Counselor Chicago
By Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC Healthy communication is essential to relationship satisfaction and sustainability. While many of us know that listening is important, we may not have a firm grasp on what healthy listening looks like. In my professional experience working with couples, I believe that the most important communication skill is Reflective Listening (“RL”). In this post I will define RL, explain why it is important, describe what it can help you…
Read MoreWritten by Kara Thompson, Licensed Social Worker Self-esteem, self-care, self-talk… If you’ve spent any time reading the hottest self-help book or participated in any sort of individual therapy, I’m sure you’re familiar with these terms. As we spend time turned inwards towards the “self,” it’s also important that we bring our awareness to another: self-compassion. As defined by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Christopher Germer, “self-compassion involves treating yourself the way you would treat a friend who…
Read More
If you asked someone a year ago if they wanted to return to “normal,” it’s likely the answer would be “yes” before you were even able to finish the question. Maybe you would’ve been met with, “Is that even a question?! Of course, I want to go back to normal!”. If you asked that same person the same question today, you may be met with a different response. Human beings are incredibly adaptable and resilient and after…
Read MoreHow Do I Know if It’s Impacting Me and How Can I Combat It? As society continues to reflect upon aspects of itself that are unhealthy, unproductive, and shared experiences, new terminology continues to be created. Recently, a new term has been created to name the feeling that no matter how hard we work or how many things we achieve it’s never enough. This term is internalized capitalism. “Internalized capitalism is this idea that our self-worth is…
Read More
By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC If you are out with friends, or at the office, the body language of the people around you holds a wealth of information and can speak volumes. In fact, body language constitutes for “more than 60% of what we communicate, so learning to read the nonverbal cues people send is a valuable skill.” Words can easily be fabricated, or people can come up with lies or excuses, but body language has…
Read MoreJessica Pontis, LCSW I can think of few things better than a great night’s sleep. I know that when I have a good night’s sleep I feel ready for just about anything the next day. Sleeping is just as important to our health as a good diet, community, and exercise, but many of us struggle to find rest during the night. We may toss and turn or ruminate on the events of the past repeatedly. If you…
Read MoreBy Eve Brownstone, LCPC During a family BBQ recently… I want to pause for a moment and say how grateful I am to be able to attend a BBQ with my family. A year without hugging loved ones is hard. Zoom helped but Arghhhh not the same. I mentioned to my cousin at the family BBQ, the way I got through the lockdown and isolation was painting. I was surrounded by friends. My paintings became my companions.…
Read MoreSteven Losardo, MFT When beginning a new relationship, remember to consider your own character as well as theirs, and be aware that this new love interest has their own unique story. Keep in mind, too, that your prior experiences will not match theirs. Whatever your past history, however, whether you were burned in your past relationships, or you betrayed someone else, it is still possible to enter into a healthy new relationship. How will you know? Have…
Read More
Steven Losardo, MFT Your partner has just approached you on the subject of a career change. They may have been thinking about it for some time now. Before you react, put yourself in their shoes, and realize that this new career path could be the best thing for them now. If your finances are interconnected, and most couples’ are, there is clear potential for tension and stress. However, you may need time to make some adjustments to…
Read More
By: Bridgette W. Gottwald There are plenty of terms that could be considered “therapy lingo” that the average person is not familiar with – termination might be one of them. Termination is known as successfully ending the relationship between therapist and client. Yes, we want you to work us out of the job. Don’t worry about us therapists, fortunately, there will always be a high demand for what we do! A client working us out of the…
Read MoreDo You Need Help?
Not what you were looking for?