Signing up for your first therapy session can be a daunting task. Maybe you have reached a point where you know you need support, or have been encouraged to see a therapist by someone in your life. Knowing what to expect from therapy can make getting started in the process a bit less stressful. What...
Let’s face it, therapy can be time-consuming, emotionally draining, and not to mention expensive. Most people do not enter therapy wanting to attend weekly sessions for the rest of their lives. Oftentimes, you go to counseling in order to alleviate some kind of pain you are experiencing. You want that pain gone as quickly as...
When you think of the word therapy what comes to mind? For most of us, we imagine what we have seen on television, the room with all the books on the shelves, laying or sitting on a couch, and the therapist asking many questions. What if I told you there was a new way to approach...
It depends! It is quite common for people to feel better after attending a few sessions of therapy. This can be attributed to a bit of a placebo effect. You start attending therapy, you become hopeful of things getting better, you have a therapist you like, and you are able to share with them some...
It can feel a bit intimidating or scary to start therapy for the first time. You may be wondering, “Will they judge me? Will they be able to help me? Is this a waste of time? Am I going to have to lay on a couch and reveal all my dark secrets?” All of these...
It is not uncommon for folks to present to therapy thinking they have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), when in fact they are actually dealing with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These two diagnoses are very different, however they can have some overlapping symptoms. Common symptoms of ADHD include forgetfulness, difficulty sustaining attention, poor concentration, fidgety...
As we look forward to Thanksgiving, this is a good opportunity for us to look at and acknowledge the things we have to be grateful for. This is especially important right now as we all work through difficult times amidst a pandemic. It can be hard to see the positive things in life and can...
For some people there can be a stigma or misunderstanding around couples therapy or couples therapy exercises. Some may think they are a failure for seeking outside help for their relationship. Others may think that their relationship must be headed for divorce because their partner has suggested couples counseling. The truth is, when someone is...
If you are a service member or a spouse or dependent of a service member you already know many of the challenges that go into keeping a healthy and intact family during military service. Adjusting to deployments, workups, trainings, 24-hour duty shifts, all of this can take a huge toll on the family in different...
September is suicide awareness month. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, any age, class, or gender. Typically, suicidal thoughts are impacted by mental health issues including depression. If you know someone struggling with depression and are uncertain whether they may be having thoughts of harming themselves, don’t hesitate to ask them. A common myth is that...
I wanted to follow up last month’s blog post with one about empathy and its impact on children and their development. In our last blog, we talked about how empathy is the ability to see things from another person’s perspective, to put yourself in their shoes, and went over some couples counseling exercises to practice...
Have we become so busy and consumed by our own troubles and worries that we no longer have room or capacity for empathy? One of the very traits that distinguishes us from other creatures is our ability to have empathy. Put simply, empathy is the ability to see things from another person’s perspective, to “put...
A common question people tend to ask is how to know when to see a therapist. People often begin professional therapy when their anxiety becomes overwhelming, depression worsens, or they hit their breaking point and need support. And this makes sense! However, a common misconception is that life has to be unbearable to do therapy....
Leaning Towards Values in the Face of Uncertainty: A Focus on Value Based Decision Making By Sarah Walls, LCSW The COVID-19 pandemic and the stay at home orders have changed how people live out their day-to-day lives. Office meetings are now held in the living room (possibly with children or pets attending) and we are...
The COVID-19 pandemic can be a very stressful and anxious time. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems and the current news cycle can make it even worse. There are some things we can do to help the overwhelming feeling you might have during this crisis. There are steps you can take...
Group therapy can at first sound fairly intimidating to people, but the reality is that group therapy can actually be more productive and powerful than individual therapy for many people. During group therapy individuals meet with a group who all have similar concerns. Therapy consists of learning effective tools while relating it to your experiences...
Anxiety is a very common experience for people and can be quite unnerving at times. Typically, the more we expose ourselves to these situations the easier they tend to get. Whereas the more we avoid these things that bring us anxiety the larger the anxiety can get. Although avoidance can feel good in the short...
This month we focus on how you can connect more with your husband, wife, spouse or significant other with one simple weekly task. It’s called the couples check-in. When you think about it, anyone who has worked a job has likely had to attend weekly meetings, huddles, or get togethers with co-workers. This time is...
Active listening is a method of listening and replying that improves understanding. It can be one of the first steps we take to reduce tension in a situation and where we can begin to find solutions to problems. Active listening is when we do not only hear the words someone is saying, but we process...
Addiction can involve the use of many different types of substances, including alcohol, opioids, nicotine, marijuana and even addictive behaviors such as gambling. Studies have shown that addictive behaviors share certain neurological features such as reward and reinforcement. Alcohol abuse occurs when an individual drinks in a situation, manner, frequency or amount where that individual...
