Therapy Chicago

Do you listen to your inner child? As adults, we often become preoccupied with our “adult” roles and forget that despite the aging process, we were all once children. Your inner child is within you no matter how old you are, and this part now depends on your adult self for nurturing. If you struggle with mental health issues, even if it’s not depression with a capital D, your inner child may benefit from more nurturing. Many…

Situational mood problems like a temporary break up, money issue, or argument with a friend can seem devastating but anxiety or depression treatment can seem unfit at the time. Mood problems in general can create various types of distorted thinking like tunnel vision, all or nothing, and black and white thinking. I like to call this type of thinking “Rough Draft” thinking because it’s sloppy and not reflective of our entire strength and resilience. More specifically, the…

If you’ve recently been to a yoga class or read a self-help book, you’re probably familiar with the term mindfulness. During therapy, your counselor may tell you to be mindful of your emotions or behavior in a particular situation. Numerous research studies continue to demonstrate that mindfulness based interventions provide stress reduction and overall symptom reduction for many mental health conditions, including anxiety. Yet, understanding how mindfulness can really help you and applying it in day-to-day life…

If you have ever taken a yoga class, you have probably heard the instructor say things like, “Just breathe,” or “Focus on your breath.” Breathing is an essential element of yoga. Yoga involves intentional breathing – breathing with purpose and in a controlled manner – a technique which may also help with anxiety, depression, and other mental health struggles. Making breath the focus while practicing yoga can deepen relaxation and enhance a mind-body connection, as it has…

If you have ever felt consumed or overwhelmed by your thoughts, the concept that you do not have to believe everything you think can seem foreign. Without awareness of the problem, it can sometimes feel like you are a slave to your thoughts. I often hear people say that they cannot shut their minds off or that they cannot escape their thinking, which causes them a great deal of anxiety and distress. Many people feel like they…

When I tell people that I am a Certified Financial Social Worker, the typical response I get is, “How can you help people with their money issues? You aren’t an accountant or financial planner.” While this might be true – I do not have the training or credentials to give financial or investment advice, create detailed budgets or plans, or offer financial services – there is much more to having a healthy relationship with money than those…