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mental health

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Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Dogs (And Other Pets)

October 11, 2020

As of about three weeks ago I officially joined the group of individuals who adopted a puppy during quarantine. For some time, I’ve been playing with the idea of whether getting a puppy was a good or bad idea based on my lifestyle. Switching to working from home gave me the final push to take the plunge and get a dog. This is easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Dog’s truly are human’s best…

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Simple Stress Guide, Part 2

October 10, 2020

If you read my last blog post titled, Simple Stress Guide Part 1, referencing The New York Times article, “How to Be Better at Stress” by author Tara Parker-Pope, you may be wondering about the additional tips about how to better manage stress.  Below are the remaining key points from Tara’s article touching about tips and tricks on how to manage stress better.  Body Movement. As mentioned in the first part of this blog post, moving your…

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Why Is Negative Thinking Detrimental and How Do I Combat It?

October 5, 2020

By: Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC The downward spiral of negative thinking can be incredibly powerful. We’ve all been there and descended into a damaging thought pattern we don’t want to be in. Many of my clients struggle with this and once they go down the rabbit hole of negative thought patterns, they aren’t sure how to get themselves out. Naturally, this leads to an undesirable mood and feelings of being stuck.  Often, it can be helpful…

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Dieting and Binge Eating

October 3, 2020

Kaitlin Broderick LCPC We live in a society where diets are extremely common. The majority of people-especially but not limited to women-have been on a diet at one point or another during their lifetime. As many people know from experience the restricting of calories that often goes along with dieting often eventually leads to binge eating. This can lead to a vicious cycle of restricting and then overeating which can result in feelings of disgust or shame.…

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The Importance of Listening: Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills

September 28, 2020

While it may seem silly to talk about a skill, we practice each and every day, many of us don’t realize how difficult it is to truly master the art of listening. There’s a large difference between listening to respond and listening to understand. Rehearsing and thinking about what you’re going to say when the individual stops talking prevents you from truly hearing what they have to say. When difficult situations arise in the home, workplace or…

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Building a Satisfying Life

September 27, 2020

By Eric Dean JD, MBA, MA, MA, LPC, CADC What makes you happy? What gives you satisfaction and fulfillment? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes you tick? If you answered “I’m not sure” to any of these questions you are far from alone. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) provides some insight on how we can cultivate joy in our lives. Here I will be presenting the acronym ROUTINE: Responsibilities Keeping up with our…

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Your Relationship with Money

September 26, 2020

By Eric Dean JD MBA MA MA LPC CADC I work with clients on the emotions they experience that stem from personal financial matters. Issues include debt, bills, savings, investments, spending, budgeting, and financial responsibilities within a marriage, among many others. Just as we have relationships with our friends, co-workers, acquaintances, romantic partners, and ourselves, we also have a relationship with money. This relationship partly depends on how much money we have and how we choose to…

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Managing Your Anger During Incredibly Stressful Times

September 22, 2020

As the spread of COVID-19 continues so does the spread of anger. We’re all learning how to navigate this new world we’re a part of which can lead to judgement or disappointment in how others (or ourselves) are acting. The frustration around staying home and the way the world is changing, in addition to the sadness around the state of our country and loved ones getting sick or passing away can lead to the growth of anger.…

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Jumping Off the High Dive: What Are My Anxiety and Body Telling Me?

September 21, 2020

Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Often people think their anxiety comes out of nowhere, but what if it was trying to get your attention and tell you something?  Typically, underneath any undesirable feeling that we experience, there is something beneath the surface that’s been left unaddressed. Most of our fears and worries revolve around what we can’t control and unfortunately, sometimes it ends up controlling us. Anxiety sets in, we are able to regulate less and less,…

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Grieving the Loss of a Pet

September 18, 2020

Hannah Hopper, LPC Losing a pet is devastating and heart-wrenching, and some pet owners find it an even more difficult loss than the loss of another person. Your pet is the one you leave in the morning, and come home to in the evening; they are a constant companion. But people who don’t have pets or have never experienced this constant companionship may have trouble empathizing with someone who’s lost a pet, and invalidate just how deep…

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