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As technology developed and social media made its way to the mainstream, time spent on our phones and computers began to steadily increase. There was more to look at and scroll through and there was more information to be gathered both intellectually and socially from these platforms. As dating applications came on the scene time spent swiping on our phones increased as well. We’ve seen an overwhelming increase the past few years in the amount of time…
Read MoreDanielle Bertini, LPC There are many different aspects in relationships that are important. And one of those aspects is intimacy. Intimacy is the sense of another person fully knowing you and loving you because of who you are. This requires a large amount of honesty and vulnerability. Intimacy can be fostered both in and out of the bedroom. Kerry (2016) offers ten ways to increase intimacy in your relationship. Disclose more to feel closer. A…
Read MoreDanielle Bertini, LPC Intrusive thoughts are something that we all experience from time to time. You may be thinking, “What are intrusive thoughts anyway?” These are unwanted thoughts or images that pop into your head for no reason and can cause you to become somewhat obsessed or distressed. These thoughts can be no different from any other thought we might have. However, it is our attached to these thoughts that cause the real disturbance. Again, intrusive thoughts…
Read MoreAshlee Stumpf, LPC It’s unlikely you will go to a doctor’s office and come out with a prescription of J.R.R. Tolkien, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t help. Storytelling is an art form as old as time. We grow up on stories to learn morals, culture, history, and the human experience. Sometimes they may take place in a fantastical world or have characters living lives extraordinarily different to our own, however that doesn’t mean we can gain…
Read MoreHello again! As previously discussed in part 1 of this blog post, each of our definitions of happiness are different, valid, and important to pursue. We frequently hear people say, “I’ll be happy when…”. But what if we could be happy now? How do we find happiness in our daily lives in order to create a more positive environment for ourselves and those around us? Well, we began discussing ways to cultivate happiness in the previous post…
Read MoreIt’s important to begin by asking yourself what happiness means to you. Each of our definitions of happiness will likely be different, however, it’s important to have an image in mind of how you view happiness. Many individuals believe that money is essential to happiness, and maybe it is! However, investing most or all of our time, energy, and resources into making money, with the belief that it will lead to happiness, actually leads to the exact…
Read MoreBridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Here we are still talking about that negative thought loop and thinking errors that we refer to as cognitive distortions. Remember my last blog post that included examples of ten common cognitive distortions? I left off discussing magnifying or minimizing, and here’s part two and the continued list of cognitive distortions. Mental filter With a mental filter, negative events are focused on and positive events are disregarded or filtered out. We have…
Read MoreBridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Next time you are experiencing negative thinking, take a moment to check your thoughts, notice, and make some observations. More often than not, you will find that your brain is full of negativity. There is a huge correlation between what we think and feel, and when are struggling or feeling unhappy, our thoughts can be rather dramatic or absolute – such as “I can’t do anything right” or “no one likes me.”…
Read MoreBy Eve Brownstone, LCPC These images came to me in meditation. I call them Guardians at the Gate. In meditation, these strong bird-like figures were perched on the gate of a medieval castle. I saw them protecting me and humanity from the Invaders at the Gate: Coronavirus. Invaders at the Gate I spent time painting first the Guardians at the Gate and the Invaders at the Gate. Then I dialogued with these images. I asked what…
Read MoreMary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC Despite what is often depicted in TV shows and movies, therapy involves much more than just laying on a couch and talking about your feelings. Widespread stigmatization of counseling can lead to misconceptions about what exactly therapy is and how it can be helpful. The fact of the matter is, therapy can be an incredibly powerful tool in helping to work through past trauma, better regulate and manage emotions, navigate grief and transition,…
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