Therapy
By Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC A trigger is a response in which you are activated to do something based on the recall of a previous experience. The trigger response may be emotional, mental, and/or physiological. For this blog post I will focus on triggers with respect to substance abuse and recovery. However, triggers can happen in a wide variety of contexts including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If someone in recovery from alcohol abuse…
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Kaitlin Broderick LCPC Social media can be a wonderful tool. It can keep us connected to people all over the world and help us keep in touch with people we may have lost touch with otherwise. However, it can also be self-sabotaging and destructive and may cause us to feel poorly about ourselves. How can we tell if we are using social media in a beneficial way or in a way that makes us ultimately feel worse…
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By: Danielle Bertini, LPC When you spend most of your week with the same people, you’re bound to form bonds with some of them — which is great! It’s nice to have co-workers who support your goals and inspire you. However, the line between colleagues and friends can often blur. Overstepping boundaries with people at work can cause tension, miscommunication, and distractions. Business News Daily Editor (2020) offers tips to properly and professionally manage your friendships in…
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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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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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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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Hannah Hopper, LPC How do you rebuild trust after an affair takes place? Is it even possible? Is it right to stay in a relationship after there’s been an affair? There are so many questions in the wake of unfaithfulness, and not all of the answers will come at once. But one thing is for sure; if both partners decide to stay in the relationship, rebuilding trust and learning to love again is a very slow process.…
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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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Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC When it comes to politics, friends, relatives and strangers are consistently shouting at each other as opposed to engaging in discussions. Emotionally charged exchanges seem to be more of the norm these days “in venues ranging from local governments to national ruling bodies across the world.” Sometimes you may be reminded of a struggling marriage when you witness these shout-fests. Couples therapists would agree and utilize many interventions that have scientifically proven…
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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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