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July 1, 2022 Plascilla Foster, LPC, NCC Illinois After identifying topics that interest you, it is time to practice. After practicing with suggestions identified in Part I of this article (own your own, with family), it can be helpful to make a conversation starter plan. According to Gingerich et al. (2018), there are ways to practice conversation starters at home and ways to track your goals. To make a plan you can begin by identifying someone to…
Read MoreJuly 1, 2022 Plascilla Foster, LPC, NCC Illinois Let us say you examined your current relationships (friends, romantic, family, and work relationships) and you decided to make some changes. You decided that you want to build positive social supports and eliminate relationships that are toxic and do not add substance in your life. According to Gingerich et al. (2018), these are some questions that you can begin to ask yourself, “How do I connect with people who…
Read MoreAndromeda Peters, LICSW Washington, DC Life transitions occur for us in many ways. Some examples include starting a new job, graduating from or starting school, ending relationships, grief, starting new relationships, parenthood, aging, moving, even starting therapy, and more! These experiences are often filled with stress, uncertainty, anxiety, fear-based response, and even trauma responses for some of us. So how can we navigate this and try to find as much balance as we can in the process?…
Read MoreTips to guide you through anxious thoughts that keep you up at night leaving you wondering if you’re moving too fast. Jonah Stevenson, LSW Illinois With shows like Married at First Sight, it’s hard to definitively suggest there may be such an objective truth as falling in love “too soon.” Married at First Sight is a modern televised spin on arranged marriages, where strangers only meet at the wedding and are legally wed and paired based on…
Read MoreJessica Pontis, LCSW No relationship is perfect, whether it’s with your mom, sibling, partner, or best friend. Every once in a while, you’re probably going to have a disagreement or may feel like they haven’t listened to you, or don’t understand where you’re coming from. When this happens, we may or may not develop feelings of resentment. If you’ve ever been with that feeling for somebody, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Resentment is that feeling…
Read MoreKyle Lawell, Licensed Professional Counselor When I was in the second grade, I vividly remember my teacher telling me to avoid using the word, “thing” in my writing. She told me that there were so many words I could learn and use in place of “thing” and that this word didn’t tell the audience what I was thinking, feeling, or doing. Instead of saying, “can you pick up that thing over there,” I was encouraged to say,…
Read MoreMary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC, LPC Complicated grief is a term used for grief that is more intense, lasts longer, and affects an individual more than typical grief. It may disrupt someone’s routine activities as they are preoccupied with feelings of loneliness, anger, and longing for their departed loved one. Losing a loved one is, unfortunately, one of the most common, yet distressing experiences, and is typically followed by a period of grief, sorrow, guilt, or anger. These…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an 8-phase therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, pulsars, and sounds) to process distressing memories and reprocess negative core beliefs. EMDR was originally created to treat trauma, but over time it’s been found to be helpful in treating complicated grief, substance abuse, anxiety/phobias, chronic pain, dissociation, stress, and personality disorders. EMDR has gained popularity among therapists and clients. Yet, there is…
Read MoreBy Eric Dean JD MBA MA MA LPC CADC Being agreeable is generally considered a positive trait. However, it can get to a point when agreeableness becomes people-pleasing and starts to have negative consequences on our lives. This post will define “people-pleasing” and identify common signs of this behavior. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a people-pleaser is defined as: “A person who has an emotional need to please others often at the expense of his or her own…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Psychological testing can be a beneficial resource to support your mental health. But do you need to participate in testing? In order to determine this, you need to know what psychological testing is (and what it isn’t). Psychological testing isn’t a one-hour assessment, intake, or clinical interview that is conducted by a medical doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist/counselor. These assessments usually consist of an interview or brief assessment tools that can provide…
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