Therapy Chicago
Going through a breakup with your significant other is not the easiest life transition. It can be very challenging, sad, stressful, confusing, complicated, and anxiety provoking. Whether you are the one who initiated the breakup or the one who was doing the breaking up, it can be a hard mixture of emotions to navigate. While a feeling of heartbreak is a normal response while going through a breakup, it is also an opportunity for some self-reflection. The…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Are you worried that a certain behavior is causing issues in your life? Are you wondering how to address problematic behaviors in your life? If you aren’t sure whether or not you need a professional therapist to help you modify a behavior, there are certain signs that indicate it is time to get help. These four red flags can can serve as warning signs that a behavior is becoming problematic. Red Flag #1:…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Talking to yourself is often viewed as a sign of severe mental illness. Yet there are many people who to talk to themselves — both silently and aloud — and it’s not a predominant symptom of any mental illness. Talking to yourself can be a good method to refocus your attention, organize your thoughts, and facilitate action. You might ask, “What was I doing?” in order to bring your attention back to…
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In this blog post, you will learn the basics of DBT. Following this post, there are two more posts that explain in a very brief way the 4 modules of DBT. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, also known as DBT, was created by Marsha Linehan, who is currently still teaching at the University of Washington-Seattle. When DBT was first identified in the 1990s, it was originally known to help individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but now DBT is…
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Amana Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner I’m going to die. I’m helpless. I’m going crazy. Certain thoughts commonly reoccur during panic attacks. But they’re simply untrue, and the best way to fight them is with the truth. Panic attacks are often misunderstood. Many people believe that panic attacks are short bursts of anxiety or stress that can be easily calmed or avoided. The common reproach “You gave me a panic attack!” implies that these experiences are situational. That’s…
Read MoreWe live in a culture where pornography is easily accessible, but not easily discussed. Anyone, including teens, who has access to the internet can easily access pornographic content. What sex therapists and educators are learning is that most people report that their sex education came from porn. Many schools in our country legally do not need to provide comprehensive sex education in classes, which leaves kids and teens feeling confused and ashamed when they want to start…
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Have you ever felt so out of control with your own emotions, actions, or thoughts and never had anyone to turn to express your actions, thoughts, or emotions? Have you ever felt alone? Scared? Lonely? Sad? Overly excited? Lack of interest in almost anything? You are not alone in feeling any of these emotions, and many more emotions. Seeking help is completely okay and can help you in many ways (definitely more than you can think about).…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner You look down at your plate and your food is gone, but you can’t remember eating. Sound familiar? This experience is called mindless eating, and it’s become a common practice in our fast-paced culture. Mindless eating can lead to significant physical and psychological issues. The antidote to mindless eating is mindful eating. The Center for Mindful Eating, a U.S-based nonprofit, defines mindful eating as having four parts: 1) Using your senses in…
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Think about a time in your life when you were wanting to make a change in your life. Was it in regards to being more active? Was it going back to school to advance your career/education? Was it to stop an addictive behavior? Whatever you were wanting to change in your life, without maybe really recognizing it, you were in one of 6 stages of change. The Six Stages of Change were identified by James O. Prochaska.…
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Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Ending one’s own life has been a frequently discussed topic in the media the past few years. Between celebrity suicides, the making of “13 Reasons Why”, and higher suicide rates in high schools around the country, we are exposed to the idea now more than ever. When we hear some of the devastating stories of those who have struggled with depression and ended their life, we often ask ourselves, “Why…
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