Posts
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC In my work with individuals, I frequently will hear folks say, “This may sound selfish, but” and far more often than not, they are expressing a desire to prioritize their self-interest, not selfishness. I am always quick to point out to them that identifying and prioritizing their preferences is not an act of selfishness, but rather they are acting in their own self-interest. What’s the difference? My go-to example of selfishness comes…
Read MoreZoe Mittman, LSW Does anyone else feel like it was just summer? I know that I do, and I certainly feel as though we completely skipped over fall. Maybe you’re in the same boat as me, or maybe the summer months felt way too long. However, we are now entering late fall and early winter – the months filled with shorter days, a lack of sunlight, cold weather, and grey skies. During this time, it is common…
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By: Zana Van Der Smissen Today I will be exploring the concept of self-worth. A concept that comes up in many therapy rooms and can be hard to address at times. There is a perception that perhaps talking about self-worth means that we are being egotistical if we feel like we are telling ourselves that we are “worthy”. While in other instances of lower self-worth, we might believe that people will take pity on us and sympathize…
Read MoreJessica Pontis, LCSW Have there ever been times when your life has felt out of control? Where no matter what you do nothing seems to change and you begin to feel powerless over your own circumstances? If the answer to these questions is yes, then it may be worthwhile exploring the topic of self-determination, and how that impacts our ability to motivate ourselves to change. Self-determination refers to the person’s feelings about the control that they have…
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Jessica Pontis, LCSW In my previous post about the stages of change, I discussed the different stages of change and how they may present within the context of a person’s experience with smoking. Having outlined the stages, let’s focus our attention in part two of this discussion on how a clinician can appropriately assess where a client is in the change model and stage-appropriate strategies that could be applied. Assessing and Assisting in Precontemplation. When a clinician…
Read MoreZoe Mittman, LSW Did you know that there is a connection between your mental health and physical health? This is called the mind-body connection. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors impact your physiological functioning and vice versa. For example, have you ever noticed your palms and underarms getting sweaty, your heart beating rapidly, or your cheeks flushing red when you feel anxious or nervous? Has your stomach felt like it is in knots? If so, you are not…
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By: Danielle Bertini, LPC Decisions, decisions, decisions. Choices, choices, choices. Why is it so hard to make decisions nowadays? And why are specifically millennials struggling with making decisions? I have heard many younger clients I work with discuss how there are literally TOO many choices, and they can’t decide what to do, which makes them feel anxious that they might make the wrong choice. Yes, decision fatigue is a real thing, especially in today’s world where we…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist Neuroplasticity is one of the reasons I became a trauma psychotherapist. The brain’s amazing ability to transform and heal itself gives me hope that any trauma, no matter how entrenched in the brain, can be processed, integrated, and healed. What Is Neuroplasticity? Britannica defines neuroplasticity as the “capacity of neurons and neural networks in the brain to change their connections and behavior in response to new information, sensory stimulation, development,…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist Forgiveness is not required in order to recover from trauma. After more than a decade as a trauma psychotherapist, I’ve treated many trauma survivors who’ve experienced recovering without forgiving their abusers. Furthermore, I’ve learned that mandating or encouraging forgiveness can be detrimental to trauma survivors and create obstacles in their recovery. Here are additional reasons why forgiveness should not be imposed in the process of trauma recovery. Forgiveness blames survivors,…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist “Forgiveness is for you, not the other person” “Don’t let someone rent space in your head.” “You need to forgive so that you can move on.” Have you heard any of these popular sayings? Do you believe them? When it comes to recovering from trauma, perhaps you shouldn’t. Forgiveness is potentially problematic when incorporated into trauma treatment. It’s been said that forgiveness can help survivors to “move on” or “let…
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