Feeling Consistently Overwhelmed in Today’s High Stress World
Unfortunately, in today’s world it seems we’ve come to accept feeling constantly stressed while moving at an extremely fast pace. It comes as no surprise that people are feeling overwhelmed and unhappy as our brains try to make sense of an ever-changing world. If we continue to increase our workloads the common response is to…
Read MoreWinning the Fight With Winter Blues
Hannah Hopper It’s that time of year again in Chicago when the days are shorter, the sky is grayer, and it feels a lot harder to get out of bed and face the piercing wind. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a mood disorder that typically begins and ends around the same time each year,…
Read MoreWhen Life Gives You Boulders, Make Landmarks
Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Mental health is an integral part of an individual leading a happy and fulfilling life. With World Mental Health Day being in October, this is the perfect time to raise awareness and think about mental and physical wellness. In this day and age, we are always paying attention to and…
Read MorePreparing to Age
We get to a certain age (it is different for everyone) where we finally realize our bodies have changed- the realization that we are not as young as we think they are. My boyfriend recently pulled his hamstring playing flag football and this realization has hit him hard. When talking with him, he mentioned that…
Read MoreSigns You May Be Having An Emotional Affair
Hannah Hopper It may just seem like you have really good chemistry with someone from work. Or maybe it is a friendship where you can always be met with a listening ear and someone who gives you a lot of special attention. Going from casual friend to someone you’re having an emotional affair with is…
Read MoreWorking Through Anger and Resentment
Danielle Bertini, LPC Anger and resentment can often be like on overstuffed suitcase that weighs you down and demands large amounts of energy and attention. When looking at the topics of anger and resentment, it is first important to discuss what the differences are between these two words. Anger is a normal, natural emotion. In…
Read MoreRadical Acceptance: What Is It and How Does It Help? (Part 2)
If you read my last blog post referencing the Psychology Today article, “Radical Acceptance” by author Karyn Hall, Ph.D., you may be wondering what exactly does radical acceptance even look like and how to practice it? Below are the remaining key points from Dr. Hall’s article. What does acceptance look like? Instead of saying ruminating…
Read MoreRadical Acceptance: What Is It and How Does It Help? (Part 1)
I work with many clients who are struggling with a stressful life transition in their personal and/or professional life, and for some clients possibly both at the same time. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client better understand why this life transition is causing stress, what impact it has on the…
Read MoreScrew the Golden Rule
Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Screw the golden rule! That’s right, you read it correctly. The golden rule states that we should always treat others how we want to be treated. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, this isn’t how it works with love. In his book, The Five Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman “dissects the…
Read MoreFrom Socrates to Jimmy Buffet: How to Coach Yourself Out of Rumination and Distorted Thinking
Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Socrates was certainly onto something when he stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” However, the overly examined life isn’t so spectacular either. Countless people, mostly women, have a bad habit called rumination that contributes negatively to their “physical and emotional well-being.” Rumination: What’s Happening in My Brain?…
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