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Enjoy the Holidays While Single

November 16, 2018

It is not easy being single during the holidays because all the movies on the Hallmark channel (and really, all channels) are romantic movies and we just want to be cuddled up on the couch with someone watching those movies together, instead of alone. Your friends are all going to their significant others’ homes for the holidays and you are at home alone. None of your friends are free as they are doing “cute” stuff with their…

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Make the Most of Your Coping Skills with These 5 Tips

November 13, 2018

Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Let’s say you’ve discovered a new method to cope with a problematic emotion or behavior, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, impulsivity, or procrastination, to name a few. Perhaps you’ve learned about a new technique such as meditation, from a therapist, friend, podcast, or blog, and you want to see if meditating would be good for you. Now what? As a therapist, I’ve seen many clients who struggle to implement new coping skills once…

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Emotional Boundaries When it Comes to Dating

November 10, 2018

Madissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling We all have our personal boundaries when it comes to dating; however, there are times when our boundaries can get in the way of making the connection we desire. Ideally, our boundaries should be flexible, yet firm. They should not be so rigid that emotional intimacy is prevented, but they shouldn’t be so loose that you risk getting hurt. When you are dating, you want to pace the rate at…

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An Inside Look: Symmetry Counseling’s Therapists Reveal Their Self-Care Practices

November 9, 2018

Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Therapists are constantly campaigning about the importance of self-care. They provide us with recommendations of ways to take better care of ourselves and constantly remind us to practice self-care and to do it often. Have you ever wondered what exactly those same therapists do to take care of themselves? I spoke with therapists who practice at Symmetry Counseling, Chicago’s mental health and relationship specialists, to discover how they practice self-care. Morning Rituals Many…

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Is It Time to Change Your Holiday Traditions?

November 4, 2018

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us are already beginning to plan our get-togethers with family and friends. For this reason, sometimes “the most wonderful time of the year” often is also the most stressful time of the year. If you are in charge of the family and social calendar in your household and you feel mounting pressure around the holidays, it may be worthwhile to evaluate and change some of your holiday traditions. When is…

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6 Ways to Help Your Kids Become Independent Decision-Makers

October 30, 2018

I work with many clients who struggle with making tough decisions in their daily routines, whether it is something as simple as choosing between bananas or apples at the grocery store, or something as big as a significant career change. When working with these clients, I use a bit of psychodynamic theory, asking them about their childhood and how they made decisions when they were younger. Many times, they report that their parents tried to make decisions…

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Avoid the Four Horsemen

October 18, 2018

We may have all heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, death, famine, war, and conquest; however, have you heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse for communication? According to Dr. John Gottman, the Four Horsemen are Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling. He labeled these communication styles as the Four Horsemen, because research was able to predict the end of a relationship when these styles were being used in communication. As a therapist, I see…

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How to Strengthen Bonds with Your Chosen Family

October 16, 2018

Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Practitioner Blood is thicker than water. This familiar proverb might not mean what you think. It may not refer to the strength of genetic family ties but to the power of the bonds we forge with those outside our biological family. Some believe that the phrase “Blood is thicker than water” originated from the saying “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” which conveys that those who…

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Quiet Your Inner Critic

October 11, 2018

“I didn’t try hard enough” “I won’t be able to do that” “I look bad today” Do any of these phrases sound familiar? Unfortunately, most of us are used to hearing this negative self-talk and it can be very detrimental to our general well-being and mental health. Let’s examine negative self-talk and a way to combat it. What is negative self-talk? Often referred to as the “inner critic”, negative self-talk is the tiny voice in your head…

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Getting Yourself Out of a Mental Rut

October 10, 2018

We all have moments of being really happy one second, and then really down the next. We like to call that a mental rut. But how do you get yourself out of that? It is not pleasant being in in a state of all joy and then feeling completely different the next moment. When feeling this way, you need to first admit to yourself that you are in a rut and think positively that you will get…

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