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Last week, an article by Nathalie Lagerfeld was published in The Week that quotes our own Dr. Anne Malec as a financial therapist. This piece focuses on giving practical advice for having the “inheritance” talk with your parents. This is a common conversation that is becoming increasingly more important for adult children to have with their parents, as Social Security gradually depletes and more and more young adults have come to depend on inheritance for their retirement…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling In today’s world, social media makes it convenient to become invested in other people’s relationships and compare yourself to them. It is easy to start to panic when every day you open your Instagram account and you see a new engagement announcement. Feelings of discomfort, sadness, or anxiety may arise. You may start to ask yourself, “Why am I not there yet?” or think, “I should have found the one…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Infatuation is a strong, overwhelming, and powerful feeling that we all have felt at some point. You have just met the “perfect” person and you have fallen head over heels for them. You would give anything to be with this person, you get butterflies every time you think about them, and everything feels like a fairytale. If you are currently feeling this way about your new love interest, you may…
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In the beginning of a relationship, or what therapists refer to as the “infatuation stage”, it can be difficult to differentiate between love and infatuation or lust. The infatuation stage can last anywhere between 6 months and 2 years, which is quite a long time. The relationship may seem “perfect.” You may be spending all of your time together, having great sex, and see this person and relationship as the most important thing in your life. While…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Every person wants to feel loved by their partner, and at the same time, wants their partner to feel loved by them. When this is not the case, one partner may feel unloved or misunderstood. We all express and feel love differently, and understanding those differences can help enhance your relationship. Dr. Gary Chapman discovered five ways to express or receive love in his book, The Five Love Languages: The…
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There is a multitude of 12-step groups for various issues, including (but not limited to) Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA), and Gamblers Anonymous (GA). While they may display slight variations in name, all programs have the same basic foundation and components based on the 12 steps listed below. The steps move from a sense of powerlessness and loneliness to empowerment and community. The steps below mention alcohol and alcoholics since the first 12-step…
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Going through a break-up, especially with a long-term partner, can be a traumatic and deeply sad experience. Break-ups, separations, and divorces can feel as severe as experiencing the death of a loved one. When you experience a deep and profound loss, it is important to allow yourself time to grieve and process the loss in order to heal. It is necessary to allow yourself time and space to not only grieve the relationship and the loss of…
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The term codependency has become an increasingly common part of everyday vernacular for those interested in self-improvement. It is a term that often emerges in therapy as we begin to identify relationship patterns that maintain cycles of hurt, disappointment, and resentment. You may have even heard the term described in relation to you, a relationship in your life, or someone in your sphere. Yet, despite its increasing presence in common parlance, developing an easy-to-understand and accurate description…
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By: Anne Brennan Malec, PsyD, LMFT Couples within a relationship are always communicating, even with nonverbal interactions when one or the other may be engaging in the silent treatment. Communication is the oxygen in a relationship – without it, the relationship dies. A common complaint expressed during relationship or marriage counseling is that couples try to talk but have difficulty because the conversation escalates into forms of frustration and disrespect. There are multiple avenues to resolving this…
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What makes you decide that it is time to start seeing a therapist? There can be many reasons why a person or couple make this personal decision, but it is important to consider some of the motivating factors that can affect that decision as you begin this work. For instance, a previous therapeutic experience with a psychologist or counselor can color your perceptions. It can make starting the therapy process again feel overwhelming. It might leave you…
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