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cognitive behavioral therapy

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Coping With Chronic Pain

September 20, 2019

Shannon M. Duffy, MFT, LCPC Pain affects your overall mood and in turn, can affect the quality of your life. It is becoming more important and beneficial for those who experience acute and chronic pain to address pain management within the psychotherapy atmosphere. We typically just associate pain with physical components, however, those who have chronic pain experience unpleasant sensory and emotional difficulties. There is a very high prevalence of comorbidity of mood disorders with those who…

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Overcoming Fear of Making New Friends

September 19, 2019

As a clinician, I often work with clients who may have moved to the area recently or are making a life transition in which they are no longer close to a group of friends on a daily basis such as in school or a work setting. They may be changing from an office job where they had coworker friends to working independently. They may be coming out of a relationship or divorce where they had shared mutual…

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I’m Mad at My Therapist

September 18, 2019

Danielle Bertini, LPC Evidence suggests that the therapeutic alliance is the strongest predictor of outcome in psychotherapy (Alexander & Luborsky, 1986). However, what happens when the therapeutic relationship falters? Does this mean there is no hope? Actually, research has shown that when the therapeutic alliance falters and is then fixed, therapy can continue to flourish. This process of experiencing, discussing, and solving problems in the therapeutic relationship provides a unique opportunity for learning and behavior change (Goldsmith,…

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6 Ways to Find Fulfillment at Work

September 17, 2019

I work with many clients who are incredibly depressed related to not feeling fulfilled or happy at their job. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client understand possible reasons why they are not feeling fulfilled at their job and then possible coping strategies to find some fulfillment at work. While I hope for people to be genuinely happy, I encourage clients to take a more flexible stance to find fulfillment instead of being…

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Being a Great Father

September 16, 2019

With the recent celebration of Father’s Day, fathers across America were honored. Father’s Day highlights the positive contributions that fathers make in their children’s lives. The identity of fathers has changed in recent decades and the needs of children for their father. Children face higher social pressures as they go into adolescence. With single parent homes, blended families, changing expectations for parents in the workforce, and increased cost of living, fathers are not expected to only be…

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Insomnia

September 14, 2019

I’m having another one of those nights. Some of you know what I’m talking about… Where will ”6” go for summer camp? Who will care for the twins while I’m at work? How will I grow my business? Will I ever achieve my goals? 6’s room is a mess; I won’t have time to clean it till Friday. As badly as I need sleep – As badly as I WANT to sleep – mom guilt and parenting…

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Disconnecting from Others, Especially through Technology

September 12, 2019

With the world we live in today, we have a hard time disconnecting from all that is around us. We try to do “no technology days” or “no technology hours”, but everything is now on our phones. I feel like people do not own televisions or computers anymore because we can do everything that we used to do on a simple device that we can put in our pocket. Did you ever think we would get to…

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Coping with Your Own Anger

September 11, 2019

Anger is an emotion that we all have, but do we cope with it properly? We might see a partner or a friend or even a stranger act out in a way that we identify as anger, and we tend to say, “wow they are one angry person”. But what is the best way to actually cope with anger that is healthy and does not make us angrier or not feel better at the end of the…

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Healthy Coping Skills: What are They?

September 10, 2019

When we see our therapist or even people surrounding us, they often ask, “What are some coping skills that you use?” You might say: reading, journaling, meditation, cooking, self-care, etc, but what exactly is a coping skill and how do we know it is helping us? There are two types of coping skills that therapists talk about: Problem-Focused Coping Skills and Emotion-Focused Coping Skills. So, what do these both mean and how do they differ? Problem-focused coping…

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Romantic Rejection: The Aftermath and How to Heal

September 9, 2019

Rejection is one of the most emotionally painful experiences that we face as human beings. We can experience rejection in various settings – in our workplace, being rejected/not chosen for a job opportunity, in the school system, in friend groups, and in romantic relationships. Regardless of how you experience rejection, it is hurtful and it can leave you feeling alone and insecure. Rejection from a romantic partner can undoubtedly be the worst kind of rejection, and if…

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