Being a therapist is hard work. Not always, though. Sometimes someone I really “get” makes everything in the therapeutic process effortlessly align. I know exactly what the person in front of me needs to hear. I know exactly what it is that will help – and the person I’m working with just runs with it. Other times, not so much. I’m confronted with challenges, things I’ve never heard before, and struggle to find the right …
Therapy is an interesting thing. The therapeutic relationship between therapist and client – unique and unlike any other relationship. We share about our past, our secrets, our fears, struggles, and our hopes and dreams…It’s one of the few places we can go where no topic is off limits or too taboo. Your therapist, non judgmental and acting with “unconditional positive regard” for you, provides not only an active listening ear, but acts to be as …
Read more “Things to Bring up in Therapy – Even if they’re Kinda Hard to Talk about”
Struggling with anxiety? This page is an “all-things-anxiety” resource. We’ll discuss types of anxiety, causes of anxiety, treatments for anxiety, and provide a few quick and helpful strategies and resources for anxiety. What Anxiety is To start with – EVERYBODY deals with anxiety. Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. Anxiety is typically future-oriented and is associated with feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness, or dread. Although we typically frame “anxiety” as a bad thing, …
When it comes to treating depression, there’s no clear-cut one-size-fits-all approach…that’s because depression can be complex – and there are usually multiple contributing factors that can be sort of like puzzle to sort out. Research has pointed us to some answers, though, and some of the causes of depression include: genetic links, brain chemistry, hormonal changes, certain medications or alcohol/drugs, interpersonal conflict, loss, major life events, illness or chronic pain, lack of physical movement/exercise, inadequate …
Read more “Solving the Puzzle: A Whole-Person Approach to Treating Depression”
One of the things I see people struggle with most is lack of motivation. This ultimately leads to a vicious cycle of procrastination, carrying the weight of all things left undone, and guilt for putting those things off. Whether we’re talking about exercise, staying organized/clean, keeping up with that to-do list, developing better habits, or daunting work projects, we all struggle at times to find the motivation needed to “just do it”. When we just …