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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Are you and your partner fighting more lately? Are you both too busy to get a good night sleep? Is one of you getting poor sleep on the couch to not disturb the other? Many people struggle with sleep problems and it has been empirically proven that lack of sleep has a greater impact on our lives and relationships than we imagine. Every couple experiences some sort of relationship conflict,…
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For those unfamiliar, the prospect of starting therapy can be daunting. It is often a realm of thought, emotion, and vulnerability that many of us work so diligently to ignore. You may have also have been in therapy before yet struggled to see the results, which can make the prospect of re-engaging somewhat scary. While understandable, there are a few factors which can help make your therapy experience positive and beneficial. Pick a therapist who is right…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Is your partner constantly blaming you for things that go wrong in the relationship? Do they mock you or try to control you? Emotional abuse can creep into any relationship and often leaves the object of abuse with feelings of insecurity, guilt, and a lack of confidence. Emotional abuse is defined as a form of abuse, characterized by a person subjecting, or exposing, another person to behavior that may result…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, Symmetry Counseling Chicago Sadness is a healthy emotion that we all experience sometimes. But depression is far from healthy. As a therapist who has worked with depressed clients for more than a decade, I know it can be difficult to tell if what you feel is healthy sadness or harmful depression. There are some common symptoms you can look out for that will help you to identify if you’re experiencing depression. Persistent Depressed Mood…
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The twenty-four-hour news cycle, covering what can feel like an increasingly violent and chaotic world, is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed, depressed, and disheartened. This blog entry is written in the immediate aftermath of the Las Vegas mass shooting, yet it is entirely possible that by its posting, another tragic event will have unfolded. While some outlets do take special care to honor victims, a significant portion is often devoted to analyzing details about the horrific…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Feeling anxious is a common experience—and at times, it’s even a good thing, helping us to increase our motivation, awareness, and competitiveness. But other times, anxiety can feel overwhelming and even unmanageable. How do you know when your anxiety has become problematic? As a therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety, I’ve seen many clients whose anxiety has grown into a life-changing problem. This can happen gradually over years or as quickly…
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Anne Brennan Malec, PsyD, LMFT I have worked as a couples counselor for about 15 years. In that tim,e I have found that there tend to be a few common problems that couples struggle with which bring them into the offices of Symmetry Counseling; poor communication is at the top of that list. Couples within a relationship are always communicating, even with nonverbal interactions when one or the other may be engaging in the silent treatment. I…
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Therapists often use “mindfulness” as a technique to teach clients how to be more present-focused and ultimately learn to be more attuned to one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment. Mindfulness is not a new concept; in fact, it has been around for centuries and is commonly associated with Buddhism and meditation. Studies tell us that practicing mindfulness can decrease the negative effects of stress; reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety; and can improve sleep, mood,…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Divorce is often a painful and stressful life event that leaves many men and women feeling alone, wondering how to get back into the dating scene. These individuals may have been married 2, 10, 20, or even 50 years before they decide to end their marriage, and are now facing the difficult task of re-building their lives. After some time has passed and you have processed your divorce, the thought…
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On a recent episode of the tastytrade podcast “Connect the Dots,” Dr. Anne Malec visited the studio to explain financial therapy. As a leading financial therapist, Dr. Malec offers a wealth of information to listeners about what financial therapy can offer them. What is Financial Therapy? As Dr. Malec explains in the podcast, financial therapy is the unpacking of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions that can lead to poor financial choices through the use of a professional therapist. As…
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