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Throughout our upbringing and early adulthood two of our main goals are for happiness and success. These words can mean different things to various individuals and one person’s version of success may not be another’s but overall, these are the two things most individuals work towards throughout their lives. Despite this being a priority for many years, there comes a time in individual’s life where their goals shift. This is typically when a man or woman decide…
Read MoreChildhood is a critical time for becoming who we are, and our lives are undefined potential. Our dependence on others and need for nurturing are pivotal; the way in which we experience this support in childhood determines our ability to ask for help later. Sometimes our caregivers and communities are very good to us when we’re young, and other times we are not so lucky. When someone is abused it can cast a shadow through the rest…
Read MoreLet’s face it – no matter how helpful our coping skills, self-care, supports, and therapists can be, we are all be bound to have an emotionally or mentally overwhelming week (or month(s)!). We are human beings and life stressors, triggers, and transitions can all interfere with our balanced day-to-functioning. Sometimes, there is simply no avoiding or suppressing an emotional or mental breakdown. These breakdowns can look very different from person to person. For one, a breakdown may…
Read MoreDanielle Bertini Parents are often seeking ways to make sibling conflict stop, and understandably so. Unfortunately, this is generally unrealistic as sibling conflict is normal and to be expected. Home is a safe testing ground for social dynamics, and it can take skill and patience for siblings to learn to play together, especially when they are difference ages. Psychotherapist Heather Turgeon writes about the importance of being a Sportscaster rather than a Referee when it comes to…
Read MoreI work with many clients who see me before they start work, during their lunch break, or directly after work. Many times, clients like to come directly after work or during their lunch break, due to not wanting to ping pong from work to home, and then back to therapy. Some clients discuss one of their stressors is due to their long work commutes; I have heard some people have up to a two-hour commute from work…
Read MoreIn part I of this blog series, I outlined first steps you can take to reduce the amount of time you spend on your smartphone and its harmful effects on your health. To boost your physical, mental, and emotional health, you can start by using your “do not disturb” functions liberally, especially while you’re driving and while you’re sleeping at night; silencing audio and vibration notifications; putting your phone away while you’re eating meals with family and…
Read MoreBy now, we all know that it’s better for our health and our relationships to limit the amount of time we spend glued to our smartphones. By being attuned to our screens instead of the world surrounding us, we’re missing out on connections with our loved ones and peaceful moments. I can’t count the number of times a client has made a disparaging remark about their relationship with their cell phone, noted the difficulty in staying focused…
Read MoreMoya Sarner from The Guardian unpacked envy in the digital age; summarized below are her findings. Envy is a universal emotion, ubiquitous enough to be one of the seven deadly sins. Humans have always struggled with envy (defined as feeling a resentful longing for someone else’s possessions/attributes/etc.), but the ways in which envy is stirred and expressed have evolved with technological advances. Thanks to the Internet, we are now connected to the rest of the world by…
Read MoreCigna recently conducted research on loneliness and its impact on our health. Despite the ease with which we tend to joke about being lonely, it can wreak havoc on our physical and emotional health. The Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index, which surveyed over 20,000 American adults, found that around 50% of Americans feel lonely sometimes, around 25% of Americans rarely or never feel as if they have someone who understands them, and the youngest adults now (Generation Z)…
Read MoreThe image of a parent kissing their child’s scraped knee is as timeless and iconic as it is heartwarming. Though some might say the act is more symbolic or just a placebo, there are some good brain reasons why this actually works. Louis Cozalino writes in his book, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, “This biochemical cascade stimulate the secretion of oxytocin, prolactin, endorphins, and dopamine, resulting in warm, positive, and rewarding feelings.” He goes on to say, ”It…
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