counselor
The summer is quickly passing by and Chicago’s winter tundra is getting nearer and nearer. As someone who loves the sunshine, I am trying to maximize the rest of my summer as I know I will miss it this Fall. So why not put together a list of things to do and start checking them off? I know people get busy with work, kids, friends, weddings, birthdays, etc. but if you cannot find a time to get…
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Hannah Hopper When summer comes to an end and the school year rolls around again, it can be a hectic and overwhelming transition for many kids. Whether you’re feeling relieved that the kids will have school again or feeling stressed that there will be a fuller schedule to manage, it can also be a stressful time for kids as they anticipate a new classroom, a different teacher, and another grade. The National Association of School Psychologists has…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR The death of my dog, Sandy, impacted me more than the death of my father, and someday I will heavily grieve the loss of my cat, Mr. Bojangles. I will need the people in my life to express understanding, acceptance, and support. The last thing I’ll need is for these people to pass judgment, minimize my grief, or try to fix it. Be Curious. Too often people view grieving the loss of a…
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Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Recently my mind repeatedly wandered back to a book I had just finished reading. It occurred to me that, like in mindfulness, I should not ignore my wandering mind, but instead acknowledge the cause of the distraction. I realized that my mind was making a connection between the book and my work as a therapist. The book that I had just finished titled Where the Crawdads Sing is a bit of a phenomenon at the…
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Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Sometimes your relationship with your therapist can feel one-sided. This is, in part by design, and appropriate, and in part it is an unintended consequence of the therapist-client relationship. This balance can be different for each client and therapist, and the bottom line is that the focus should be completely on the client’s well being. However, it is natural to have some questions about your therapist and your relationship with them. Some of the…
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There seems to be a lot of hype and news coverage recently about using a holistic and mind-body connection approach in taking care of our health and bodies. As a therapist, I have the privilege of working with clients who cope with chronic pain from migraine headaches and limited or decreased breathing capacity caused by stress. These individuals struggle with migraine headaches and feel debilitated from coping with these ever present-headaches. The individuals who struggle with compromised…
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Do you ever feel like you’re burning the wick from both ends? And that you’re having difficulty keeping motivated? Or feel a constant frustration and anger but feel unclear about where it is coming from? Or feeling low energy and depressed at work? As a therapist working with clients with workplace stress and having a history of working with Employee Assistance Program clients, I have heard numerous clients share their work-related stress and “burnout” experiences. Work-related burnout…
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This summer is flying by, and with it passes a whole season of weddings and birthdays. With this fast flight into September, I have heard a lot of buzz from family, friends, and clients questioning where they are in their lives in comparison to their peers. Here are a few common thoughts I hear: “______ is getting married and I’m not.” “_____ is so excited about his/her/their promotion but I still don’t know what I want to…
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When it comes time to change the path of how your life is going, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Here are some ways to help you start the journey of self-transformation in other to have a well-balanced sense of self. Self-Knowledge: To know thyself is to have the awareness of your patterns. The self is always evolving, therefore distinguishing what you tolerate or accept is paramount, which takes time to accomplish with continuous…
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For me, it often happens out of nowhere. I’ll be working on something or listening to music on the train, and something triggers a memory. The memory could be from 10 days ago, or 15 years ago, but I find myself paying attention to that memory for a while, wondering where it came from and if anyone else remembers it. When it’s a memory that includes someone else, I will often reach out to them and ask,…
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