counseling services
You open a directory, and there are forty of them. Forty faces, forty short bios that all seem to say the same three things, forty people who might be exactly right or completely wrong for you, and no obvious way to tell which. You have a tab open with someone’s profile, you have had it open for twenty minutes, and the cursor is just sitting there. Here is the quiet irony of looking for an anxiety therapist…
Most people have had the experience of a thought that won’t let go. A conversation replays itself, a decision gets picked apart from every angle, a mistake from years ago resurfaces at 2 a.m., and you’re left wondering how to stop ruminating thoughts before they take over the whole night. When that kind of repetitive, negative thinking becomes a regular pattern rather than an occasional visitor, it has a name: rumination. If you are currently trying to…
Couples therapy has a reputation problem. People picture it as a last resort, something you turn to only after months of silence or a fight that finally went too far. But it isn’t only for crises, and the real signs you need couples therapy are usually much quieter than that. Some of the most useful work happens long before things reach that point, while problems are still small enough to work with. If you’ve been quietly wondering…
You made the appointment. Maybe you sat on the decision for a while first. You opened the contact page, closed it, opened it again a week later. And now the day is here, and you’re in the waiting room a few minutes early, phone in your hand but not really looking at it, rehearsing a version of your life that sounds coherent enough to say out loud. If that’s you, take a breath. The hardest part of…
Dating around can be exciting, but it can also be genuinely overwhelming. At some point with someone new, the question shifts from “is this fun” to something bigger: should I date them, really, as in commit to seeing where this goes? That’s a real decision, and it deserves more than a gut feeling made at 11 p.m. after a good text exchange. If you’re still turning over should I date them right now, here are five things…
Jessica Pontis, LCSW Tension can slowly grow in even the closest relationships. Small disappointments, repeated misunderstandings, or feeling unheard can slowly turn into bitterness. Over time, those feelings may turn into distance. Learning how to overcome resentment in a relationship begins with understanding where it comes from and how it shows up in everyday life. At Symmetry Counseling, we work with individuals and couples who want healthier communication and a more meaningful connection. Resentment does not have…
Kyle Lawell, Licensed Professional Counselor When I was in the second grade, I vividly remember my teacher telling me to avoid using the word “thing” in my writing. She told me that there were so many words I could learn and use in place of “thing” and that this word didn’t tell the audience what I was thinking, feeling, or doing. For example, instead of saying, “Can you pick up that thing over there?” she encouraged me…
Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC, LPC Complicated grief is a term used for grief that is more intense, lasts longer, and affects an individual more than typical grief. It may disrupt someone’s routine activities as they are preoccupied with feelings of loneliness, anger, and longing for their departed loved one. Losing a loved one is, unfortunately, one of the most common, yet distressing experiences, and is typically followed by a period of grief, sorrow, guilt, or anger. These…
Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an 8-phase therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, pulsars, and sounds) to process distressing memories and reprocess negative core beliefs. EMDR was originally created to treat trauma, but over time it’s been found to be helpful in treating complicated grief, substance abuse, anxiety/phobias, chronic pain, dissociation, stress, and personality disorders. EMDR has gained popularity among therapists and clients. Yet, there is…
By Eric Dean JD MBA MA MA LPC CADC Being agreeable is generally considered a positive trait. However, it can get to a point when agreeableness becomes people-pleasing and starts to have negative consequences on our lives. This post will define “people-pleasing” and identify common signs of this behavior. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a people-pleaser is defined as: “A person who has an emotional need to please others often at the expense of his or her own…