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Caregiver Fatigue and Self Care

February 25, 2016

Many of us are caregivers in our personal or professional lives, or both. On a personal level, caregiving may involve caring for small children, an older or ailing parent, a sick friend or sibling, or even for a pet. Professionally, we may work in high-stress environments with significant pressure to provide output, we may care for and heal patients or represent clients, and often we take on our client or employer’s needs. In order to succeed in both personal and professional realms, it’s important to be able to identify “caregiver fatigue” in ourselves and to remedy it with self-care before we burn out.

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Life is Not The Brady Bunch: Unique Challenges Faced by Blended Families

February 23, 2016

Although increasingly common in our culture, many blended families struggle and suffer excess stress around what was hoped to be a joyful joining of two families. There are no healthy cultural role models for blended families, the most notable example being the highly unrealistic Brady Bunch. This leaves partners struggling to juggle the needs of the new intimate relationship, their children, their spouse’s children, and any ex-partners, while also trying to meet personal needs. It is very…

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It’s Time to Talk Money!

February 15, 2016

Financial Therapy Blog 2.14.16 Why is it so difficult to talk to your family, loved ones, friends, or colleagues about money? What is it about money that makes it so taboo? Around two thirds of American adults, regardless of race, gender, or economic status, are stressed about money and yet we aren’t talking about it. Financial therapy is a way to learn how to bring up and feel comfortable with talking about money and finances, learn skills…

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Fight or Flight or…What? Finding the Middle Ground to Control Your Instincts

February 11, 2016

When conflict occurs in an intimate relationship, something is triggered in each partner. To some, it may feel like a slow boil, a tingle or a buzz that grows stronger with each word that you interpret as insulting, disrespectful, or mean. To others, it is like flipping a switch. One moment you are calm and collected in your thoughts while talking to your partner, and the next, you are full throttle trying to protect yourself from a…

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Will My Baby Make Me Blue? A Conversation About Postpartum Depression

February 4, 2016

The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed health panel, recently recommended that all pregnant women be screened for depression regardless of prior risk factors. The task force notes that using evidence-based screening tests, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, can help reduce depressive symptoms in women with depression and decrease the prevalence of depression in a given population.

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Surviving Blue Monday: Take Control of Negative Winter Habits

January 26, 2016

In 2005, Sky Travel publicized a press release sighting the third Monday in January, or thereabouts, to be the unhappiest day of the year. They and other companies used an equation with variables such as weather and motivation to calculate this unhappy day and thus inspire customers to take a vacation or buy an alcoholic product. The day was dubbed Blue Monday. The idea that this is the unhappiest day of the year might make sense to…

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Saving the Best for Last: A Therapeutic Year in Review

December 18, 2015

The end of the year is a time of reflection, and we would like to honor that with a compilation of tips and resources for you and your relationship. Looking back on 2015, how do you think you did with your relationship? What fights seemed big at the time but now are hardly remembered? How have you grown intimately? Where would you like to see yourselves by the end of next year? We have written a lot…

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The Importance of Relationship Resolutions

December 14, 2015

New Year resolutions are about embracing change and self-improvement. The motivation comes from reflecting on the past year and the inspiration of a new year to come. This same act of thoughtful reflection and preparation can greatly benefit your intimate relationship. It is unfortunate that the same level of attention given to self-improvement around the new year is not typically shared from a relationship standpoint. Just like you change and grow over time individually, relationships evolve and…

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Channel Nostalgia: Five Strategies to Enjoy the Holidays

December 8, 2015

The holidays are advertised as a time of happiness, reconnection, and general good cheer, but this is not the case for everyone. High expectations may lead to disappointment, and stress circulates around trying to get everything to be just right. Others do not have a home to return to for the holidays, and this time of year can trigger intense feelings of loneliness. Whether you plan to spend time with family, friends, or yourself this year, there…

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When You Just Want to Help: Navigating Helplessness in Your Relationship

December 3, 2015

Feeling helpless is not something that feels good. It feels inhuman. To be helpless is seen as weak, to forego control. When the feeling grows too large, it can inspire depression or avoidant disorders like alcoholism or other types of addiction. Until you can accept feeling helpless or find a way to gain control, you feel lost. Yet we put ourselves in situations where we are helpless all the time. We surround ourselves with loved ones who…

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