Therapy
“I didn’t try hard enough” “I won’t be able to do that” “I look bad today” Do any of these phrases sound familiar? Unfortunately, most of us are used to hearing this negative self-talk and it can be very detrimental to our general well-being and mental health. Let’s examine negative self-talk and a way to combat it. What is negative self-talk? Often referred to as the “inner critic”, negative self-talk is the tiny voice in your head…
We all have moments of being really happy one second, and then really down the next. We like to call that a mental rut. But how do you get yourself out of that? It is not pleasant being in in a state of all joy and then feeling completely different the next moment. When feeling this way, you need to first admit to yourself that you are in a rut and think positively that you will get…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling If you are constantly finding yourself in the tempting yet dangerous head space of comparing yourself to others, you are not alone. Comparing ourselves to others is a natural way for us to evaluate ourselves and can be used as an opportunity for growth. While it can be used as motivation it is often taken too far and leads individuals down a dangerous rabbit hole of self-doubt and insecurity. With…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Criticism, the first of Dr. John Gottman’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, has been shown to be one of the four highest predictors for divorce along with stonewalling, defensiveness, and contempt. Criticism plays its role in every relationship to some degree; however, there is a point where a significant amount of criticism takes a severe toll on a romantic relationship. In most cases, it starts out pretty minor and escalates…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling As you bring a new baby into the world, you may expect to be in a state of pure bliss and happiness. Instead, you might have gotten blindsided by a whirlwind of negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, sadness, loneliness, and moodiness. While you may have been looking forward to finally getting to bond with your baby, you end up feeling guilty because you can’t stop this rollercoaster of emotions.…
Throughout their lives, many people will go through a crisis or challenging occurrence. While experiencing crises and challenges is a normal part of life, not everyone knows how to handle or respond to a crisis while experiencing it. I find that many clients of mine are attempting to cope with a crisis in their life and are looking for skills to utilize when the crisis is currently occurring, or even to handle a crisis that happened in…
As a couple and family therapist, a common issue I experience is trust. I have heard about trust issues in couples that have only been together for a couple of months, and couples who have been together for several years. The issue of trust can range from not trusting your partner’s response to your hard day of work, to breaches of trust with infidelity. Although building trust may seem like a daunting task, it is definitely possible…
No relationship is perfect, and that is okay! While every couple is completely unique in their own relationships, I find that there are some overlapping relationship challenges and themes I notice when working with couples. Every challenging part of a couple’s relationship can be a learning opportunity and an authentic way to bring them closer together. The first step is simply to acknowledge that there are going to be challenges in any relationship. It would be quite…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Have you ever been sitting at your desk at work and felt overwhelming anxiety? It can often feel like you can’t escape the racing thoughts and excessive worry as you are stuck trying to complete your work. You may feel like you can’t just get up and leave to go for a walk or get some air, so what can you do? Anxiety can be debilitating in all areas of…
Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Think about that one couple you look up to the most. That couple that makes you think, “I want a relationship like that.” What qualities do they have that you admire? These qualities are most likely their bond, loyalty, commitment to each other, and the patience they have for one another. Patience is a crucial component to a happy and healthy relationship and is defined as the ability to tolerate…
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