Therapy
When first seeing a therapist or psychiatrist, a diagnosis is usually determined. It can cause a lot of uncertainty and the possibility of not knowing what the diagnosis means or what to do with what has been told to you. When this occurs, it tends to change our lives and the lives of the people we use as supports. Being able to not allow the mental health diagnosis drive our life, but instead for us to think…
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In my previous blog post, How to Stick to New Years Resolutions, I talked about ways to set up resolutions for the year by being specific, setting measurable, achievable, and relevant goals, and time limits for yourself. Since we are a few weeks into the new year, I wanted to do a checkup to see how your resolutions were going for you. Have you been able to maintain your resolutions, or as I like to call them…
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I work with many clients who discuss feeling anxious due to a number of stressors, whether it be related to their professional or personal life. Some clients even discuss feeling worried or anxious related to noticing their children exhibiting symptoms of anxiety as well. I recently read an article from The New York Times that touched on this topic, “How to Help a Child with an Anxiety Disorder” by author Perri Klass, M.D. Dr. Klass discusses several…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Once we have begun to make positive changes in our lives and found stability in mood and behavior, it is important to develop a plan for sustaining these changes. Regardless of what we are working on in therapy and/or in recovery, I recommend that everyone develop a relapse prevention plan. This will provide a structured approach to increase our chances of countering any triggers or urges that could lead us to a symptom…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Congratulations on making the significant change of quitting using your drug of choice. Right now, I hope you are feeling a great sense of accomplishment, as well as renewed energy from living better with improved eating and sleeping habits. Making this initial change might be the hardest part of your recovery, but this will not be the only challenge you face. At some point, your newfound sober energy may turn into emotional fatigue,…
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When we learn that someone is facing an illness or needing extra care, our thoughts immediately go to them – as they should. We wonder how they’re feeling. We ask them what we can do for them. We check in on them more frequently. We know they probably need extra support, and it’s right to offer it to them. What may not be as obvious is that the people who are primarily responsible for taking care of…
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We likely have all had a disagreement with someone in our life. As human beings, we have different life experiences; we grew up with different values, have different personalities, have different wants, and needs. With all of these differences, it is almost as if disagreements are bound to happen at one point or another. While disagreements may often lead to arguments, we need to be cognizant that it is okay to disagree with someone. What matters more…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Battling depression can feel like a helpless, lonely, and never-ending journey to happiness. Between the frequent tears, fatigue, and lack of motivation, it can feel nearly impossible to live your life in a meaningful way. Those who struggle with depression find it easy to get stuck in a dark place where it “isn’t worth it” to do things, you are hard on yourself, and feel hopeless. Rather than focusing on…
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Steven Losardo In a recent Pew Center research article on marriage and love in America, Geiger and Livingston (2018) combine online survey data from 1990 to 2017 highlighting several multifaceted factors on the way to the altar. Factors such as cohabitation, which is up 29% since 2007, and marriage to someone in a different religious group, which is up 39%, are becoming prevalent. Additionally, now more than ever technology is playing an essential role in the process.…
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All couples fight— in fact, the process of rupture and repair can actually be strength building. The key as to whether an argument or difficult conversation makes a pair stronger lies in HOW a couple fights. Adaptive Disagreement Strategies S L O W D O W N Take a breath. Don’t act and react on impulse. If you need to, take an agreed upon period of time to collect yourself and your thoughts so that you can…
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