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By: Danielle Bertini, LCPC Illinois Many people struggle with emotions, especially when those emotions are uncomfortable, difficult, and painful. This can be things like anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, resentment, guilt, shame, and grief or loss. As you could imagine, people (maybe even yourself included) deal with these complex emotions by two extremes: either avoiding them completely or by becoming overwhelmed by them. However, there is a middle ground to take that expands the capacity to tolerate distress,…

Part I By: Bridgette W. Gottwad, LPC, NCC Illinois You may have read or listened to my previous blog post about social comparison and how it affects you. When we think about both upward and downward social comparison, I discussed in the previous blog that “many psychologists consider social comparison something that happens to us” (Brown, p. 21). Therefore, comparing ourselves to others can be somewhat natural. However, regardless of whether we choose to make a comparison…

By Krista Carter Illinois There’s a closeness some families experience but it might be a little too close. If you are an adult, or near adult and feel like you always must check in with your parents or other family members and friends to make decisions, this might be you. If you find yourself unable to recognize your own emotions for your own natural challenges and achievements, but have deep feelings for others around you, you could…

Written by Victoria Delgadillo, LAC Arizona The Association for Play Therapy defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development” (Why Play Therapy?, n.d.).  In different terms, play therapy is a type of therapy that believes in helping children by utilizing how they make sense of…

Written by Victoria Delgadillo, LAC Arizona Children’s mental health is an essential part of development, well-being, and overall health. It can be affected by their environment, experiences, and social interactions. Ensuring that they are experiencing good mental health can be a confusing and overwhelming process. Children’s understanding of emotions and socializing can be very different from an adult’s understanding. Because of this difference, it may be hard for parents, caregivers, or other adults in children’s lives to…

Written by Victoria Delgadillo, LAC Arizona Having good communication with your child is a crucial part of having a positive relationship. Kids want to feel heard by their loved ones! But helping your child gain the courage to talk to you about what is going on can be complicated, especially if you feel like you are lacking communication skills. For many, communication can seem like a daunting task, creating internal questions like, “What do I even say?”,…

July 1, 2022 Plascilla Foster, LPC, NCC Illinois After identifying topics that interest you, it is time to practice. After practicing with suggestions identified in Part I of this article (own your own, with family), it can be helpful to make a conversation starter plan. According to Gingerich et al. (2018), there are ways to practice conversation starters at home and ways to track your goals. To make a plan you can begin by identifying someone to…

July 1, 2022 Plascilla Foster, LPC, NCC Illinois Let us say you examined your current relationships (friends, romantic, family, and work relationships) and you decided to make some changes. You decided that you want to build positive social supports and eliminate relationships that are toxic and do not add substance in your life. According to Gingerich et al. (2018), these are some questions that you can begin to ask yourself, “How do I connect with people who…

Andromeda Peters, LICSW Washington, DC Life transitions occur for us in many ways. Some examples include starting a new job, graduating from or starting school, ending relationships, grief, starting new relationships, parenthood, aging, moving, even starting therapy, and more! These experiences are often filled with stress, uncertainty, anxiety, fear-based response, and even trauma responses for some of us. So how can we navigate this and try to find as much balance as we can in the process?…

Tips to guide you through anxious thoughts that keep you up at night leaving you wondering if you’re moving too fast. Jonah Stevenson, LSW Illinois With shows like Married at First Sight, it’s hard to definitively suggest there may be such an objective truth as falling in love “too soon.” Married at First Sight is a modern televised spin on arranged marriages, where strangers only meet at the wedding and are legally wed and paired based on…