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3 Ways to Have Healthier Conflict With Your Partner

December 6, 2019

Hannah Hopper Conflict is something that we all experience, yet when it comes to conflict with a loved one or a significant other, emotions can quickly escalate to make us say things that we later regret, or make our argument escalate to being even bigger than the original issue we started with. Remaining calm in a conflict is a huge challenge, and it takes work to keep an argument from spiraling out of control. And while it…

Leading a More Mindful Life

December 5, 2019

It’s no secret we live in a very fast paced, high stress world. With the influx of social media, news outlets, increasing expectations both personally and professionally, it’s no surprise many of us experience burnout, compassion fatigue, and just overall exhaustion. While there are many things we do have control of, we cannot control unexpected everyday stressors. However, we do have the ability to shift how we respond to these stressors and the impact we allow them…

Holding Healthy Boundaries with Family

December 3, 2019

Hannah Hopper Many of my clients come into counseling frustrated with family relationships and feeling that they were pushed into agreeing to too much, feeling like they could not ask for what they needed, being unable to say “no” to certain requests from family members, or having trouble staying calm and in control of their emotions when family starts to get under their skin. Whether it is the family you grew up with or your extended family…

Self-Care for Therapists: Part II

November 27, 2019

In my previous post, I reflected the necessity of maintaining healthy self-care habits for clinicians. Establishing a healthy work-life balance is beneficial to your home relationships, as well as your clients. I have provided a few tips as a way to help incorporate self-care techniques into your lives (this is beneficial for you readers who are not clinicians as well!): Be Mindful: Take time for yourself to understand what self-care activities work for you. Be mindful of…

Early Discovery of Infidelity: Part 3, The Unfaithful Partner

November 21, 2019

This is the third part of a 3-part blog series about the immediate aftermath of both partners in a relationship learning about one partner’s infidelity. This blog, which focuses on the specific experiences of the unfaithful partner, follows considerations for the couple in coping in the immediate aftermath of infidelity and a blog focusing on the hurt partner. While the unfaithful partner is likely experiencing fewer losses at this stage than the hurt partner, the unfaithful partner…

Early Discovery of Infidelity: Part 2, The Hurt Partner

November 19, 2019

This is the second part of a 3-part blog series about the immediate aftermath of both partners in a relationship learning about one partner’s infidelity. This blog, which focuses on the specific experiences of the hurt partner, follows considerations for the couple in coping with infidelity and precedes a blog focusing on the unfaithful partner. The hurt partner – the partner who learns of their partner’s infidelity – is likely to struggle more intensely immediately after the…

Early Discovery of Infidelity: Part 1, The Couple

November 17, 2019

This is the first part of a 3-part blog series about the immediate aftermath of both partners in a relationship learning about one partner’s infidelity. This blog will focus on how to cope in the immediate aftermath with considerations for the couple, and the next 2 blogs will focus on the more specific experiences of the hurt partner and the unfaithful partner. There is almost nothing more devastating to the livelihood of a couple than the disclosure…

The Importance of Emotional Movement

November 13, 2019

Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Winston Churchill said “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” This quote stuck with me long after I heard it, it is incredibly profound for many different reasons. Churchill was saying this, as a rousing orator, to motivate the British people during the second World War. However, I find that it is also incredibly impactful for when we are waging our own internal wars as a guide for how to see our way through…

The Relationship Between Optimism and Longevity

November 11, 2019

Danielle Bertini According to a decades-long study that was published August 26, 2019, men and women with greater optimistic tend to live longer than their pessimistic peers. The research identifies a strong correlation between optimistic and “exceptional longevity,” which is described as living to age 85 or older (Bergland, 2019). So what is an optimist? And would you consider yourself one? Generally, optimists tend to look on the bright side of things and have positive expectations about…

How Can the Seasons Affect Our Mood?

November 3, 2019

I hate to say it, but winter is coming. If you saw our Instagram post from Symmetry Counseling on November 1, 2019, 95% of Symmetry Counselors prefer fall over winter! Do you prefer fall or winter? What is your favorite season? With us having our first snow just a few weeks, on Halloween, we can only prepare for more snow and cold-at least in the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately, the cold lasts a few months, and it actualy…