Navigating your Relationship Through a Rough Patch
Maintaining a happy and healthy relationship requires work and can be a challenge in even the most successful couples. Over time, playfulness, love notes, and cuddling might become replaced with button-pushing, sarcasm, and a lack of appreciation. While every couple is unique in their strengths and challenges, there are things any couple can to do…
Read MoreHow to Be Heard by Your Doctor
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Communicating with your doctor, whether they be a psychiatrist, a primary care physician, or a specialist, can be difficult in this fast-paced health care climate. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer of PinnacleHealth, reported that patients’ chances of having their doctor’s undivided attention have decreased due to increased documentation requirements. Doctors…
Read MoreBeating the “Sunday Blues”
It’s that time of the weekend again. It’s early Sunday evening and all of the sudden you realize the weekend with your friends flew by, and tomorrow is already Monday morning and back to work! You had so much fun meeting up with friends and catching up on your favorite Netflix series, but the dread…
Read MoreEmbrace Your “Single Self” in Your Relationship
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling What does being single mean to you? It may be getting back to the gym to look your best, going out on the weekends with friends, grabbing drinks after work with co-workers, going on dates, or starting a new hobby. Often when we get into relationships, we tend…
Read MoreHow to Have a Sensible Saint Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and it happens to fall on a Saturday this year. Saint Patrick’s Day in Chicago can be a fun event to be part of as the city brings everyone together turning the river green and playing Irish music at the local restaurants. It can also be a…
Read More5 Ways to Dig Yourself Out of Clutter
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Clutter doesn’t usually appear all at once, and it seldom feels accidental. Over time, belongings settle into the corners of daily life, filling closets, drawers, spare rooms, and storage spaces until the home feels crowded and challenging to manage. Learning how to declutter your home often raises more than organizational…
Read MoreFight, Flight, or Freeze: Understanding Your Response to Fear
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Imagine living in a world where you might be killed by a carnivorous wild animal at any moment. Only people who are hyperaware of danger and able to act quickly are likely to survive. This was the life lived by all our ancestors long ago, and they survived with the…
Read MoreContempt Can Be Poisonous to Your Relationship
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling According to marriage researcher and author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Dr. John Gottman, contempt is found to be the most damaging element in a relationship and the number-one predictor of divorce. This finding can be jarring to read as many people have a difficult…
Read MoreHow to Talk to Children about School Shootings
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner “I don’t know what to say.” “I don’t want to make it worse.” Over the past week, I’ve heard from parents, teachers, and other adults asking how to talk to children about the school shooting in Florida. These discussions can be difficult for adults and children, but they’re vital. As…
Read MoreThe Desire to Be Perfect
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling In today’s society, the pressure for young adults to be “perfect” seems to be far greater than ever before. With social media so heavily present in our lives, it is easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others or wondering how others perceive us. Many people…
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