Posts
What is the concept of attachment? Attachment refers to the emotional bond that connects an individual to something or someone—a friend, family member, or partner. The psychological theory of attachment (John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth) identifies four styles of attachment, and most people fall into one of these four categories. How do attachment styles impact me? Understanding your attachment style, and your partner’s will help you better communicate your needs and recognize the needs of your partner.…
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Many of my clients experience a lot of stress at work which leads to feeling burned out and less satisfied with their job. Many of these clients are in the “helping field” whether they are nurses, doctors, child life specialists, social workers, police officers, nannies, firefighters, military, veterinarians, human resources, ministers, teachers, physical and occupational therapists, or maybe even a counselor like myself, just to name a few. Those who choose a path in the helping field…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner You’ve been in therapy for months, but something doesn’t feel right. After much deliberation, you realize that the problem might be your therapist. Many people have chosen to end their relationship with their therapist and begin working with a different therapist for the sake of their treatment. But how do you know when it’s time to call it quits? Consider these four signs that it might be time to break up with…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC As we age, it can become increasingly difficult to meet new people and make new friends. If we are lucky, we hold onto some older friendships, but as real-life circumstances change (work, marriage, parenthood, etc.), we can find ourselves less engaged with our social circle. The solution to this problem would seem obvious: meet new people! But this is not as easy as it might seem. In my work as a therapist, one…
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Throughout their lives, many people will go through a crisis or challenging occurrence. While experiencing crises and challenges is a normal part of life, not everyone knows how to handle or respond to a crisis while experiencing it. I find that many clients of mine are attempting to cope with a crisis in their life and are looking for skills to utilize when the crisis is currently occurring, or even to handle a crisis that happened in…
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As a couple and family therapist, a common issue I experience is trust. I have heard about trust issues in couples that have only been together for a couple of months, and couples who have been together for several years. The issue of trust can range from not trusting your partner’s response to your hard day of work, to breaches of trust with infidelity. Although building trust may seem like a daunting task, it is definitely possible…
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Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC Audio Version Perfectionism is a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable. However, perfectionism can be viewed as a motivator for wanting to achieve one’s best and in turn can cause despair if you are unable to be the best. When perfectionism goes beyond the need to achieve high-standards to become distressing is where therapy can be helpful to understand those thought patterns and behaviors, in addition to identifying positive…
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No relationship is perfect, and that is okay! While every couple is completely unique in their own relationships, I find that there are some overlapping relationship challenges and themes I notice when working with couples. Every challenging part of a couple’s relationship can be a learning opportunity and an authentic way to bring them closer together. The first step is simply to acknowledge that there are going to be challenges in any relationship. It would be quite…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Have you ever been sitting at your desk at work and felt overwhelming anxiety? It can often feel like you can’t escape the racing thoughts and excessive worry as you are stuck trying to complete your work. You may feel like you can’t just get up and leave to go for a walk or get some air, so what can you do? Anxiety can be debilitating in all areas of…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Think about that one couple you look up to the most. That couple that makes you think, “I want a relationship like that.” What qualities do they have that you admire? These qualities are most likely their bond, loyalty, commitment to each other, and the patience they have for one another. Patience is a crucial component to a happy and healthy relationship and is defined as the ability to tolerate…
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