Therapy
Serious romantic relationships can be challenging enough, but when your significant other is in another city/state/country, the relationship can become challenging in a different kind of way. Whether your significant other is traveling for a week for work, or in the military for several months to a year, long distance can create strains on a relationship. However, the appropriate strategies and tips can help you cope with this long distance, especially when you truly do care about…
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Let’s say you’ve discovered a new method to cope with a problematic emotion or behavior, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, impulsivity, or procrastination, to name a few. Perhaps you’ve learned about a new technique such as meditation, from a therapist, friend, podcast, or blog, and you want to see if meditating would be good for you. Now what? As a therapist, I’ve seen many clients who struggle to implement new coping skills once…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We all have our personal boundaries when it comes to dating; however, there are times when our boundaries can get in the way of making the connection we desire. Ideally, our boundaries should be flexible, yet firm. They should not be so rigid that emotional intimacy is prevented, but they shouldn’t be so loose that you risk getting hurt. When you are dating, you want to pace the rate at…
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Conversations about burnout, stress, and emotional fatigue often circle back to one essential concept: self-care practices. These routines are not indulgent extras. They are intentional habits that help people reset, recharge, and stay connected to what matters most. At Symmetry Counseling, self-care practices are woven into our own lives as clinicians. Curiosity often comes up in sessions. Clients ask what therapists actually do to take care of themselves. Life can feel busy and…
With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us are already beginning to plan our get-togethers with family and friends. For this reason, sometimes “the most wonderful time of the year” often is also the most stressful time of the year. If you are in charge of the family and social calendar in your household and you feel mounting pressure around the holidays, it may be worthwhile to evaluate and change some of your holiday traditions. When is…
I work with many clients who struggle with making tough decisions in their daily routines, whether it is something as simple as choosing between bananas or apples at the grocery store, or something as big as a significant career change. When working with these clients, I use a bit of psychodynamic theory, asking them about their childhood and how they made decisions when they were younger. Many times, they report that their parents tried to make decisions…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Those three little words, “I love you”, carry so much weight. While it may seem obvious to let someone know you love them, speaking those words doesn’t come easy to everyone. People experience love in many different forms and there are so many ways to express your love other than saying it. The most important thing is to express your love to your partner in some way, shape, or form.…
When we start dating someone, we tend to feel what people call the “honeymoon” stage in which everything is perfect. Neither individual in the relationship can do anything wrong and everything is all rosy and perfect. Both partners are putting their first foot forward and are showing off their true colors. After a few months, partners start to argue or have differences. That is when the honeymoon stage is officially over. Being able to identify what your…
We may have all heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, death, famine, war, and conquest; however, have you heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse for communication? According to Dr. John Gottman, the Four Horsemen are Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling. He labeled these communication styles as the Four Horsemen, because research was able to predict the end of a relationship when these styles were being used in communication. As a therapist, I see…
Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Blood is thicker than water. This familiar proverb might not mean what you think. It may not refer to the strength of genetic family ties but to the power of the bonds we forge with those outside our biological family. Some believe that the phrase “Blood is thicker than water” originated from the saying “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” which conveys that those who…
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