How Can I Improve Communication with My Child?
Written by Victoria Delgadillo, LAC Arizona Having good communication with your child is a crucial part of having a positive relationship. Kids want to feel heard by their loved ones! But helping your child gain the courage to talk to you about what is going on can be complicated, especially if you feel like you…
Read MoreHow Do I Build Positive Social Supports? (Part II)
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…
Read MoreHow Do I Build Positive Social Supports? (Part I)
July 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…
Read MoreHow Can We Stay Balanced During Life Transitions?
Andromeda 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…
Read More“Am I Falling In Love Too Fast?”
Tips 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…
Read MoreWhat Is Resentment and How Do I Avoid It?
Jessica 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…
Read MoreWhat Is Emotional Granularity and How Can It Help Us?
Kyle 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…
Read MoreWhat is Complicated Grief and How is it Treated?
Mary-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,…
Read MoreWhat Does EMDR Therapy Look Like?
Amanda 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…
Read MoreAm I Too Agreeable? An Introduction to People-Pleasing
By 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…
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