cognitive behavioral therapy
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We are all guilty of it. Many of us overuse Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to fill most of our free time. If there is some extra down time at the office, on the commute home, or on our days off it feels basically automatic to pull out our phones scroll through social media. According to Social Media Today, the average person is spending approximately 2 hours per day on social…
Read MoreAs a therapist, I often see in session the struggles my clients have with patience. I have experienced couples being frustrated with one another about their conflict cycles continuing, or annoyed with their partner for not doing household chores when asked. I have also heard individuals get frustrated with the traffic that made them late to the sessions, or express frustration with the therapy process as a whole because things are not changing as quickly as they…
Read MoreMatthew Cuddeback, LCSW When you experience trauma, there are a lot of ways that it takes a toll mentally. Frequently people experience agitation, mistrust, anger, depression, and many other symptoms. One of the most difficult results of trauma is often described as not feeling like yourself, feeling distant from your life and others, or a lack of feeling. When this occurs, people sometimes lose track of time or may not remember how they got to where they…
Read MoreFor many of us, the transition from the workplace to home can be stressful and bring less relief than we’d like. For workers who feel unable to turn off a stream of negative thoughts, feelings, and memories from the workday, home may feel less relaxing than it should. Feeling as if you have no control over the stress of work spilling into your evening at home is a sign that you need stronger boundaries in place to…
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I work with many clients who are stressed out for a variety of reasons, whether it is related to school, work, friends, family, or their romantic relationship. Some clients even discuss that due to feeling highly stressed, they have a tendency to become angry quickly and lose their patience with a coworker, friend, partner, or perhaps even themselves. We live in a society where people move fast all of the time. I often encourage clients to practice…
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Steven Losardo, LMFT It was November 28th, 2014, or Black Friday 2014, and somehow, I got an internal nudge to begin my 2015 New Year’s Resolution (NYR). Looking for any excuse to avoid shopping, I decided to stay home to review what drives me to sign up for NYRs each year, NYR planning, and benefits to even having resolutions. First, I reviewed my 2014 “highlights.” ⦁ Despite my good intentions to make the change life-sustaining, my NYR lasted…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR You’re entering into a new romantic relationship and you want to do everything you can to start on the right foot. You want to promote a relationship that is healthy, supportive, and thriving. How do you accomplish this? Here are four guidelines to consider in order to support a new relationship: Be authentic. When you first meet someone, you naturally want to put your best foot forward. Dating can sometimes feel like a…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR In my blog An Inside Look: Symmetry Counseling’s Therapists Reveal Their Self-Care Practices, I spoke with five therapists who practice at Symmetry Counseling, Chicago’s mental health and relationship specialists, to discover how they practice self-care. This time we’ll hear from a few more Symmetry therapists to discover more of their personal self-care methods. Podcasts Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW, listens to podcasts to manage stress. “The most helpful way I have found to practice self-care…
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Maggie Reynolds, LCPC, NCC We often talk about our creations, our decisions, our opinions, and our beliefs without looking further into the processes that led us there. Mindfulness has become a big part of mental health treatment and life for many people. An important component of mindfulness can be identifying and understanding the way your mind works and not just what thoughts or emotions you may be experiencing. What follows are some common mental processes: Concentration Flow…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Let’s face it, we all would benefit from improving our communication with each other. While I recommend therapy for anyone seeking to improve their communication skills, this blog will present a basic overview on some of the styles and techniques that can be used to improve your communication. The Four Communication Styles Passive communication occurs when we do not directly communicate our preferences and put the needs of others ahead of our own.…
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