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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Did you know that anxiety holds your deepest yearnings and that worry is driven by mood, not logic? This blog will discuss the anatomy of calm, which might turn everything you know about anxiety inside out! Often times people think that anxiety is all in their heads, but actually, it exists mostly within the body – more accurately, within the nervous system. What people tend to forget is that our nervous…
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Meg Mulroy, LPC More than ever, the relationship between mental health and sports is being put on the map because of athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Biles and Osaka both recently chose their mental wellness and safety over competing, and it has gotten folks thinking about the importance of mental health in sports with a new lens. When we look at athletes (especially professional athletes), it is easy to imagine that their internal and private experiences…
Read MoreSteven Topper LCPC The totality with which patriarchal systems have shaped our culture is robust and only just beginning to be elucidated upon. Those systems seem to reach into every aspect of our lives, and one such place we see this show up is with our history. The histories of medicine and psychology are mostly focused on white men. When we learn about great changes in almost all scientific fields, we end up learning about men. As…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Entering the chapter of parenthood can be a scary thing, and there are so many unknowns and unexpected things that take place. The first year of life is a pivotal time, and we all want to make sure we are doing everything right for our new little bundles of joy. Newsflash – you will make mistakes, and that is okay! You are only human and your baby is too so it’s…
Read MoreSteven Topper LCPC One of the key differences between us and all other animals is our ability to talk. Scientists have observed other animals using vocal sounds to communicate, yet something sets our talking apart from all the rest. Importantly, we are able to connect all words with all other words. We call this arbitrary relational responding, but that strange term belies a pretty simple game we can play: Not up, but _____. Not left, but ______.…
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Andrew D. Castillo, LCSW, MSW Depending on who you ask we are either on the cusp, or in the throws of the holiday season! While this may be a time for festivities and celebration with family and friends, we also know that the change in seasons can be a difficult time for many people, for a variety of reasons. We may experience seasonal patterns of depression or other diagnoses, face increased stressors associated with holiday expectations, or…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Public Speaking is one of the most common phobias and sources of anxiety. Here are coping strategies which may help you to manage your anxiety while speaking publicly. Be realistic about your audience’s expectations. What are the expectations of your audience? Do they expect you to give a perfect speech? Are they critiquing your every word? Most likely, such high expectations are your expectations, not those of your audience. Perfection is…
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By: Danielle Bertini, LPC In a previous blog post, I discussed the topic of trauma bonding, including what it is, how it’s formed, and signs to be aware of. In this blog, we will explore ways to break these unhealthy bonds. But first, let’s have a refresher of what trauma bonding is. Trauma bonding develops out of a repeated cycle of abuse, devaluation, and positive reinforcement (Raypole, 2020). This trauma of abuse can create powerful feelings that…
Read MoreBy: Zana Van Der Smissen (TW: Eating Disorders. This article does contain content that might be triggering for some. If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable, please step away from the article and take time for yourself or reach out for help at Symmetry Counseling) The holidays are a time of year for cold weather, Christmas music and of course, food. Food is the main event for most families whether or not it is preparing as a family,…
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Jessica Pontis, LCSW Have you ever been in distressed and not know what to do with your emotions? Maybe you wanted to scream, cry, throw a temper tantrum, lash out at someone else? We’ve all had moments where we might not have known how to process our feelings, which might have resulted in behavior that was somewhat childlike. It’s not uncommon for people to revert to a childlike state when stressed, sad, or angry, but it…
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