The Gift of Presence: Holiday Recommendations From a Therapist
Here comes the holiday season! While there is joy in festive gatherings and gift-giving, there can also be a constant undertow of stress and an unspoken expectation to “do it all”. As a mental health therapist, I often hear people say, "I can’t wait for the holidays to be over!".
If you notice yourself wishing the holidays away or experiencing anticipatory dread of family gatherings, a few intentional changes can help to create a shift in your holiday experience.
The Inside Scoop: Some Things Your Therapist Wants You To Know
Do you ever wonder what’s going on in your therapist’s mind during sessions? You’re not alone! While we’re fully focused on you—your thoughts, feelings, and the challenges you’re working through—there are a few things we’d love to say out loud. It’s not that we’re hiding anything; we just want to keep the spotlight on your progress. So, in the spirit of transparency, here are a few things your therapist wants you to know.
Help...I think I Am Having a Panic Attack!
If you've ever had a panic attack, also known as an anxiety attack, you know how overwhelming and frightening it can be. It often feels like you're losing control, which makes the experience even more distressing. A panic attack often comes on suddenly, bringing with it a wave of intense physical symptoms
Navigating ADHD in Relationships
Ever find yourself constantly losing your keys, zoning out in important meetings, or feeling like you can’t sit still? Or maybe your partner forgets important dates, daydreams during conversations, or acts impulsively? It’s easy to get frustrated, but these behaviors might not be calculated—they could be signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.
Respect and Connection: The Power of Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are the personal rules that allow us to feel happy and safe in our relationships. They are not about distancing ourselves from others but about remaining true to our values and needs. Everyone's boundaries are different and can change based on the situation and who we're with. Whether it's with family, friends, partners, or coworkers, boundaries help ensure everyone feels respected and understood while also protecting the relationship.
Unraveling Trauma: Insights into PTSD Treatment
Understanding trauma and its psychological impacts is a complex and often complicated process. A traumatic event is commonly defined as a sudden, unexpected event that happens that poses a threat to you or someone you care about. The goal of trauma-based therapy is to help individuals process and integrate traumatic experiences, reduce distressing symptoms, and get back to doing the things in life that are meaningful.
Your Emotional Life
Understanding the role emotions play in our mental health is a key component of overall wellness. We generally classify feelings into two main categories of “primary and secondary emotions.” In counseling, a therapist will explore these emotional layers to help a client understand why they are experiencing specific emotions, how and where they feel them in their body, and ways to relate to their emotions so that they don’t hijack a situation. But what exactly are emotions, and how do they influence our actions?
A Beginners Guide to Mental Health
I often have clients who come to their first counseling appointment trying to understand what specific help I provide and have questions related to the terms and titles that make up our mental health lingo. Does a counselor prescribe medications? Why do I need a diagnosis? How do you know what kind of therapy is best for your situation?
Making Connections in the Modern World
To make meaningful connections with others, it takes effort and energy. Relationships thrive when we approach them with thoughtfulness and a willingness to make another person feel seen and heard. With time, attention, and practice, you can increase meaningful social connections in the modern world.
The Anxiety Loop: How to tell the difference between productive stress vs. toxic anxiety
Anxiety-even the word can make your heart pound! Right now we are living in a time when the collective “felt sense” of anxiety is almost constant. Identifying the difference between healthy stress and problematic anxiety is important because our society has a collective mindset that negative emotions must be avoided, and this in itself has created a lot of anxiety about having anxiety.
Address the Holiday Stress
Tis the season for festivities and joy…but let's not overlook that for many, this time of year can be especially challenging. Along with warm white lights and the merriment of Christmas music, for some, the holiday season brings added social pressures and activities, uncomfortable family dynamics, and financial strain.
Navigating the Seasonal Shift
The transition from summer to winter is a natural part of the yearly cycle, but it can have a significant impact on mental health. By acknowledging the challenges and taking proactive steps to care for ourselves, this transition can become a time of restoration for the mind, body, and spirit.
Preparing for Re-entry: The Next Stage of the Pandemic.
With the country beginning to open up services, many people are struggling with how to go about re-entering social situations. The decision-making process can feel overwhelming especially with so much uncertainty about health and safety in public spaces. Quarantine and isolation have definitely increased mental health challenges for many people….
What is OCD?
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that...
The Basics of Telehealth Counseling
Seasonal changes can disrupt daily routines, reduce exposure to natural light, and affect circadian rhythms, potentially leading to increased feelings of sadness and fatigue.
EMDR Goes Public
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. It has been extensively researched and shown effective for the treatment of a variety of different diagnoses including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorders, and phobias.
Change for the Better: The Role of Listening in the Counseling Environment
Listening doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Many of us seem to talk endlessly throughout the day with no difficulty and gravitate towards others who are boisterous or fun. Our leaders talk loudly via microphone a mile-a-minute and we sometimes come home to watch hours of television that often spouts opinions as fact and can make statements boldly, giving us information and sensory input for as long as we care to keep it on….
2020 Vision for Wellness
he most common time that people pause to reflect on the patterns in their life that promote wellness is the start of a new year. Whether you are an optimist that leans toward the possibilities of positive change, or someone who tends to view life with a pessimistic reality, here are four areas of focus that can help you move toward improved mental wellness…