suicide
Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW When therapists are meeting with a client for the first time one of the questions we ask, in some form, is what the client feels they need to work on, what brought them in. It is intended to provoke a few things, ultimately, therapists look at everything as information and without judgement. So, I am listening for information that tells me where the client is focused, but also how they think about their life…
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You have likely heard of the terms “introvert” and “extrovert”, and you may even identify with one of those personality traits. The concepts of introvert versus extrovert are widely used amongst people to categorize and understand their personality and the behaviors that come with it. An introvert is understood to be someone who is more shy and prefers to keep to themselves; introverts tend to be over-stimulated in social situations and like more quiet or alone time.…
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Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW For many of us a time will come in our lives in which we realize that someone is taking up too much of our emotional real estate. Whether it is a family member, friend, co-worker, or someone else you interact with often, it is important to remember that you get to choose how you interact with them. You have the power to implement more boundaries to better maintain your mental health if you choose.…
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Danielle Bertini, LPC Just as in romantic relationships, breakups can happen within friendships as well. Why? Similar to romantic relationships, friendships are often an influential part of our lives. Friends are there to listen to us, encourage us, and help us. They can improve happiness, confidence, worth and coping. It is also important to note that many friendships often outlast romantic relationships. All of these factors combined can make it especially difficult to cope with the ending…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified In my previous blog, Manage Your Anxiety by Grounding to Your Environment, I explained how to manage anxiety by grounding to your current environment. However, this method may not work for you. You might struggle to focus on your environment, you may be in an environment that lacks sufficient stimuli, or your environment itself may be anxiety provoking. Another option is to achieve grounding by using a physical object. This object can…
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I work with many clients who struggle with approaching their partners with difficult, yet very important requests. As their clinical therapist, I help the client better understand why they are struggling to ask their partner for their needs and possible coping skills to express their feelings, emotions, thoughts, and needs. I recently read an article from the Mindfulness Muse that touched on this very topic utilizing a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) technique known as the ‘DEAR MAN’…
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Hannah Hopper It’s that time of year again in Chicago when the days are shorter, the sky is grayer, and it feels a lot harder to get out of bed and face the piercing wind. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a mood disorder that typically begins and ends around the same time each year, and often takes place in the winter months. For most people the symptoms begin in the Fall as the colder weather sets…
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We get to a certain age (it is different for everyone) where we finally realize our bodies have changed- the realization that we are not as young as we think they are. My boyfriend recently pulled his hamstring playing flag football and this realization has hit him hard. When talking with him, he mentioned that he pushed himself as hard as he used to and he said that his body could not carry him as quickly as…
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I work with many clients who are struggling with a stressful life transition in their personal and/or professional life, and for some clients possibly both at the same time. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client better understand why this life transition is causing stress, what impact it has on the client, and how to better manage this life transition. Some clients, due to their life circumstances, cannot fully change the life transition,…
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Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Socrates was certainly onto something when he stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” However, the overly examined life isn’t so spectacular either. Countless people, mostly women, have a bad habit called rumination that contributes negatively to their “physical and emotional well-being.” Rumination: What’s Happening in My Brain? People who ruminate dwell repetitively over negative thoughts in their head that are typically related to “failure, rejection, humiliation, loss or retaliation.”…
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