cognitive behavioral therapy
Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Often times we experience something, think something, or identify with something and then take it and incorporate it into our story. The most obvious examples of this are when we were young and we heard a certain kind of music and suddenly decided that was a defining aspect of our character, we listened to Nirvana for the first time and went and cut holes in our jeans, stopped washing our hair, and got super…
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Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW In therapy we often talk about holding space. This can refer to the art of allowing a feeling to just be, without judgement. This can also refer to the space we literally and metaphorically take up in the world and in our own specific lives. Regardless of the specific reason for discussing space in therapy, it is important to understand why it is so important to your mental health. The reason we spend so…
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Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW When working in the field of mental health, we often utilize SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. The reason we do this (as in many fields) is because we often have a great idea and a great goal and can’t wait to get there. However, it can be incredibly easy to get side-tracked, lose sight, or feel overwhelmed, when we have something big we want to accomplish…
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If pressed, many of us would admit that we buy too much stuff and end up with a house full of things we don’t really need. The phrase “retail therapy” points to why this can happen – shopping for things gives us a temporary ping of satisfaction and makes us feel good, like we imagine therapy will or should. (Of course, we later realize that this is a temporary high, so we go seeking it again and…
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Coursera is a great online tool for learning; it offers up a world of learning to people who cannot afford a college education, and it provides ongoing learning opportunities for people who do have college degrees but want to expand their range of personal and professional interests. The information found below is compiled from Yale University’s The Science of Well-Being course, taught by Dr. Laurie Santos, and gives you a taste of the great information found on…
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Cal Newport is a professor at Georgetown University and author who writes about academic and professional success, technology, minimalism, culture, and the intersection of these topics. In his 2007 book How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less, Newport outlines a useful time management system. Not only is it applicable to the general public (it’s not just useful for young college students), it’s flexible and focuses…
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When life feels overwhelming, you often feel the urge to do something to help yourself feel better but lack the energy or the mental clarity to evaluate your options. It can be helpful to know that there are things you can do that are almost always guaranteed to positively benefit you and not harm you. Below are all the actions you can take when you’re not sure what to do but know you should be taking care…
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What do you think of when you think of boundaries? What do they mean to you, and how do you implement them in your life? As a therapist, boundaries are one of the core tools I discuss with my clients. Setting boundaries in your life can have a positive effect on your mental health, stability, and your overall wellbeing. I have seen clients benefit from setting boundaries in their life with partners, family members, co-workers, and more.…
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How often do you watch or read the news? After your exposure, do you find yourself feeling empowered and informed, or do you find yourself feeling negative and pessimistic? As a therapist, I have worked with clients who have been impacted by their news exposure, and feeling pessimistic about the current state of the world. Additionally, I, myself, have found myself feeling down or pessimistic after hearing about a recent bad event in my neighborhood. With the…
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With access to the internet, a world of experts, and the ability to contact others at anytime, our tolerance for managing uncertainty has declined. Why be okay with uncertainty when we have all these ways to research and get others opinions? Certainly we can find some certainty in the uncertain right? Unfortunately, when something is uncertain it indicates the probabilities of different outcomes are unknown. The unknown can be very daunting causing individuals to walk away from…
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