mental health
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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Kaitlin Broderick, LCPC You just got back from another amazing date with a new person. You have been texting back and forth, having late night phone calls, and receiving the physical and emotional attention you had been fantasizing about just a few weeks earlier. Feeling giddy and euphoric, you can’t wait to call your friends and tell them the good news — you finally met “the one.” However, even though this exhilarating feeling is fun and new…
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Mindfulness has been practiced in Eastern cultures for centuries in religious, non-religious, and traditional ways. Like a tree with strong roots, mindfulness has become rooted in Western society. Mindfulness is quickly being integrated into our culture to help physicians care for their patients, in schools around the country, and by mental health professionals. Mental health providers use mindfulness as a tool to treat anxiety, depression, to reduce rumination, or for emotional and attention regulation. There are numerous…
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Break-ups are never easy, whether it’s a romantic relationship, friendship, a work break-up, or even breaking up with your therapist. There are often mixed emotions of frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, not knowing what the future will hold, etc. A good cry can help, but also talking to a therapist to process what has occurred is helpful. Breaking up with your partner, no matter how long you have been together, is always painful. This blog post will help…
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Effective communication is not as simple as it might seem on the surface. It is a skill that takes time, energy, and practice to develop. Effective communication is more than just talk. It involves active listening and appropriate, honest expression. Following are some helpful tips for the two elements of communication: expressing and listening. Expressing Effective expression will not put others on the defensive or escalate conflict. Try some of the recommendations below: Use “I” messages instead…
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