Blog Archives
There are many reasons why people choose to get a pet- and to add to that list is something you might not expect- furry (or hairless!) friends can actually make us healthier. Research shows that having a pet can boost your mental and physical health- here’s how: They calm you down. Petting an animal actually physically reduces stress responses in people. According to the National Institute of Health, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced and heart rate…
With the holidays upon us, it is a time for much celebration and festivity. Parties and gatherings, although enjoyable, can fill one’s calendar quickly. What is meant to be a time of joyful get-togethers often ends up feeling overwhelming and chaotic. Financial strain, busy schedules, and dealing with complicated relationship dynamics during the holiday season can easily detract from the happiness this season can bring. With these mounting demands on your time and energy, it is important…
There are subtle ways that parents can make the mistake of parentifying their kids. This term means to reverse roles, causing the child to parent the adult. There are two forms of parentification: instrumental and emotional. Instrumental refers to the child actually doing physical tasks that a parent should do, such as taking care of younger siblings or even an adult relative, maintaining the household, or paying the bills. Emotional parentification happens when the child becomes the…
Oftentimes, psychological issues as opposed to medical problems cause erectile dysfunction. With the invention of Viagra it seems so easy to treat ED these days- just pop the blue pill and the problem is solved. It is much more difficult to think about addressing deeper psychological issues that can be causing ED, and certainly takes a lot more time- but can be a more fulfilling and permanent fix. There are many reasons you or your partner may…
Just about 7% of the adult American population is struggling with depression. This means that many of you have experienced this yourself or are in an intimate relationship with someone who has dealt with the challenges that depression brings. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and confused about your partner’s depression, and oftentimes, partners end up feeling frustrated about their inability to help their loved one to feel better. Although it is normal to feel worried…
It can be hard to understand why your child is cutting. You may think it is for attention, a possible suicide attempt, immature and they will grow out of it, or that stopping is as easy as making the choice not to do it anymore. Perhaps you really can’t imagine why anyone would cut his or herself or how it would help a person. Actually, cutting is a type of coping skill that makes sense for many…
The lonely elderly woman whose home is overrun with cats, the gentleman who cannot throw anything away, and the shopaholic who keeps buying despite rising debts, these are common images that come to mind when we think of hoarding. However, hoarding is far more complex than these stereotypes suggest. Behind closed doors, hoarding disorder is a relatively common mental health condition, affecting an estimated 2-5% of the U.S. population. Understanding what hoarding truly is can help individuals…
Connection grows when partners feel understood. Building empathy in a relationship is about feeling with your partner and responding in ways that communicate care and understanding. Even in loving relationships, empathy can fall short during stress, conflict, or daily distractions. Moments of criticism, defensiveness, or quick problem-solving often replace curiosity and openness. Over time, this pattern can leave couples feeling distant or misunderstood. At Symmetry Counseling, we help individuals and couples strengthen empathy so relationships feel more…
We recently discussed ways to identify whether or not you are defensive in your relationship with your romantic partner. If you saw yourself in some of those descriptions and recognize that you are consistently being defensive with your partner, what are some steps you can take toward shifting that behavior into something more productive? A first important step, beyond employing practical strategies, is to understand why you are being defensive in the first place. Often, a maneuver…
We do a lot of talking this time of year about resolutions and committing to making changes in our lives. While you might have some specific goals for yourself for the new year, like starting a yoga class or watching one less hour of television a night, perhaps you just have a loosely defined sense that something needs to change, but you are not exactly sure what. You are in a funk – not necessarily depressed but…