Therapy Chicago Archives
Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW There are many variations and many reasons for the need to say no to people. We often feel uncomfortable saying no because of the various social pressures we feel or because we are taking their emotions on as something we need to care for as if we are responsible for them. However, it is not your responsibility to make sure everyone around you feels ok all the time, especially when it crosses boundaries or…
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I recently read an article from FastCompany, “This 75-year Harvard Study found 1 Secret to leading a fulfilling life” by author Melanie Curtin. I work with many clients who are feeling depressed, stressed, or anxious due to their life stressors, so reading an article that touched on the topic of how to live a life with more happiness, joy, and fulfillment really intrigued me. The article references a Harvard Grant and Glueck study that tracked data for…
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Steven Losardo You feel it coming, maybe you saw it happen with your dad, you read about it in the media, see it in movies, and you think you might be next. You are scared! The phenomena called the mid-life crisis seemingly rears its ugly head about your age range age (40-50). The good news is the crisis is predominately mispresented with incorrect perceptions and outcomes. Currently, the prevailing narrative will have you believe you will ruin…
Read MoreAll couples fight— in fact, the process of rupture and repair can actually be strength building. The key as to whether an argument or difficult conversation makes a pair stronger lies in HOW a couple fights. Maladaptive Disagreement Strategies: Defense Mechanisms Common defense mechanisms employed in arguments include (but are not limited to): Acting out: performing a behavior in order to express a thought or emotion that may otherwise feel too difficult to express. (ex: punching a…
Read MoreWe tend to forget about ourselves and not love ourselves as much as maybe we should. No one else will love you, more than yourself. When you learn to love yourself unconditionally, you will have a more positive outlook on life and will be happier, which in turn reflects on how you treat others. Channel your inner self Remember who you are. Engage in yoga, mindfulness, meditation, anything sort of activity that makes you stay true to…
Read MorePaula Gonzalez MA, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is more widely known as DBT and is an evidence based therapy that teaches a broad range of behavioral skills. The skills DBT teaches are to help clients reduce their symptoms and change their behavior. DBT is a form of talk therapy that resembles Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) but more of the focus on is changing behavior than on changing cognition. DBT is used to treat borderline…
Read MoreMadissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We are all guilty of it. Many of us overuse Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to fill most of our free time. If there is some extra down time at the office, on the commute home, or on our days off it feels basically automatic to pull out our phones scroll through social media. According to Social Media Today, the average person is spending approximately 2 hours per day on social…
Read MoreAs a therapist, I often see in session the struggles my clients have with patience. I have experienced couples being frustrated with one another about their conflict cycles continuing, or annoyed with their partner for not doing household chores when asked. I have also heard individuals get frustrated with the traffic that made them late to the sessions, or express frustration with the therapy process as a whole because things are not changing as quickly as they…
Read MoreMatthew Cuddeback, LCSW When you experience trauma, there are a lot of ways that it takes a toll mentally. Frequently people experience agitation, mistrust, anger, depression, and many other symptoms. One of the most difficult results of trauma is often described as not feeling like yourself, feeling distant from your life and others, or a lack of feeling. When this occurs, people sometimes lose track of time or may not remember how they got to where they…
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Steven Losardo, LMFT It was November 28th, 2014, or Black Friday 2014, and somehow, I got an internal nudge to begin my 2015 New Year’s Resolution (NYR). Looking for any excuse to avoid shopping, I decided to stay home to review what drives me to sign up for NYRs each year, NYR planning, and benefits to even having resolutions. First, I reviewed my 2014 “highlights.” ⦁ Despite my good intentions to make the change life-sustaining, my NYR lasted…
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