReflection* What’s one way I can contribute today?* How do I feel after helping someone else?* How can I help my child or students practice this skill?Small actions create meaningful change.Cope well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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The Proven Science of DBT and Mindfulness: Research-Backed Strategies That Reduce Anxiety and Depression
Apr 800:05:29Tap to summarizeIn this inspiring “minisode”, Dr. Ashley shares why she keeps returning to mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) — two approaches that are powerful on their own and truly transformative when combined. Drawing from her background in studying both, she highlights research-backed results that prove these tools create measurable, lasting change in how we handle stress, regulate emotions, and show up in our daily lives. She also spotlights a simple, delightful everyday practice — laughter — as a legitimate coping strategy. The message is clear: you already have access to evidence-based tools that work.Key Insights- Mindfulness delivers significant, measurable relief- DBT was built for intense emotional suffering and delivers remarkable results- Mindfulness is the foundation of all DBT skills- Laughter is evidence-based medicine for everyday wellbeing- Small, consistent actions create big changeReflection Questions1. Which of the three areas (mindfulness, DBT skills, or laughter) feels most accessible for you to try this week?2. What’s one situation in your life right now where a mindfulness pause or DBT skill could help you respond differently instead of reacting?3. Who in your life reliably makes you laugh? How could you intentionally schedule more time with them?Recommended Follow-Up Video from YouTube Channel @ashleydeluccia3 Game-Changing DBT & Mindfulness StrategiesWatch here:If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs evidence that these tools really work. See you in the next episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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Overcome Your Fears: Take Action Anyway
Apr 100:07:19Tap to summarizeEvery time you try something new it’s going to feel uncomfortable. This episode is about doing it anyway. I share a personal story about fear of being seen, an unexpected encounter with Gary Vaynerchuk, and the mindset shift that changed my perspective: focus on helping one person, and the fear takes care of itself. HOPE: help one person everydayKey InsightsFear lives in the before, not the during. The anticipation/anxiety of doing something hard is almost always worse than the thing itself. Once you take action, you’re in a completely different emotional experience.You don’t have to feel ready to begin. Readiness is a myth we tell ourselves to stay comfortable. You learn the road by walking it.Service dissolves self-consciousness. When I shifted my focus off of my fear to can I help someone - fear lost its grip. Shifting to service is one of the most effective ways to move through fears. And that ties in to the contributing skill from DBT.One person is enough. If making yourself better benefits even one person around you, you mattered. Impact doesn’t require scale. It requires intention.Reflection Prompts* What is the thing I keep almost doing but talking myself out of?* Am I waiting to feel ready - or am I willing to begin anyway?* Who is the one person I could help if I just showed up as my best self?Do it scared. Do it awkward. Do it before you feel ready. That’s where growth lives. Cope well. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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Make Something, Heal Something: 3 Art Therapy Activities to Process Emotions and Find Relief
Mar 2500:08:07Tap to summarizeWhat This Episode Is AboutYou don’t have to talk about your trauma to heal from it. Sometimes the body needs a different door. This episode walks through three accessible art therapy activities for processing emotion and healing - for kids and adults alike. No artistic skill required.Key InsightsTrauma is stored in the body, not just the mind. Talk therapy is powerful, but it doesn’t always reach what’s held in the nervous system. Art accesses those deeper layers through a different pathway.You don’t need talent. You need permission. This isn’t about making something beautiful. It’s about making something honest. When you stop trying to create “good” art, something more truthful tends to come through.Emotion needs to move. Unprocessed emotion doesn’t disappear - it gets stored. Art gives it somewhere to go. Through color, shape, and texture, feeling can flow outward instead of staying stuck.Choice is inherently regulating. For trauma survivors and children who have experienced loss of control, simply choosing their medium or their colors restores a sense of agency. That matters.The 3 Activities* Free drawing or painting - no agenda, let your hand lead* Emotion body mapping - color where feelings live in your body* Clay and sensory sculpting - grounding, tactile, no rulesThis Week’s PracticePick one activity. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Don’t aim for anything. Just begin. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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How Mindfulness Improves Relationships: The Listening Skill That Builds Trust and Deep Connection
Mar 1800:05:02Tap to summarizeWhat This Episode Is AboutMindfulness doesn’t just change how you feel - it changes how you show up for others. This episode introduces non-judgmental listening, a DBT interpersonal effectiveness skill that builds trust, deepens connection, and helps the people in your life feel truly seen and heard.Key InsightsMost of us aren’t really listening - we’re waiting to talk. While someone else is speaking, our brain is already composing a response, making judgments, or drawing comparisons. It’s natural; we’re trying to build connections. Non-judgmental listening means dropping the agenda and fully receiving what someone shares.Feeling heard is a fundamental human need. When someone feels truly understood - not fixed, not advised, just heard - they feel safe. Safety builds trust. Trust deepens connection.Reflecting back is the skill. After someone shares, mirror it back in your own words. “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed.” No opinion, no advice - just proof that you were actually there.Mindfulness makes this possible. Without presence, true listening is difficult. Mindfulness is what pulls you back to this person, this moment, this conversation when your mind wanders.This Week’s PracticeIn one conversation, listen without planning your response. When they finish, reflect back what you heard. Notice what shifts - in them, and in you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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Self-Compassion and Productivity: Why Rest Isn't Laziness (And How to Stop Burning Out)
Mar 1100:05:08Tap to summarizeYou’d never let your best friend run on empty. So why do you do it to yourself? This “minisode” explores self-compassion as a productivity strategy — and why rest, movement, and kindness toward yourself aren’t indulgences. They’re necessities. Inspired by a real conversation about what it means to be a good friend to yourself.Key Concepts: Self-compassion · Burnout prevention · Rest as productivity · Treating yourself like someone you loveReflection prompt: What advice would you give your best friend if they came to you exhausted and unable to stop? Now give that advice to yourself.Cope well, friends. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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From Surviving to Thriving: Audio Course Preview of the Most Impactful Skills for Parents
Mar 400:12:34Tap to summarizeAre you exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering if anything will actually work?In this episode, I cover the first four foundational concepts from my Mindful Behavior Therapy Curriculum. I used these concepts and adapted them for you - into an audio course, designed specifically for parents raising kids with behavioral and mental health challenges. These aren’t generic parenting tips. These are behavior therapy skills that address what’s actually happening - in your child’s nervous system AND yours.In this episode:Dialectics — Learn why “AND” is more powerful than “BUT,” and how holding two contradictory truths at the same time can stop the guilt spiral that’s quietly burning you out.Mindfulness — Not meditation. Practical, in-the-moment awareness you can use when a plate just hit the kitchen floor. Learn how to create a gap between feeling and reaction - and why that gap changes everything.Three States of Mind — Emotion Mind, Reasonable Mind, and Wise Mind. Understand why you make decisions you regret in hard moments, and how to access the balanced state that actually works when everything’s falling apart.Validation — Your emotions are always valid. What you do with them is where responsibility comes in. Learn how validating your own feelings - instead of fighting them - keeps you out of the shame spiral and helps emotions move through faster.Want the full course?This episode is just the beginning. The complete Mindful Behavior Therapy audio course covers all ten concepts with deep dives, practical exercises, and real-life application for your specific challenges. It’s coming soon!Join the Mental Health Coping Tools community on Skool.com to get lifetime access to the full audio course, weekly coaching, personalized strategies, and a community of parents who truly understand what you’re going through.You don’t have to keep doing this alone.👉 Join Mental Health Coping Tools on Skool – link here This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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Too Busy for Self-Care? Small Habits That Keep You Calm, Grounded, and Regulated
Feb 2500:17:35Tap to summarizeEpisode SummaryIn this episode, I ask you to question a common excuse people make - not having enough time for self-care. Drawing on DBT’s PLEASE skill and the science of emotional regulation, I reframe self-care not as something extra you add to your day, but as something you weave into it. With practical, zero-cost strategies, I make the case that staying regulated is within your control - even on the hardest days.Key Concepts1. The “Life is Chaotic” Default When we respond to “how are you?” with “things are crazy” or “I’m so busy,” it’s a signal. Chronic dysregulation affects how we show up for work, relationships, and parenting. We can choose a different answer, but first we have to do the work to get there.2. The DBT PLEASE Skill PLEASE is a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skill designed to reduce emotional vulnerability by caring for the physical body. The components include:* PL — treating PhysicaL illness* E — balanced Eating* A — Avoiding mood-altering substances* S — balanced Sleep* E — getting ExerciseWhen these needs go unmet, our emotional baseline drops - meaning we become more reactive, less resilient, and harder to be around. Self-care at this level is clinical, not indulgent.3. You Cannot Pour from an Empty Cup This is especially true for moms, parents, and caregivers who default to putting everyone else’s needs first. Depleting yourself doesn’t serve the people you love - it limits your capacity to show up for them. Prioritizing your own regulation is an act of care for those around you.4. Self-Care Doesn’t Require Extra Time The biggest myth about self-care is that it requires a separate block of time. It doesn’t. Regulation can be built into activities you’re already doing - the key ingredient is intention, not more hours in the day.5. Built-In Regulation Practices Small, woven-in moments of self-care that cost zero extra time:* Breathwork while driving - box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) in the car rider line* Gratitude before coffee or meals - 30 seconds of genuine appreciation before your first sip activates the parasympathetic nervous system* Mindful water drinking - feel the cold water in your mouth and body, notice the sensation, feel grateful for access to clean water; drinking intentionally is both mindfulness and physical self-care* Mindful breaks at work - a walk to the bathroom or the water fountain is an opportunity to breathe, slow down, and check in with yourself6. Starting the Day Regulated I begin each morning on my yoga mat - simple poses and breathwork to connect with Spirit and start the day calm and grounded. This sets the emotional tone for everything that follows.7. The Reset Mindset When mornings go off the rails (and they will), the goal isn’t perfection - it’s continuity. If the morning routine gets derailed, you don’t write off the day. You find the next available moment: breathwork in the car, a mindful pause in the parking lot, an intentional sip of water. Regulation is something you return to all day, not something you do once and lose.8. Building Resilience Through Small Moments Consistent, small regulation practices build nervous system resilience over time. The more you return to yourself throughout the day, the less completely derailed you become when hard things happen. This is the compounding effect of micro self-care.Connect with Dr. Ashley DeLuccia on SkoolParent Community - Mental Health Coping Tools - Skills for Calm and Happy Kids* Q&A Monday evenings at 7PM EST* Breathwork sessions Fridays at 5PM This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleydeluccia.substack.com/subscribe
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