Posts
Megan Mulroy, LPC Intrusive thoughts are characterized by unwanted thoughts that pop up, cause distress, and get stuck in your mind. Often times these thoughts can be violent, sexual, disturbing, or something deemed as unacceptable by society. These thoughts can be really scary and produce a lot of anxiety for people who experience them. Everyone experiences intrusive thoughts- it is so normal to have passing thoughts of rear ending the car in front of you or stealing…
Read MoreWritten by Kara Thompson, Licensed Social Worker When exploring the concept of trauma bonds, it is helpful to start by understanding attachment. Attachment theorist John Bowlby defines attachment as the “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.” While much of Bowlby’s work surrounded the attachment between child and caregiver, so much of his work influences what we know about connectedness in all nuanced relationships in our lives… even unhealthy romantic partnerships. When we experience a strong, intense emotional…
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By: Danielle Bertini, LPC Have you ever heard of, or even experienced, the word FOMO (fear of missing out)? If you have, it was probably used casually in a day-to-day conversation. “If I don’t go to that dinner, I’m going to have real FOMO.” However, behind the seemingly innocent acronym hides a darker reality. FOMO can cause significant distress, as it can cause people to live their lives through the filters of what other people are doing.…
Read MoreMeg Mulroy, LPC Self-compassion is defined by treating yourself the way you would treat a friend or a loved one who is having a hard time. For a lot of folks, it is easier to give others compassion than it is to give it to ourselves. For more reading on how to speak and act more compassionately in your life, I highly recommend reading Amanda Ann Gregory’s, LCPC recent blog about ways in which you can work…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Often many people are intimated by meditation and think that they “can’t do it.” My hope with this blog is to provide you with an approachable and easy way to do a body scan meditation, with the main goal of relieving stress and tension. It can be difficult to self-facilitate this exercise, so there is an audio version of this blog that you can listen to carry out the meditation at…
Read MoreHannah Hopper Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an approach that helps to cope with overwhelming and intense emotions. DBT helps people build four major skills including mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation. Mindfulness and distress tolerance will help with skills that work towards acceptance of thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes the most difficult part of overwhelming emotions is that we try to fight them and push them away, instead of allowing them to just be. Emotion regulation…
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Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Panic attacks can be terrifying, as you may feel as though you are losing control of your mind or body. Here are the common symptoms of a panic attack: Racing heart beat Shortness of breath Nausea Chest tightness Dry mouth Sweating Chills/hot flashes Numbness/tingling Headache Intense fear/anxiety Tightness in throat Feeling faint/dizzy Feeling detached from the world or yourself A feeling of impending doom If you experience a panic attack, what…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified The vagus nerve has received a lot of attention from the psychology and medical research communities. This is because this nerve may play an integral part in treating physical and psychological illnesses in the future. In fact, there is preliminary evidence that stimulation of the vagus nerve may help treat depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and inflammatory bowel disease (Breit, 2018). Trauma researchers have focused on the vagus nerve as a…
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Hannah Hopper, LPC Some signs of a bad therapist are easier to spot than others. If your therapist is shaming you or insulting you, that’s a good indication to find someone else. And when looking out for the warning signs, it’s important to remember that therapists aren’t perfect; they’re people too and will make mistakes like everyone else. If there’s something your therapist is doing that’s bothering you, consider talking to them about it to see if…
Read MoreMary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC Sometimes therapy or counseling is all you need to get through a difficult period. However, you may find yourself sitting in your counselor’s office wondering, “Is this therapy really working?” The reason could be as simple as the two of you not clicking or as complex as an awful therapist at what they do. It’s better to say when something isn’t working for you than to suffer silently in despair. Here’s how you…
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