Reducing Envy
Moya 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…
Read MoreRecognizing Signs of Loneliness
Cigna 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…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Importance of Getting Boo-Boos Kissed: On Sharing the Difficult Feelings
The 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…
Read MoreProcrastination… a Bad Habit or a Solvable Struggle?
It’s 7pm on a weeknight. You’ve just gotten home from a long day at work and are absolutely exhausted. Unfortunately, you have a meeting in the morning you need to prepare for. Before starting to prepare you think to yourself “I should take my dog out for a walk”. When you get home from your…
Read MoreThe Mental Health Benefits of Owning a Pet: The Pet Effect
Danielle Bertini, LPC It is no secret that living in today’s world it can be easy to get caught up in the high-demand, fast-paced environment. Smartphones, social media, Internet, and constant text messages can quickly become overwhelming. Aside from some of the more “traditional” ways to fight daily stressors, such as yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.,…
Read MoreToward a More Compassionate Environment
Steven Topper, LCPC Most of us would agree that the world would be a far lovelier place with a little more compassion. And while many of us work to extend compassion toward our pets, families, and friends, so many struggle with self-compassion. In the Podcast “Psychologists Off The Clock,” Dr. Christopher Germer discussed the role…
Read More4 Ways to Let Go of Being a People Pleaser
I work with many clients who struggle with being a people pleaser. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client understand possible reasons why they struggle with the need of wanting to please other people and then possible coping strategies on how to start saying “no” to others. I recently read an…
Read MoreCoping With Chronic Pain
Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC Pain affects your overall mood and in turn, can affect the quality of your life. It is becoming more important and beneficial for those who experience acute and chronic pain to address pain management within the psychotherapy atmosphere. We typically just associate pain with physical components, however, those who have…
Read MoreOvercoming Fear of Making New Friends
As a clinician, I often work with clients who may have moved to the area recently or are making a life transition in which they are no longer close to a group of friends on a daily basis such as in school or a work setting. They may be changing from an office job where…
Read MoreI’m Mad at My Therapist
Danielle Bertini, LPC Evidence suggests that the therapeutic alliance is the strongest predictor of outcome in psychotherapy (Alexander & Luborsky, 1986). However, what happens when the therapeutic relationship falters? Does this mean there is no hope? Actually, research has shown that when the therapeutic alliance falters and is then fixed, therapy can continue to flourish.…
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