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Pulling Yourself Up When Feeling Down

July 4, 2020

Despite our best efforts to maintain stable positivity in our lives, we will inevitably find ourselves feeling down at some point in our lives. Whether this is a feeling of sadness or just feeling overall “blah”, we all know what it’s like to feel stuck in a funk we just can’t get out of. This feeling can be caused by negative events happening in your life, feeling overwhelmed, or the feeling can just come out of nowhere.…

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Could I have postpartum depression? If I do, how do I treat it? Part 2

June 30, 2020

If you read my last blog post, “Could I have postpartum depression? If I do, how do I treat it? Part 1”, referencing The New York Times article, “Postpartum depression can be dangerous. Here’s how to recognize it and seek treatment” by author Tara Haelle, you may be wondering about the additional symptoms of postpartum depression as well as the appropriate next steps to take if you do have it. Below are the remaining key points from…

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Catastrophizing During Corona: A Three-Pronged Approach, Pt. 1

June 24, 2020

By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC This is a two-part blog series that breaks down how to effectively combat the negative habit of catastrophizing into small and realistic steps. Check out my next blog post to put all of the pieces together. Here goes part one!  Are you a catastrophizer and would like the ability to think more positively? More than ever, many people are practicing catastrophizing with all of the unknown we are facing amidst this…

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Accepting the Tough Stuff: What To Do With Distressing Emotions

June 20, 2020

Steven Topper, LCPC In her article on acceptance-based strategies and their long-term outcomes, Lila MacLellan asserts that the path to psychological well being is tied directly to acceptance. This may be something that has long been in the zeitgeist of Eastern cultures, as we can often cite ancient poets (MacLellan cites Rumi’s poem “The Guest House”, see below) for their depth of understanding around acceptance. Yet it’s mostly evaded our Western culture for a few notable reasons.…

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Asserting Needs

June 14, 2020

Danielle Bertini, LPC It can be hard expressing needs directly to someone, especially when our wishes aren’t aligned with the other person’s. Asking for what we need is the principle behind assertiveness (Gillihan, 2018). Being assertive often gets confused with being aggressive, as if being assertive means demanding that others give you what you want. However, according to Alberti and Emmons, being assertive actually falls between being passive or being aggressive. It’s a fine line to walk,…

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So, Can Nature Actually Help Reduce My Anxiety?

June 10, 2020

I work with many clients who are stressed and overwhelmed related to their jobs. My job as their clinical therapist is to better understand why the client is anxious at their job and then possible coping strategies to better manage their anxiety at work. One thing I often recommend to clients is utilizing a holistic approach in managing their anxiety, specifically using nature as a way to help reduce their anxiety. I recently read an article from…

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Post COVID-19 Pandemic Preparation

June 1, 2020

Steven Losardo, Marriage and Family Therapist In a variety of ways, the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating to many people. Most of us are in a season of transition while waiting to get back to some kind of “normal.” The postponement of life as we know it has been a difficult adjustment. While we cannot control when COVID-19 stay-at-home ends, we can prepare to be successful when the day arrives. Most of us have been in…

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What’s Your Attachment Style?

May 12, 2020

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified  If you want to improve your relationships, it might be helpful to identify your style of attachment. Your attachment style usually manifests in childhood and impacts your attachment patterns as an adult. The four types of attachment styles are secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganized.  Do you know which style of attachment is yours? In order to identify your style, you should look for patterns of how you function and feel in…

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Attachment Figures Who Aren’t Your Parents

May 10, 2020

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified An “attachment figure” is just what it sounds like: a figure to whom you attach. It was once thought that your main attachment figures were your parents. But the more we learn about attachment, the more we realize that people don’t just attach to their parents but attach to a variety of different figures in their lives. In fact, some people do not attach to their biological parents at all. Why?…

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Fact vs. Fiction: We Can’t Always Decode Nonverbals

May 8, 2020

Danielle Bertini, LPC There are countless examples in the media, especially related to celebrities, in which a story is posted about something they are doing and make reaching judgments about what is going on. For example, a story was posted about Prince William in which he was “caught” giving the middle finger to onlookers. A journalist wrote, “You can even see a look of smug confidence on his face too.” Oops; that was actually a profile shot.…

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