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Kaitlin Broderick, LCPC The holidays can give meaning to the dreary winter months. Even if they cause stress, they might bring comfort as a milestone or something to look forward to. But after the presents have been unwrapped, and the holiday lights go out, the days are still short, the air is still frigid, and snow still blocks the sidewalk. This is the time of year when many of us (especially Midwesterners) are left feeling like we’re…
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Andrew McNaughton, LCSW, CADC The reason we make the choices we do is because we identify a perceived benefit to making them. The benefit could be achieving a long term goal we are working towards or it could be indulging in instant gratification, but there is always a perceived benefit to our choices, otherwise we would not make them. This is how we constantly get in our own ways of doing productive things for ourselves and others,…
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It can be difficult to feel content in your body, particularly when living in our thin-obsessed culture which insists bodies need constant monitoring and modification. Between social media scrolling, comments from others about their bodies, and potentially your own negative self-talk, it seems as if this unhelpful feedback is coming from all angles. Body image dissatisfaction can feel so pervasive that it can be overwhelming to know where to start with changing body image thoughts. If you…
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Margaret Reynolds, LCPC, NCC Just like some romantic relationships, it is possible to “fall in love” with a house, apartment or living arrangement that may result in regret and an unhealthy situation later. Whether getting your first apartment by yourself, moving in with a partner or out after a divorce, or getting a bigger place to accommodate a growing family, at some point, most people will experience the joys and pitfalls of house or apartment hunting. This…
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Amanda Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Are you experiencing stress? If so, it’s important to know which type of stress you’re dealing with. The term stress is often used as a catchall phrase for any negative internal response to external stimuli. However, there are different kinds of stress. The APA (American Psychological Association) reports that there are three different types of stress: acute, episodic, and chronic. Each type of stress impacts you in different ways, so it’s important to…
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The interrelated relationship between one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors creates a loop. Sometimes the thoughts, feelings, behaviors (TFB) loop can be informative and helpful. For example, the thought: I’m a good person who cares about others invokes the feeling: pride (because I’m a good person for caring about others) which informs an aligning behavior: donate to crisis relief. And the cycle continues. I think I’m a good person, which makes me feel good about myself, so I…
Read MoreLGBTQ is a commonly used term identifying individuals who are gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, bisexual (and there many other terms out there can be added on). LGBTQ has become more recognizable in our society, and you might also hear the words “queer community” to identify these individuals. In this post, I want to explain to you what each letter means. Lesbian Lesbian is a female identifying homosexual who has an attraction for other female identified in a…
Read MoreWithout sometimes recognizing it, we self-identity ourselves daily. The clothes we choose to wear, the make-up, the glasses, hats, shoes, hairstyle, body piercings, tattoos, etc., are all ways that we choose to self-identify ourselves on the outside for others to see. Internally, we identity our self through our religion, culture, self-esteem, emotions, etc. We have ways to self-identity ourselves in the public self and in the private self. How do we differentiate between both of those? Aspects…
Read MoreThis post will answer some LGBTQIA questions and the concept behind this. This is not a comprehensive list and there are many questions/answers still out there. Everyone also has their own interpretation of certain questions, so please be mindful and not judgmental to others. What does “gay” mean? Gay means loving/having an interest in someone that is the same gender as you. Examples would include a gay man wanting to have a special connection with another man,…
Read MoreMadissyn Fredericks, Licensed Professional Counselor, Symmetry Counseling Have you ever found yourself saying, “It’s fine” to someone when they did or said something that was not fine to you? In today’s world, the team player gets hired, the nice person gets invited to the party, and the extra work gets put onto the person who doesn’t say “no”. The term agreeable is used to define those who are warm, friendly, and easy going. It may appear that…
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