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Article Summary: How to Have the 'Inheritance Talk' with Your Parents

September 15, 2017

Last week, an article by Nathalie Lagerfeld was published in The Week that quotes our own Dr. Anne Malec as a financial therapist. This piece focuses on giving practical advice for having the “inheritance” talk with your parents. This is a common conversation that is becoming increasingly more important for adult children to have with their parents, as Social Security gradually depletes and more and more young adults have come to depend on inheritance for their retirement…

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Is It Love or Lust?

September 1, 2017

In the beginning of a relationship, or what therapists refer to as the “infatuation stage”, it can be difficult to differentiate between love and infatuation or lust. The infatuation stage can last anywhere between 6 months and 2 years, which is quite a long time. The relationship may seem “perfect.” You may be spending all of your time together, having great sex, and see this person and relationship as the most important thing in your life. While…

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Demystifying 12-Step Groups

August 25, 2017

There is a multitude of 12-step groups for various issues, including (but not limited to) Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Overeaters Anonymous (OA), and Gamblers Anonymous (GA). While they may display slight variations in name, all programs have the same basic foundation and components based on the 12 steps listed below. The steps move from a sense of powerlessness and loneliness to empowerment and community. The steps below mention alcohol and alcoholics since the first 12-step…

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Why Being Single After a Break-Up is So Important

August 20, 2017

Going through a break-up, especially with a long-term partner, can be a traumatic and deeply sad experience. Break-ups, separations, and divorces can feel as severe as experiencing the death of a loved one. When you experience a deep and profound loss, it is important to allow yourself time to grieve and process the loss in order to heal. It is necessary to allow yourself time and space to not only grieve the relationship and the loss of…

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Surviving and Thriving After the Breakup

August 1, 2017

Breakups and separations are one of the most common reasons for which people initially seek therapy with a psychologist or counselor. These life experiences often stir up our deepest insecurities and fears about both the past and future. This seems to be true whether you are the one pursuing or the one on the receiving end of the breakup. While they can bring up intense, often overwhelming feelings, breakups can also bring an infusion of new energy…

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The Power of a Personal Inventory

July 15, 2017

Are you feeling stuck in your life? Trapped in your feelings of anxiety? Unsure why you continue to engage in behavior that doesn’t work for you?   When was the last time you took an honest inventory of your life? Spiritual giants, therapists, and 12-step programs all espoused the necessity of consistent self-reflection. It was Socrates who reportedly said that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” yet his remark remains just as true today as it…

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Accepting Difficult Emotions

June 27, 2017

Many of us spend a lot of time, money, and effort into making our tough feelings go away.  When someone says, “I’m feeling really anxious” (or sad, overwhelmed, depressed, etc.), a common response is to see your doctor for medication, talk to a psychologist to work through it, or go do something that will distract you from what you’re feeling.  The general goal of doing these things is to make us feel better, or to avoid sitting…

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Change Your Vocabulary, Change Your Thinking!

June 3, 2017

By Andrew McNaughton LCSW CADC How we choose the words we use in expressing our thoughts to ourselves and others directly impacts how we make ourselves feel. I have previously addressed rational and irrational thinking in a previous blog, and this will expand on those concepts by demonstrating the benefit of exchanging the vocabulary of demands with preferences. The difference might, on the surface, seem slight, but the impact of our use of preferential instead of demanding…

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Getting Out of Your Own Way: The Emotional Process of Studying for Major Tests

May 6, 2017

Many of us are required to take major tests to further our careers. Why do they push our emotions to the limit? What is so hard about proving what we already know? What makes studying so difficult sometimes? Big tests like the Bar Exam, Licensure Boards, GMAT or GRE usually have a big impact on the future and how we think about the work we’ve done so far. Doing well on them often requires things like rational…

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Yes, Marijuana Can Be Addictive

April 15, 2017

By Andrew McNaughton LCSW, CADC Long thought of as a relatively harmless drug, marijuana is increasingly becoming more culturally and legally acceptable. Marijuana, however, is potentially habit forming, especially for frequent or daily heavy users. People may use marijuana casually and never experience any problems, but some will come to depend on it to relax, to alleviate boredom, or for easing anxiety without therapy. They may even experience physical withdrawal symptoms if they stop using. Identifying Problems…

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