marriage and family therapist
By Eric Dean, JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC Americans are unhappier now than they have ever been in the last 50 years. Let that sink in for a moment. This is paradoxical in that over the past 50 years there has been a substantial increase in inflation-adjusted per capita income, an improved standard of living, and a proliferation of digital technologies that have given us unprecedented levels of convenience and connectedness. Perhaps, one could reasonably argue…
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In part 1 of this blog post we discussed what social anxiety is, why it may be happening and whether or not we may be experiencing it. As a refresher, social anxiety is when anxious feelings are present as a result of interacting with others. The presence of social anxiety has grown due to spending 12+ months barely speaking to or interacting with anyone, leading to the thought of socializing becoming incredibly daunting and overwhelming for many…
Read MoreAs more people receive the Covid-19 vaccine and begin to feel safer reconnecting with friends and family, I’ve found many clients remain apprehensive about reaching out or scheduling plans. While much of this is likely related to the mindset, we’ve developed over the past year of what it means to keep ourselves and others safe, a new hurdle seems to have developed. Regardless of having struggled with a mental health disorder in the past or not, many…
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If you feel like you went from having no social plans to your calendar being booked solid, you’re not alone. It seems people have found themselves with two years’ worth of plans crammed into a couple of months. After over a year of isolation, jumping back into a jammed pack social schedule can feel incredibly overwhelming and draining. There’s no shame in starting slowly and listening to your mind and body when they tell you you’ve had…
Read MoreBy Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC We are glued to our phones. The average U.S. adult will spend roughly 3 hours per day on their cell phone, which equals about 1,100 hours or 45 days per year! The consequences of nonstop phone use are wide-ranging and not fully understood. In this post, I will review what we know about how phone usage affects sleep and provide some tips on getting better rest. Sleep is…
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Written by Kara Thompson, Licensed Social Worker So here’s the deal… Love is complicated. You may be facing this truth every day in your relationships with your partner, a family member, or maybe even within yourself. Have you ever paused and reflected on this question: “How did we learn how to love?” For many of us, the first way we learned about love is through the systems we were born into. Those unique experiences often include a…
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By Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC Many couples struggle to communicate assertively, directly, and honestly about their needs which leads to mind-reading and making inaccurate assumptions about their partner’s thoughts and feelings. When couples act upon inaccurate assumptions, it creates misunderstandings and confusion in the relationship. The good news is that this can be prevented or alleviated by assertive communication. When we do not ask for what we need from our partner, our needs…
Read MoreBy Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC You have probably heard the term “self-care” at least a million times. It has become a ubiquitous topic of conversation since the beginning of the pandemic. I could write 20 blog posts on it and still only scratch the surface. So, to begin, in this post I am going to define and review examples of what self-care could be. Remember, your self-care routine should be uniquely tailored to…
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When we’re under high levels of stress and everything feels emotionally exhausting, it feels if we let out one emotion, acknowledge one feeling, we may simply crumble into a million pieces. As a result, many of us hold in our emotions to protect ourselves and others from becoming completely flooded with feelings. Whatever the reason, too many of us hold in our emotions, moving through life like a volcano about to explode. To make matters worse, keeping…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC What Are 9 Things Every Woman Should Know About Mental Health During Pregnancy? Part II Did you know that a recent study found that postpartum depression often begins before a woman gives birth? Here are some things that soon-to-be mothers should know about mental health during pregnancy. Part one of this two-part blog series shared the first three and here are the last six! The sooner you get treatment, the better…
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