Individual therapy
By: Danielle Bertini, LCPC There aren’t many people I know who love spiders, let’s be honest. But what happens when that fear is so strong that it causes symptoms like hyperventilating, nausea, an overwhelming sense of doom, and dizziness? These are some common symptoms of a phobia. Phobias affect 9.1% of Americans, from fear of public spaces, confined spaces, spiders, and more. A phobia can feel like a prison sentence, where a person is restricted to the…
Read MoreAs I reflect on my experience with grief after losing my mother suddenly in August 2021, my thoughts were: was she in pain; did I help her to feel comfortable; was she aware of my presence. Grief and mourning are natural parts of healing after the loss of a loved one or friend. While grief and mourning relate to each other, they can each have a distinct impact. Grief and mourning are common terms to describe feelings…
Read MoreBy: Zana Van Der Smissen Hello, and welcome back to another blog! Today, I am going to be talking through therapy consultations before going into intake sessions and how they can be useful in learning if the therapist you are talking to is a good fit for you and your needs. Firstly, what is a therapy consultation? A consultation is something that is offered by some therapists where you can ask any questions you’d like, or get…
Read MoreBy: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Social comparison — it’s a “pervasive social phenomenon.” Not only do we utilize comparison to judge the standing or ranking of ourselves and others, but we also use it to evaluate current and past outcomes, as well as future prospective outcomes. According to Brene Brown, this means that “significant parts of our lives, including our future, are shaped by comparing ourselves to others.” Comparison can be a difficult word to define…
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By: Ashlee Stumpf, LPC Nearly two years ago, I enrolled in a yoga teaching program for educators and counselors. I wasn’t particularly fit, coordinated, or practiced yoga on a regular basis. I was just a counselor who read enough to know yoga has a high correlation with good mental health, more than most other exercises, and I thought I owed to myself and future clients to find out why. What Type of Yoga Will Best Serve My…
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Jessica Pontis, LCSW Are you the type to find yourself counting calories, being mindful of eating healthy to the point that it causes anxiety? Does the idea of not “eating clean” cause you to miss out of the joy of sharing meals with others? If the answer to these questions is yes it may indicate the presence of something known as orthorexia nervosa. While orthorexia is not recognized as a diagnosable disorder in the DSM-5, it is…
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Jessica Pontis, LCSW What’s your story? Do you consider the way in which you connect with your history impacts your present? How many times have you been asked that in your life? For those seeking to better understand themselves and their values these questions are important to ponder. There’s a therapeutic approach to help answer these questions, narrative therapy. Narrative therapy helps us discover opportunities for growth, empowerment, and the discovery of meaning on our past. While…
Read MoreJessica Pontis, LCSW As a provider one thing that I see that can significantly impact a client’s ability to meet their goals is ambivalence. It’s not uncommon for someone to question whether or not changing certain behaviors is really necessary to hit certain goals, and this type of thinking can be a normal process during therapy. After all, humans are typically creatures of habit, and any type of change (even positive change) disrupts our homeostasis and can…
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By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC When it comes to psychotherapy, trauma is a popular word. Within treatment, I often refer to trauma and the event experienced as a trauma with a little t or a capital t, depending on the gravity of the event. Little t traumas are highly distressing events that affect the individual on a personal level. Some examples are non-threatening injuries, emotional abuse, the death of a pet, bullying, or harassment. Big T…
Read MoreAmanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Date nights are opportunities for partners to affirm, strengthen, and renew their connection to one another. Some partners will schedule date nights weekly or monthly. In the winter, however, date nights can be difficult due to inclement weather. But since date nights are fun and beneficial, it’s a shame to skip them due to the season. When the weather turns harsh, consider these ten creative ideas for date nights indoors. Too…
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