Andrew McNaughton
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC In my work with individuals, I frequently will hear folks say, “This may sound selfish, but” and far more often than not, they are expressing a desire to prioritize their self-interest, not selfishness. I am always quick to point out to them that identifying and prioritizing their preferences is not an act of selfishness, but rather they are acting in their own self-interest. What’s the difference? My go-to example of selfishness comes…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC Part One of this three-part blog on Self-Sabotage described the pattern and characteristics. In Part Two, we took a close look at using the ABCs of REBT to catch and dispute our irrational beliefs with which we cause ourselves anxiety. In Part Three, we will apply this to our second of the two scenarios described in Part One. SCENARIO #2 I asked her out, she said yes, we went out on a…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC Part One of this three-part blog on Self-Sabotage described the pattern and characteristics. In Part Two, I will present a rational approach to overcoming this tendency. Let’s go back to the first of our two scenarios. SCENARIO #1 Remember in Scenario #1, I have convinced myself to not ask a woman out on a date because I have decided the rejection would be unbearable and must not happen. When we look to…
By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC Patterns of self-sabotage often leave people feeling frustrated and confused. Success seems within reach, yet something pushes it out of grasp. At Symmetry Counseling, we offer self-sabotage counseling that helps clients recognize these patterns and build healthier responses to discomfort, fear, and uncertainty. Self-sabotage rarely comes from laziness or lack of care. In many cases, it grows from a desire to avoid emotional pain. Short-term relief can feel safer than long-term growth.…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Symmetry Counseling Chicago Harm reduction is a behavior change approach through which an individual reduces their exposure to risk without a complete elimination of the problematic behavior, all while giving oneself the opportunity to learn important new life coping skills. This is for people who are contemplating significant behavior change, but are not ready to completely stop the behavior since they lack skills to cope with emotional discomfort they soothe with their…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Symmetry Counseling Chicago In working with clients in individual psychotherapy, there are times when progress has slowed or become increasingly difficult to sustain. A mentor of mine once told me, “Therapy treats the mind while psychiatry treats the brain.” Psychiatry is the practice of utilizing medical interventions by a MD to treat mood disorders. It is not the same as therapy, as psychiatrists primarily focus on the treatment of symptoms through medication…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Emotional energy can slowly drain when too much time is spent managing other people’s moods, expectations, and reactions. Conversations replay in your mind, guilt lingers after saying no, and frustration builds when your needs go unspoken. Learning how to set healthy boundaries changes this pattern by helping you recognize what belongs within your control and what does not. At Symmetry Counseling, boundary work is often important because it guides clients toward greater…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Depending on your age and social circle, it certainly may seem like everyone, or nearly everyone, is drinking alcohol, whether it be the occasional drink once or twice a month or regular weekend binges. The reality is, no, of course not everyone drinks, and there are recent statistics to pour over, courtesy of the annual federal government survey. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) releases their results from the…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Gambling has pretty much always been popular since money has existed. Today, it is as immediately accessible as it ever has been through online lottery purchases and mobile apps for casinos and sportsbooks, where players can win and lose real money really fast. In Illinois, online sports betting became legal in 2020, just in time for the professional football season to start. Advertisements for titillating promotions make the lure of trying sports…
By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC In the first part of this blog, we explored Point 1 and Point 2 of SMART Recovery’s 4-Point Program for behavior change. Next, let’s look at: Point 3 – Managing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors This dives deeper into Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy tools and concepts. The key tool here is the ABC’s. I have written about the ABC’s of REBT previously, but in short, the theory of REBT says that we create…
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