Counseling Chicago
Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, NCC, LPC The month of October is often known for the beginning of fall, Halloween decor, and pumpkin spice everything; however, it is also known for increasing public awareness of mental health disorders, reducing stigma and prejudice towards individuals living with mental illnesses, and promoting community wellness. The month of October is used for disseminating information and raising awareness about screenings and treatment, as the following is observed throughout the month: National Depression and Mental Health…
Read MoreBy: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC About two weeks into motherhood, my sister-in-law sent me this “Love Letter from Your Baby” written by Jess Urlichs. While navigating the biggest and most rewarding and exciting, yet challenging thing that’s ever happened to me, also while recovering from a C-section, at the time there was nothing that I needed to read more than this. It can be a scary and confusing time, with lots of firsts and unknowns. Personally,…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Breastfeeding…if you don’t have kids, you might be freaked out by the idea of it. If you have kids, you might have tried it and had your own experience with it. Has it turned out to be more challenging for you than you initially anticipated? You’re not alone. No matter who you are, or what your experiences entail, you have likely heard someone share their opinions about it. Maternal mental health…
Read MoreSteven Losardo, LMFT Whether you’re looking to reduce the stress levels of your employees or yourself, managing the way you schedule time makes a significant difference. Our lives are about finding a balance between work, being social, and caring for yourselves. If one of those is out of place or off balance, it reflects in the way we engage in our day to day lives. There are five scheduling techniques that can help keep things in balance…
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Steven Losardo, LMFT Sometimes the hardest part of losing someone you care for, isn’t the loss itself, but it’s what happens to you after the loss has occurred. The aftermath is a time to care for yourself and engage in self-care tactics to help get you through this difficult time. There are dozens of self-care methods ranging from something as simple as taking a bath to as extreme as taking that overseas vacation. It really depends on…
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By Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC Imagine a hula hoop around you. This is your boundary with the world. Inside the hula hoop is everything that you have absolute control over: your thoughts, your words, your actions, and even your emotions! What about outside your hula hoop? That represents everything you cannot control. Some things we have no influence over whatsoever, such as the weather, events in the world, whether the White Sox will go all the way…
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By Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC “I hate my job.” So often have I heard this statement from folks. Usually, this awareness did not happen last week, but has been lingering for some time, maybe years. Please do not lose hope: there may be ways to improve your satisfaction with your current job. If that does not work, you have options: switch jobs, find a new career, work for a new company, move to…
Read MoreBy Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC There are numerous reasons why we may find ourselves getting involved in unhealthy romantic relationships or with unhealthy partners. A common reason is that we lack examples of what a healthy relationship looks like. Throughout our lives, starting in childhood we have observed many examples of unhealthy relationships and dynamics, but not much else. Thus, we have a strong familiarity with unhealthy relationships and limited exposure to healthy…
Read MoreBy Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC You have assessed your current situation and determined that you are depleted, maybe even burned out. First, know that you are not alone. But now what? A next step could be to identify practices and activities that you can add to your life to make you feel better. While this is logical and important to do, a better starting point is to identify current unhealthy behaviors that can…
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Matthew Cuddeback LCSW One of the most common difficulties that clients bring up is just a general low mood, maybe you call it being in a funk, maybe sadness, maybe depression. Whatever you want to call it, people often report just not feeling very happy for an extended period and of course are looking for an answer for how to feel better. First it is okay to feel sad and not feel great all the time, it…
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