Blog Archives

By Evan Tokarz/Symmetry Counseling Parentification is the harmful psychological phenomenon of a child being forced to take on the role and responsibilities typically performed by a parent. In such situations, the parentified child is tasked with parental duties, such as caring for their siblings, managing household duties, or addressing the emotional needs of their parents. The key aspect defining parentification is that the duties and emotional labor requested are beyond the ability of the child’s age and…

Ashlee Stumpf, LPC Self-care has been a buzz word for the past decade or so. Conjuring thoughts of getting a massage, taking a day off, seeing a therapist, etc. It’s a broad term which involves the important practice of taking care of ourselves. However, what many people don’t know is that self-care can be divided up into factions. This is because there are many aspects to any person, so there are different aspects when it comes to…

Hannah Cericola Why is it that when our friends need words of encouragement, we jump at the opportunity to ease their discomfort, but when it comes to our internal dialogue, we say things like:  “I’ll never be able to reach my goals”  “ I am never going to make it”  “I am so bad at everything I do”  Many of my patients have come to me saying, “I feel like I am my own worst enemy”, and…

Marissa Widener Struggling with overwhelming emotions is a common occurrence in the human experience given life’s relentless demands in all areas, be it personal, work, social, or even financial-related. Merriam-Webster indicates that the verb “overwhelm” is related to being overpowered or overcome with feelings and thoughts.  That being said, feeling overwhelmed does not indicate personal inadequacy or incapability of any kind, nor should it be perceived as a failure to balance life stressors appropriately. While experiencing overwhelming…

Zoe Mittman, LSW Growing up, you may have imagined your 20s to be filled with excitement, love and adventures. But life happens and reality sinks in. Your life is not what you imagined. It is complex. Filled with both pain and growth. Relationships flourish while other relationships suffer. Friends move away and family is too close. Juggling your personal and professional life gets overwhelming. You ask yourself, “what am I doing wrong”?. As you scroll on Instagram,…

Zoe Mittman, LSW   Do you and your partner find yourselves in the same conflict patterns? Are you feeling unheard, frustrated, or even resentful? If so, then this blog might be for you. Oftentimes, cycles of conflict occur due to a lack of effective communication. Please keep in mind – it takes 2 people to build, break, and/or repair a relationship. While I am going to share tips on how to effectively communicate your feelings, wants and…

You may be reading this because you are wondering if you are experiencing depression. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines depression as “a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working”.   The NIMH also mentions a few types of depression, for example:  Persistent depression disorder/dysthymia: long lasting depression, for at least 2 years or longer. Major Depression:…

Written by Kara Thompson-Miller, Licensed Clinical Social Worker: January 2023   “Why is it so hard to like my body?”: A unassumingly complex question that has been asked by many clients in many different variations, but one that, nonetheless, tends to show up in the therapy space time and time again. In this blog, I aim to speak to some theoretical lenses that can allow further exploration of this question and ways to move through it.  …

Megan Mulroy, LCPC    Something I see frequently with my clients is job dissatisfaction. Long hours, lengthy responsibilities, and mistreatment from peers and supervisors is all too common. What I also see with these clients is often intense fear around switching careers. “It’s too late,” “It would be a massive pay cut,” “I don’t have the time to apply/study/insert tedious action item here,” “The benefits are too good.” And- I GET IT! These are all incredibly valid…

Zoe Mittman, LSW Why do I hate myself? As a psychotherapist, self-hatred is a common topic of conversation. The truth is there is simply not one answer. There are a multitude of reasons that you may feel this way, and I am going to share with you some of the most common reasons, as well as tools to cope with those emotions and lean into self-compassion. Before we get started, if you struggle with feelings of self-hatred…