Psychologist Chicago Archives
It can be difficult to feel content in your body, particularly when living in our thin-obsessed culture which insists bodies need constant monitoring and modification. Between social media scrolling, comments from others about their bodies, and potentially your own negative self-talk, it seems as if this unhelpful feedback is coming from all angles. Body image dissatisfaction can feel so pervasive that it can be overwhelming to know where to start with changing body image thoughts. If you…
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The interrelated relationship between one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors creates a loop. Sometimes the thoughts, feelings, behaviors (TFB) loop can be informative and helpful. For example, the thought: I’m a good person who cares about others invokes the feeling: pride (because I’m a good person for caring about others) which informs an aligning behavior: donate to crisis relief. And the cycle continues. I think I’m a good person, which makes me feel good about myself, so I…
Read MoreLGBTQ is a commonly used term identifying individuals who are gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, bisexual (and there many other terms out there can be added on). LGBTQ has become more recognizable in our society, and you might also hear the words “queer community” to identify these individuals. In this post, I want to explain to you what each letter means. Lesbian Lesbian is a female identifying homosexual who has an attraction for other female identified in a…
Read MoreThis post will answer some LGBTQIA questions and the concept behind this. This is not a comprehensive list and there are many questions/answers still out there. Everyone also has their own interpretation of certain questions, so please be mindful and not judgmental to others. What does “gay” mean? Gay means loving/having an interest in someone that is the same gender as you. Examples would include a gay man wanting to have a special connection with another man,…
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At Symmetry Counseling, we are proud of our staff of highly trained and experienced licensed mental health professionals. In the above video, meet Paula Gonzalez, a Licensed Professional Counselor here at Symmetry Counseling. What made you decide to be a therapist? I knew I wanted to become a therapist at a very young age after witnessing a homeless man who appeared to be experiencing some kind of psychosis or schizophrenia. So at that point, I was pretty…
Read MoreJob satisfaction is often a key piece of feeling satisfied with your life as a whole. Of course you want to feel good about your career and feel fulfilled when you come home after a long day at work. Unfortunately, that may not always be how you feel at the end of the workday. It is important to examine what is going on beneath the surface when we are unhappy with work. As is the case with…
Read MoreAndrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Most of use have too much stuff, and probably do not use even a fraction of it. Our material possessions may bring us comfort and joy, and may even serve practical purposes that can help us be more productive with our time and effort. That said, most of it is probably just clutter. We generally do not truly need any of these things, and in many cases, may not even really want them…
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I work with many clients who struggle with their self-esteem related to shame they feel either related to their professional or personal life, or perhaps even both. My job as their clinical therapist is to help clients understand the reasons where their low self-esteem is stemming from. After doing that, I help provide the clients tools on how to cope with this shame they are experiencing. Through experiencing the feeling of shame, it is heavily connected with…
Read MoreMadissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Goals are the fuel that help us believe in ourselves, sustain our ambition, motivate us to succeed, and hold us accountable. Without them you may find yourself going through life without having a sense of purpose. For example, you may feel stagnant in your career, bored in your relationship, or feel like there is nothing to look forward to on a day-to-day basis. Over time this can have negative effects…
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Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC As we start to create goals or generate ideas, we typically feel motivated to complete the task right away. However, we can easily get distracted by our daily lives and put off getting what we need or want to accomplish. In addition to lack of motivation to accomplish tasks, we can also avoid following through as we lack the desire to take the action to complete them. Here are a few ways…
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