mental health
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Many people have benefited from receiving concurrent mental health services from two therapists. Each therapist may provide a different service such as individual therapy, couples therapy, or group therapy. For example, you might see one therapist for individual therapy and another therapist for couples therapy. You could also work with two therapists who provide the same service but vastly different focuses and/or interventions, such as Financial Therapy or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing…
Amanda Gregory, LPCP, EMDR Have you considered psychological testing? You may want to. Psychologists perform psychological testing (also referred to as assessment) by providing a variety of standardized instruments or tests. Many people have found testing to be helpful for a variety of reasons. Here are ways that you might benefit from psychological testing. Diagnosis clarification. Usually, initial mental health diagnoses are based on a clinical interview which can last 50-60 minutes. This process has limitations because…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling When it comes to a healthy work-life balance, the term “unplug” is one that is often thrown around. Designating some time for yourself to unplug from work is a critical part of psychological self-care yet many find it difficult to fully disconnect. The number one reason for the lack of a break is that people don’t want to fall behind or return to a mess. Whether it is the weekend…
Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC When we seek out help from medical providers, we are putting trust in that the provider can “fix” or “solve” our presenting concerns. This is also seen within the mental health field, in how individuals will enter therapy for answers to what is “wrong” with them. Finding these answers cannot always come from the help of just one provider or treatment method. It can be helpful for an individual to utilize all…
Many people struggle with birthday anxiety or depression as they get older. You might remember celebrating with friends, family, cake, and laughter as a child but as an adult, your birthday may feel like a reminder of unmet goals or disappointments. As a licensed therapist, I help clients realize some of the reasons why their birthday is a trigger for their anxiety and/or depression. Many times it is based on the fact that they have created a…
Whether I am working with couples, families, or individuals, one topic never fails to come up in therapy. Communication. Communicating is something that we are constantly doing, either verbally or nonverbally. Communication may be challenging with others when you are not communicating clearly and effectively. It would be important to note that what is clear and effective to you, may not be the same to someone else. For instance, you may need to speak very clearly and…
In more recent times, it has become more prevalent for individuals to come out and express their sexuality. For some, this may be a simple process, but others may experience obstacles such as mixed emotions with their loved ones and support systems. They may also have a difficult time with expressing their emotions and feelings to loved ones. In this post, I have identified helpful ways to support a loved one who identifies as a part of…
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Do you get less than seven hours of sleep a night? If so, you could experience symptoms such as lack of focus, decreased productivity, fatigue, and a variety of physical symptoms. Getting enough sleep is very important. Sleep Cleans Your Brain Simply put, you need sleep because your brain needs to be cleaned. Jeff Stibel reported that the brain needs to cleanse itself of toxins that build up when were awake. This cleaning…
The symptoms of depression can present various ways. Maybe you can’t seem to escape the mental chatter in your mind and the echoing thoughts are dragging you down. Perhaps you don’t feel motivated to do simple daily tasks even though you “know” you “should”. It is even possible that you feel drained by the mere thought of doing something that has been enjoyable in the past. All of these experiences are normal symptoms of depression, so, you…
It seems this “self-compassion” buzzword has been everywhere lately- but what exactly is it, what gets in the way of being compassionate with yourself, and how can you start to practice implementing it? Self-compassion is working to respond to yourself with kindness, empathy, and understanding. This approach is an alternative to negative self-talk which is often littered with judgement and criticism of oneself. Increasing self-compassion in your relationship with yourself can lead to increased happiness, optimism, curiosity,…
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