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Destigmatizing Self-Injury: What to Know and How to Help

April 16, 2019

While so much of mental illness is stigmatized through movies, television, and news, few topics are as divisive as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In critically acclaimed movies such as Black Swan and The Wrestler, depictions of NSSI often come from wounded protagonists who clearly suffer from profound mental health issues. Clinical definitions of nonsuicidal self-injury describe the behavior as: Direct and self-inflicted destruction or alteration of body tissue occurring without suicidal intent or developmental disorder. The most common…

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The Dangers of Always Wanting More Self-Improvements

April 14, 2019

I work with many clients who are truly struggling in their life, whether it is in their professional or personal life, or perhaps both at the same time. These clients many times are experiencing depression and/or anxiety. They likely are seeking therapy to find a way to cope with these many life stressors. My job as their clinical therapist is to help them understand why these aspects in their life are causing stress, anxiety, or depression and…

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Injecting the Wonder of Childhood into Adult Life

April 12, 2019

How often have you heard an adult say, “I wish I could be a kid again?” Most kids don’t have a true understanding of the responsibilities of adulthood, so many adults look back on their childhood with a desire to gain some of the wonder, freedom, lightness, and playfulness they experienced as kids. We are especially prone to thinking this way when we are feeling bogged down by the drudgeries of everyday life, attempting to juggle work,…

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How to Manage Conflict When Your Children Are Present

April 10, 2019

Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW Conflict in relationships is not inherently bad. In fact, it can be a very helpful way to gauge the health of your relationship. However, how you handle that conflict can have a profound effect on the people around you. Specifically, arguing in front of your children can be damaging and can result in lifelong difficulties. If you do inadvertently find yourself arguing in front of your children there are a few key ways to…

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Self-Care for Millennials

April 8, 2019

Matthew Cuddeback, LCSW The ideas that millennials are too disengaged or unwilling to put in hard work have unfortunately been taken as fact for years, regardless of the fact that nobody can agree on exactly what a millennial is or that those who make these arguments are ignoring how the world is so completely different now than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. We live in a world in which social media looms over all aspects…

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Why People have Negative Thinking Patterns and the Secret Tool to Stop it

April 6, 2019

I work with many clients who struggle with anxiety and/or depression for a variety of reasons, whether they are struggling in their personal or professional life, or maybe a significant life transition. I have come to notice that many clients who struggle with their anxiety and/or depression have a tendency to have negative thoughts which increases their anxiety/depression. As their clinical therapist, I certainly help them discover reasons and triggers for their negative thinking patterns, and then…

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Compassionate Self-Talk: How to Talk to Yourself Like You Talk to Your Friends

April 4, 2019

Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Are you more compassionate to your friends than you are to yourself? Many of us are. Imagine a conversation that you might have with a friend in which they come to you and say, “I should be doing more. I’ve gotten little accomplished at work this past month. What’s wrong with me?” You reply, “From what you’ve told me, you’re doing the best you can. You have a lot going on right now…

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The Single Life

April 2, 2019

Have you heard messages from your friends such as, “So, have you met anyone yet?” or “How is your dating life?” Have family functions become constant family members asking, “When are you going to get married? I want grandchildren!” As a therapist, I have heard several clients share that they have received these messages while they have been single. Additionally, I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Mastering the Art of Being Single”…

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Signs That It’s Time for Couple Therapy

March 27, 2019

It’s common for couples to come in to therapy together once they’ve reached a breaking point in their relationship. As they progress in their therapy, many will say at some point that they wish they would have come in sooner. The longer you wait to get help for your relationship difficulties, the more time unhealthy dynamics have to become entrenched in your day-to-day lives, and the longer it may take to work through your difficulties in therapy.…

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How to Feel Unstuck

March 26, 2019

Often times we just feel stuck. It seems as if everything that we have tried is impossible to get out of this rut and we cannot feel any better. We have tried coping skills that we know and that others have encouraged us to use, we have tried to ignore it, we have tried to focus on it, and nothing seems to work. We often times feel stuck when we have a big decision to make and…

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