Contempt 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…
Read MoreAre You Getting In Your Own Way?
Anne Brennan Malec, PsyD, LMFT, Financial Therapist, Owner, Symmetry Counseling As therapists, we frequently work with clients who engage in a lot of negative thinking patterns. Part of providing clients with cognitive behavioral therapy is to help them deconstruct these patterns and begin to look at events more realistically. Listed below are some negative thinking…
Read MoreIndividual or Couples Counseling: Which is Right for You?
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner You’re ready to participate in counseling, but you’re not sure which type of counseling would best meet your needs. When you’re experiencing both individual and relationship issues, it’s difficult to know whether to choose individual or couples counseling. Consider the following points when making your decision. Individual Counseling You may…
Read MoreHow to Maintain Your New Year’s Resolution
Having trouble maintaining your New Year’s resolutions? Once all of the holiday festivities slow down, it can be tricky to settle down to maintain those intentions. It’s easy to throw out all of your goals and kind of get into a “funk,” and getting into this “funk” can make it easy to fall into old…
Read MoreSupporting Your Child After a Death
As parents, loved ones, and caregivers, there is the natural desire to protect children. When difficult life events happen, such as the death of a family member, friend, pet, or peer finding the words to explain death to a child can be difficult. Of course, this is a difficult topic for adults, as well. So,…
Read MoreDate Night
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We have all heard that happy and successful relationships take work, but often the daily distractions and demands of life get in the way of nurturing our relationships. While date nights are extremely frequent in the early stages of a relationship, they tend to significantly decline over time.…
Read MoreWhy You Shouldn’t Feel Bad About Feeling Lonely
Amanda Gregory, LCPC You can feel lonely in the presence of hundreds of friends and family members, and many people do. Loneliness is your perception of a lack of social connection, regardless of your level of social support or participation. People who spend most of their time alone do not necessarily experience loneliness, just as…
Read More5 Tips to De-Escalate Conflict
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We all respond to conflict differently, but it is common for small, petty disagreements to escalate into a nasty fight. You or your partner may begin to yell, say things you don’t mean, call each other names, get angry or aggressive, or bring up old wounds just to…
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