What are Intrusive Thoughts and How Do I Manage Them?
Megan Mulroy, LPC Intrusive thoughts are characterized by unwanted thoughts that pop up, cause distress, and get stuck in your mind. Often times these thoughts can be violent, sexual, disturbing, or something deemed as unacceptable by society. These thoughts can be really scary and produce a lot of anxiety for people who experience them. Everyone…
Read MoreMaybe It’s Not Love?: Understanding Trauma Bonds
Written by Kara Thompson, Licensed Social Worker When exploring the concept of trauma bonds, it is helpful to start by understanding attachment. Attachment theorist John Bowlby defines attachment as the “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.” While much of Bowlby’s work surrounded the attachment between child and caregiver, so much of his work influences what…
Read MoreWhat Is FOMO and How Can I Manage It?
By: Danielle Bertini, LPC Have you ever heard of, or even experienced, the word FOMO (fear of missing out)? If you have, it was probably used casually in a day-to-day conversation. “If I don’t go to that dinner, I’m going to have real FOMO.” However, behind the seemingly innocent acronym hides a darker reality. FOMO…
Read MoreWhat is Self-Compassion and What Is It Not?
Meg Mulroy, LPC Self-compassion is defined by treating yourself the way you would treat a friend or a loved one who is having a hard time. For a lot of folks, it is easier to give others compassion than it is to give it to ourselves. For more reading on how to speak and act…
Read MoreGuided Body Scan Meditation: How Is It Done?
By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Often many people are intimated by meditation and think that they “can’t do it.” My hope with this blog is to provide you with an approachable and easy way to do a body scan meditation, with the main goal of relieving stress and tension. It can be difficult to…
Read MoreFeeling Overwhelmed? These DBT Skills Can Help
Hannah Hopper Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an approach that helps to cope with overwhelming and intense emotions. DBT helps people build four major skills including mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation. Mindfulness and distress tolerance will help with skills that work towards acceptance of thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes the most difficult part of…
Read MoreHaving a Panic Attack?
Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Panic attacks can be terrifying, as you may feel as though you are losing control of your mind or body. Here are the common symptoms of a panic attack: Racing heart beat Shortness of breath Nausea Chest tightness Dry mouth Sweating Chills/hot flashes Numbness/tingling Headache Intense fear/anxiety Tightness in…
Read MoreHow Your Vagus Nerve Can Support PTSD Healing
People search for new ways to understand trauma symptoms, and interest in the vagus nerve and PTSD continues to rise. This nerve influences emotional and physical responses. Its role gives people new options to calm intense reactions linked to past trauma. At Symmetry Counseling, we look at how this nerve functions and how you can…
Read MoreIs This Normal? When to Leave Your Therapist
Hannah Hopper, LPC Some signs of a bad therapist are easier to spot than others. If your therapist is shaming you or insulting you, that’s a good indication to find someone else. And when looking out for the warning signs, it’s important to remember that therapists aren’t perfect; they’re people too and will make mistakes…
Read MoreHow To Know When It’s Time To Break Up With Your Therapist
Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC Sometimes therapy or counseling is all you need to get through a difficult period. However, you may find yourself sitting in your counselor’s office wondering, “Is this therapy really working?” The reason could be as simple as the two of you not clicking or as complex as an awful therapist at…
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