Live Better. Love Better. Work Better.

Posts

Categories

How to Regulate The Nervous System and Relax The Body

June 17, 2022

Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC, LPC Did you know that chronic stress can have a negative impact on both your mental and physical health? In order for the body to thrive, it needs to be able to deal with stress in healthy and adaptive ways that ultimately allow the body to recover. You may be asking what is classified as chronic stress? Chronic stress is a continuous feeling of pressure and overwhelms stemming from both professional, personal, and…

Read More

How Our Inner Monologue Can Inform Our Reality

June 16, 2022

Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC, LPC  The average person has up to 60,000 thoughts per day. Most of our decisions are based on this inner dialogue, and yet, for many of us, this inner dialogue is not pleasant, encouraging, or reassuring. While self-talk and even introspection are important, as it allows us to become aware of our strengths as well as areas for growth, we often confuse constructive criticism with destructive criticism. Begin observing our inner dialogue and…

Read More

High Functioning Anxiety: What Is It and How Can I Navigate It?

June 15, 2022

Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, MA, NCC, LPC When you are the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, have never missed a deadline or a meeting, and are always prepared, most people will find it difficult to believe you could actually have an anxiety disorder. Some types of anxiety may not present themselves in the most obvious ways. While anxiety disorders can cause feelings of overwhelm, fear, and panic, they can also lead to overthinking, people-pleasing,…

Read More

How Can Music Therapy Improve Your Mental Health?

June 14, 2022

Steven Losardo, LMFT Music Therapy and Its Intersections With Wellness When you hear the words ‘music therapy’ what comes to mind? You may have tons of questions, such as, “does music therapy actually work?” or “what exactly IS music therapy?” One thing is for certain: music touches the soul in ways words simply can’t.   This soul connection is what makes music therapy so incredibly powerful for all people (Tams, 2021). As a result, music therapy can help…

Read More

Is EMDR a Short-Term Therapy?

June 13, 2022

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, pulsars, and sounds) to process distressing memories and reprocess negative core beliefs. EMDR has been shown to treat many different psychological and physical conditions, such as trauma, complicated grief, substance abuse, anxiety, phobias, chronic pain, dissociation, and stress.   As a seasoned certified EMDR therapist, one of the most common questions that I…

Read More

Is It Time to Break-up With Your Therapist?

June 12, 2022

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Therapist  Everyone breaks up with their therapist at some point. It’s rare to participate in therapy with the same therapist for your entire life. The decision to end the therapeutic relationship can be made by the client, the therapist, or both, and it is made for many different reasons.  Are you feeling that it may be time to break up with your therapist? Consider these reasons:  You Don’t Have a Good…

Read More

Have Your Considered Trying Couples Therapy?

June 11, 2022

Steven Losardo, LMFT We devote our resources such as time, money, and talents to cultivate our careers. We learn, prepare, practice, learn in real-time, and repeat. Meanwhile, as personal lives overlap, and with no shortage of self-growth options, we similarly devote our resources to self-improvement. In the process, we overlook the importance of our most intimate relationship- marriage.  We will spend resources on things like losing weight or joining a gym to look damn good for our…

Read More

Benefits of Structured Problem-Solving to Tackle Anxiety and Depression

June 10, 2022

Steven Losardo, LMFT The efficient relationship of holistic internal self and external interactions is essential to maintaining a healthy balance in life. Habits, routines, emotions, physical functioning, and thoughts intertwine our life situations. Further, even if we are all in the same situation, each will have a unique story as we relate to it. When depression or anxiety impacts our lives, we need to review the dynamic of this inside-outside relationship to improve and manage symptoms effectively.…

Read More

How To Not Be Codependent In An Intimate Relationship

June 9, 2022

Steven Losardo, LMFT Having an innate desire to care for those closest to us is part of what makes us human. However, when those needs become excessive and unhealthy, this can be a sign of codependency.  The term ‘codependency’ refers to emotional, mental, or physical reliance on another person.  Codependency often stems from unstable attachments formed during childhood that then arise later on in future adult relationships (Fellizar, 2022; Gould, 2020). Codependent relationships are an unbalanced dynamic…

Read More

How Can I Make Peace with My Body?

June 8, 2022

Jessica Pontis, LCSW We all know that Chicago weather in the spring can be a roller coaster, some days it’s beautiful and sunny and the next day it’s snowing. While it may be inconsistent now, we can all recognize that warmer weather is just around the corner. While some look forward to the summer months, it can be anxiety-provoking for those who may be uncomfortable or self-conscious about their bodies. For those who struggle with body-image issues,…

Read More