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The Hardest Person to Forgive: Myself

April 24, 2019

Steven Topper When I was young, I learned about forgiveness. My teachers and parents explained that when someone wrongs me in some way, it’s up to me to say, “I forgive you.” In fact, adults would typically place the person in front of me, ask them to say, “Sorry,” and wait for that very response. Often the reverse was true too, with me asking for forgiveness from another kid. For me, the conversation stopped there for many…

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Destigmatizing Self-Injury: What to Know and How to Help

April 16, 2019

While so much of mental illness is stigmatized through movies, television, and news, few topics are as divisive as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In critically acclaimed movies such as Black Swan and The Wrestler, depictions of NSSI often come from wounded protagonists who clearly suffer from profound mental health issues. Clinical definitions of nonsuicidal self-injury describe the behavior as: Direct and self-inflicted destruction or alteration of body tissue occurring without suicidal intent or developmental disorder. The most common…

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Self-Care for Millennials

April 8, 2019

Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW The ideas that millennials are too disengaged or unwilling to put in hard work have unfortunately been taken as fact for years, regardless of the fact that nobody can agree on exactly what a millennial is or that those who make these arguments are ignoring how the world is so completely different now than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. We live in a world in which social media looms over all aspects…

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How to Feel Unstuck

March 26, 2019

Often times we just feel stuck. It seems as if everything that we have tried is impossible to get out of this rut and we cannot feel any better. We have tried coping skills that we know and that others have encouraged us to use, we have tried to ignore it, we have tried to focus on it, and nothing seems to work. We often times feel stuck when we have a big decision to make and…

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Get Tested! Common Myths about STDs

March 25, 2019

Sexual Transmitted Diseases, also known as STDs, are more common that one would think. Educating not only yourself, but also your partner about STDs is very important and making sure that both of you are being tested frequently if you have multiple partners, especially in open relationships, polyamorous relationships, LGTBQ individuals. I would know if my partner had an STD You might think you know your partner(s) well, but unfortunately you cannot tell just by looking at…

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Spring Into Positivity

March 22, 2019

Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor Spring is here and that means longer days, warmer weather, and a fresh start. It can be a great time to reflect on how your year has gone so far and consider areas for growth. Maybe it’s exercise, healthy eating, your social life, or your relationship, but it is also important to consider adding more positivity to your life. Seeing the positive side to life lifts your mood, the mood of those…

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What is Unconditional Self-Acceptance?

March 17, 2019

Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Unconditional self-acceptance teaches us to accept all aspects ourselves because we are unique, and to be forgiving of ourselves because we are fallible. Practicing USA instead of relying on conditional self esteem increases our ability to rationally cope with adversity. If we base our self esteem on our ability to successfully achieve status, we will be unable to unconditionally accept ourselves. It is important that we strive towards short- and long-term goals for…

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How to De-Clutter Psychological Clutter

March 15, 2019

If you like to “Netflix-and-chill”, it’s likely that you have watched (or at least heard of) the popular show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. This show is gaining a lot of attention because the premise hits close to home for many people – de-cluttering your cluttered life. Marie Kondo, the adorable mastermind and host of the show, applies the KonMari method to help families de-clutter their homes. The KonMari method is broken down into five specific categories…

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Collaborative Care

March 10, 2019

Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC When we seek out help from medical providers, we are putting trust in that the provider can “fix” or “solve” our presenting concerns. This is also seen within the mental health field, in how individuals will enter therapy for answers to what is “wrong” with them. Finding these answers cannot always come from the help of just one provider or treatment method. It can be helpful for an individual to utilize all…

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Using Communication Styles to Increase Effective Communication

March 8, 2019

Whether I am working with couples, families, or individuals, one topic never fails to come up in therapy. Communication. Communicating is something that we are constantly doing, either verbally or nonverbally. Communication may be challenging with others when you are not communicating clearly and effectively. It would be important to note that what is clear and effective to you, may not be the same to someone else. For instance, you may need to speak very clearly and…

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