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Preparing to Age

January 28, 2020

We get to a certain age (it is different for everyone) where we finally realize our bodies have changed- the realization that we are not as young as we think they are. My boyfriend recently pulled his hamstring playing flag football and this realization has hit him hard. When talking with him, he mentioned that he pushed himself as hard as he used to and he said that his body could not carry him as quickly as…

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Working Through Anger and Resentment

January 26, 2020

Danielle Bertini, LPC Anger and resentment can often be like on overstuffed suitcase that weighs you down and demands large amounts of energy and attention. When looking at the topics of anger and resentment, it is first important to discuss what the differences are between these two words. Anger is a normal, natural emotion. In fact, in many situations, it’s a healthy and appropriate emotional reaction. Anger takes place in the present, when life isn’t going the…

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Radical Acceptance: What Is It and How Does It Help? (Part 2)

January 25, 2020

If you read my last blog post referencing the Psychology Today article, “Radical Acceptance” by author Karyn Hall, Ph.D., you may be wondering what exactly does radical acceptance even look like and how to practice it? Below are the remaining key points from Dr. Hall’s article.  What does acceptance look like? Instead of saying ruminating things like, “this isn’t my fault. This isn’t fair. I can’t believe this happened to me” we can shift our mindset to…

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Radical Acceptance: What Is It and How Does It Help? (Part 1)

January 24, 2020

I work with many clients who are struggling with a stressful life transition in their personal and/or professional life, and for some clients possibly both at the same time. My job as their clinical therapist is to help the client better understand why this life transition is causing stress, what impact it has on the client, and how to better manage this life transition. Some clients, due to their life circumstances, cannot fully change the life transition,…

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From Socrates to Jimmy Buffet: How to Coach Yourself Out of Rumination and Distorted Thinking

January 22, 2020

Bridgette W. Gottwald, LPC, NCC Socrates was certainly onto something when he stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” However, the overly examined life isn’t so spectacular either. Countless people, mostly women, have a bad habit called rumination that contributes negatively to their “physical and emotional well-being.” Rumination: What’s Happening in My Brain? People who ruminate dwell repetitively over negative thoughts in their head that are typically related to “failure, rejection, humiliation, loss or retaliation.”…

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Ghosting

January 20, 2020

Ghosting is easy. Think about it. The fast-paced online dating scene allows individuals to swipe past profiles very quickly; it is easy to talk to more than one person at a time, keep multiple relationships going, and ghost when the interest is no longer there. Online dating provides individuals with hundreds of different prospective partners that can be assessed and swiped right/left constantly. With the idea that there are better options out there, I can see how…

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Vulnerabilities: Bringing People Together or Pulling Them Apart?

January 19, 2020

With the influx of social media applications and Facebook usage, we have gained access to other’s lives and opinions. At least the things they want us to know and see. While things may look great on social media we never really know what’s going on in people’s personal lives or insecurities they might be having. To prevent the building pressure present in today’s society from being increasingly detrimental, it’s vital we support each other and respects each…

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Common Bad Dating Advice

January 17, 2020

Danielle Bertini, LPC Between family, friends, self-help books, and the media, there is no shortage of dating advice. Although some of the advice given from these different sources can be helpful, much of it is either mistaken or based solely on personal experiences and opinions rather than actual research. Siedman (2018) discusses five common dating advice fallacies. When you meet the right person, you’ll know right away. Many people offer this piece of dating advice as an…

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What’s The Deal With Self-Care?

January 16, 2020

Today, “self-care” has become somewhat of a trigger word when discussing mental health. If you’re stressed, feeling down, or are having a crappy week people’s go to response tends to revolve around what you should be doing for self-care. While it’s great that more and more people are becoming aware of the necessity of self-care, I wonder if we really understand what self-care means. Is self-care using a facemask? Is self-care going for a run? Is self-care…

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How Attachment Impacts the Grieving Process

January 16, 2020

Our attachment style is highly influenced by our early childhood and romantic experiences. There are many resources out there that explain attachment, the four core styles of attachment, and how each is displayed in individuals and in romantic partnerships. Interestingly, there is less research and discussion around how attachment influences our relationships with the deceased, and how our attachment to that deceased loved one will influence our grieving process. One thing to note about this is that…

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