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Leaving an abusive relationship usually isn’t as easy as simply walking out the door. Aside from the logistics of finding a new place to live, supporting yourself, and sometimes involving children, you might also feel tied to your partner and unable to break away. This emotional attachment, which is known as a trauma bond, develops out of a repeated cycle of abuse, devaluation, and positive reinforcement (Raypole, 2020). This trauma of abuse can create powerful feelings that…
Read MoreBy: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC If you read my previous blog post, you were introduced to some of the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that inhibit you from getting what you want. Here is part two of this series that continues to share encouragement and reasons why you deserve to live a life full of meaning that you desire. Go for It Watching someone else completely go for it can be extremely upsetting to a person who…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Are you looking to identify and change some of the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that inhibit you from getting what you want? If so, Jen Sincero’s number-one New York Times Best Seller You Are a Badass would be a great place for you to start. This blog will share important lessons, reflections, and takeaways from this book. How Did I Get This Way? In my practice, I have always emphasized that it is…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Often many people are intimated by meditation and think that they “can’t do it.” My hope with this blog is to provide you with an approachable and easy way to do a body scan meditation, with the main goal of relieving stress and tension. It can be difficult to self-facilitate this exercise, so there is an audio version of this blog that you can listen to carry out the meditation at…
Read MoreHannah Hopper Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an approach that helps to cope with overwhelming and intense emotions. DBT helps people build four major skills including mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation. Mindfulness and distress tolerance will help with skills that work towards acceptance of thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes the most difficult part of overwhelming emotions is that we try to fight them and push them away, instead of allowing them to just be. Emotion regulation…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Panic attacks can be terrifying, as you may feel as though you are losing control of your mind or body. Here are the common symptoms of a panic attack: Racing heart beat Shortness of breath Nausea Chest tightness Dry mouth Sweating Chills/hot flashes Numbness/tingling Headache Intense fear/anxiety Tightness in throat Feeling faint/dizzy Feeling detached from the world or yourself A feeling of impending doom If you experience a panic attack, what…
Read MorePeople search for new ways to understand trauma symptoms, and interest in the vagus nerve and PTSD continues to rise. This nerve influences emotional and physical responses. Its role gives people new options to calm intense reactions linked to past trauma. At Symmetry Counseling, we look at how this nerve functions and how you can work with it in everyday life. How the Vagus Nerve and PTSD Connect The vagus nerve sits at the center of the…
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Hannah Hopper, LPC Some signs of a bad therapist are easier to spot than others. If your therapist is shaming you or insulting you, that’s a good indication to find someone else. And when looking out for the warning signs, it’s important to remember that therapists aren’t perfect; they’re people too and will make mistakes like everyone else. If there’s something your therapist is doing that’s bothering you, consider talking to them about it to see if…
Read MoreMary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC Sometimes therapy or counseling is all you need to get through a difficult period. However, you may find yourself sitting in your counselor’s office wondering, “Is this therapy really working?” The reason could be as simple as the two of you not clicking or as complex as an awful therapist at what they do. It’s better to say when something isn’t working for you than to suffer silently in despair. Here’s how you…
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Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC No matter who we are or where we are from, we will experience pain- whether through neglect, abuse, death, or disease. We are all human and thus, we will all sustain emotional injury throughout our lifetime. Many of these wounds, however, will be experienced in childhood, as we are at a pivotal stage in development and tend to be more vulnerable. Any harm or neglect experienced at such a tender age can leave…
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