mental health
Do you live with a partner or roommates and feel that you are the “manager” of the home? Do you feel that you consistently have to pick up after others, or feel that their version of cleaning is not clean at all? Do you feel that you are constantly nagging people to do things around the home? You are not alone! The feeling of being a household manager, and feeling unappreciated for all of the internal work…
When someone is sick, injured, or dealing with mental health challenges, we often rush to offer support. We ask how they’re doing. We offer rides, bring food, and check in more often. All of that matters, but there’s one group we often overlook in this process: those doing the caregiving. Caregivers give so much of themselves that it’s easy to forget they need support too. Caregiver burnout is common and serious. It affects people emotionally, physically, and…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling When life gets busy the first thing that falls to the wayside is any time we dedicate to ourselves. We stop going to the gym, grab a “quick” dinner rather than a healthy one, put off our hobbies, and may even isolate from friends and family. Over time neglecting yourself and your needs will take a toll on your mental and physical health. When you don’t make time for yourself…
Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW There are many variations and many reasons for the need to say no to people. We often feel uncomfortable saying no because of the various social pressures we feel or because we are taking their emotions on as something we need to care for as if we are responsible for them. However, it is not your responsibility to make sure everyone around you feels ok all the time, especially when it crosses boundaries or…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Battling depression can feel like a helpless, lonely, and never-ending journey to happiness. Between the frequent tears, fatigue, and lack of motivation, it can feel nearly impossible to live your life in a meaningful way. Those who struggle with depression find it easy to get stuck in a dark place where it “isn’t worth it” to do things, you are hard on yourself, and feel hopeless. Rather than focusing on…
I recently read an article from FastCompany, “This 75-year Harvard Study found 1 Secret to leading a fulfilling life” by author Melanie Curtin. I work with many clients who are feeling depressed, stressed, or anxious due to their life stressors, so reading an article that touched on the topic of how to live a life with more happiness, joy, and fulfillment really intrigued me. The article references a Harvard Grant and Glueck study that tracked data for…
Steven Losardo In a recent Pew Center research article on marriage and love in America, Geiger and Livingston (2018) combine online survey data from 1990 to 2017 highlighting several multifaceted factors on the way to the altar. Factors such as cohabitation, which is up 29% since 2007, and marriage to someone in a different religious group, which is up 39%, are becoming prevalent. Additionally, now more than ever technology is playing an essential role in the process.…
Steven Losardo You feel it coming, maybe you saw it happen with your dad, you read about it in the media, see it in movies, and you think you might be next. You are scared! The phenomena called the mid-life crisis seemingly rears its ugly head about your age range age (40-50). The good news is the crisis is predominately mispresented with incorrect perceptions and outcomes. Currently, the prevailing narrative will have you believe you will ruin…
All couples fight— in fact, the process of rupture and repair can actually be strength building. The key as to whether an argument or difficult conversation makes a pair stronger lies in HOW a couple fights. Maladaptive Disagreement Strategies: Defense Mechanisms Common defense mechanisms employed in arguments include (but are not limited to): Acting out: performing a behavior in order to express a thought or emotion that may otherwise feel too difficult to express. (ex: punching a…
Holidays are not always the happiest of times for everyone. If loved ones have passed during the year, the holidays are always a part of the “firsts” which is of course hard to handle. If you have to work and are unable to get to your family or friends is also difficult. When feeling down and having to attend multiple functions can be overwhelming and can lead to toxic relationships. In this post, I will identify 5…
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