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How Do I Give Advice to a Teenager?

February 4, 2021

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified  Adults have valuable information and life experiences that can benefit teenagers. Yet, teens often struggle to appreciate, absorb, and implement the advice they receive from adults. If you want to give a teen advice, consider these strategies to improve the chances that the teen will act on it. Ask for Permission Imagine this: A friend sends you a text that reads, “You should read this,” and a link to an article…

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How Can I Motivate Teenagers?

February 3, 2021

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified Teenagers have many obligations, such as school attendance and assignments, chores, hygiene practices, social activities, and family events. Teens will usually lack the motivation to meet their obligations if they feel alienated from them for one reason or another; they may struggle to take an interest in certain tasks because they are unable to perceive their importance, or perhaps simply because they feel overwhelmed by them. Thus, teens often avoid completing…

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How Can I Establish Boundaries with My Family During the Holidays?

February 2, 2021

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, EMDR Certified The holidays often present situations in which you need to establish and maintain boundaries with your family. This process can be difficult, as setting boundaries can feel frustrating, uncomfortable, and scary. Yet, boundaries are necessary in order to protect yourself and improve your relationships with your family. Consider establishing boundaries with respect to a number of sensitive and potentially inflammatory topics, such as safety, child-rearing, housekeeping, religion and politics, food choices,…

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How To Cope With the Winter Blues During the Pandemic

February 1, 2021

I work with many clients who struggle with anxiety and/or depression whether it is related to their personal life, professional life, the political climate, the pandemic, or the darker and shorter winter-like days. 2020 certainly has been having a significant impact on my clients’ mental and physical health. Many times, around this year I encourage clients to think about ways to be proactive regarding the “winter blues.” The “winter blues” likely is going to be more challenging…

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): What is it and How Does it Work

January 31, 2021

Mary-Lauren O’Crowley, LPC Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that encourages people to accept and ultimately let go of their negative feelings and thoughts rather than seeking to avoid or eliminate them. It is a mindfulness-based strategy that invites people to push through the unpleasant situation and regulating their internal state while doing so. ACT has been effectively used to treat stress, depression, anxiety, and other medical illness such as chronic pain, diabetes,…

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How Can I Cope With My Mistakes?

January 30, 2021

Have you recently made a mistake? I am sure you have, as I too have made mistakes. I often work with clients about how to cope with past decisions in order to live their life in a meaningful way in the present moment. Many clients tend to ruminate over and over about something they did in the past. I often encourage them to give themselves a sense of grace and/or self-compassion to soothe that anxiety around their…

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Do You Know How to Navigate Thanksgiving Family Dysfunction?

January 29, 2021

Steven Losardo, AMFT Suppose you are a part of your family’s annual Thanksgiving Day argument. In the past several years, there was effort, and hope was that things would be different. Unfortunately, despite your efforts, you still find yourself caught in the drama. Even knowing the annual Thanksgiving Day dispute was in existence a good twenty years before you were on the scene does not seem to change this. In the end, your family ends up colluding…

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Compassion Fatigue: What it is and How to Manage it? Part 2

January 28, 2021

As touched upon in part one of this blog post, it is more important than ever to show up for each other and ourselves during this intensely trying time period. Below, I will continue to discuss ways in which we can most effectively be there for those in need, while simultaneously combating compassion fatigue. “When we feel compassion fatigue, it’s because our desire and ability to help are incompatible.” This frequently comes from setting unrealistic expectations for…

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Compassion Fatigue: What it is and How to Manage it? Part 1

January 27, 2021

In this new world we’re living, the need for kindness and compassion, both for ourselves and others, is all the more crucial. Whether it’s lending an ear to someone struggling, picking up groceries for someone at a higher risk, or helping to take care of a sick family member, most of us have been in or can relate to these situations.  Some days it can seem like everyone wants something from you, which can be incredibly overwhelming…

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Can Positivity Be Harmful?

January 25, 2021

Hannah Hopper, LPC, NCC  With so much loss in our world right now, many of those around us (and maybe even we) are struggling to cope.  And yet, when others in our life come to us and are struggling, we often try to focus on the positive things and say something like “look on the bright side” or “it could be worse.” We are a “good vibes only” culture, and when others are truly struggling, we may…

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