Metaphor: The Book of Your Life – Part 2: Your Unique Story
Alice D. Hoag , Ed.D.
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts,…” -Shakespeare Who are you? I once attended a seminar during which the participants were asked...
How to Practice and Become Resilient in The New Year
Entering the new year, many people tend to focus on goals with many of them being self-focused goals. Many of us want to integrate more self-love, discipline, and resiliency. One reminder about our goals is to make sure they...
Substitution on the Field
You’re coaching a sports game. There are 10 minutes left to play, and your team is struggling. Something needs to be done to change the course of the game. There is a player that is currently on the field...
Stress vs. Anxiety
Many people in their daily lives deal with both stress and anxiety, but what is the difference between the two? Stress is generally a response to an external issue, such as taking an exam or having a busy-scheduled day....
Decision-Making Tips for the Indecisive
Madeline Redetzky , M.S.
We make decisions for ourselves every day of our life. Sometimes they are mundane, like “What’s for breakfast?” and other times they are extraordinary, like “What career path do I take?” There are times when these decisions seem easy,...
3 Strategies for Starting an Exercise Routine
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
If you are anything like me, you’d rather stay snuggled up on the couch with your dog than go outside and exercise. Especially when the weather turns cold, it is much more enjoyable to curl up with a book...
And a Mindful New Year
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
We all have different pictures that come to mind when we hear the word “mindfulness.” Some of us may think of sitting cross-legged deep in meditation, while others of us may think of sitting outside near a flowing stream....
Motivation & How to Increase It
One of the difficulties we all face in life at some point is low motivation. Whether this be for work, school, relationships, physical or mental health, or that one specific task we nearly loathe doing (clean dishes in the dishwasher that...
Is This Normal?
Brittany Glaser , M.A., M.Div.
One of my favorite quotes on relationships is: “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one” by C.S. Lewis. Friendships, and relationships in general, can...
How to Take Time Away from Your Phone
2009: I had a flip phone. It was only my second year using a phone, but I was obsessed with it- the way it felt in my hand, the rhythm of flipping it open to text, even just the comfort of having...
How to Maintain Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season and a Pandemic
The holiday season can be a joyful time for many, but this time of year may increase people’s symptoms who experience mental health diagnoses. The holiday season can cause a lot of stress and isolation for many people. Individuals...
Setting Boundaries & Self-Care
“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” – Prentis Hemphill In a world becoming more focused on mental health, we often hear the terms “boundaries” and “self-care” without much context into what these...
Metaphor: The Book of Your Life – Part 1: An Introduction
Alice D. Hoag , Ed.D.
In my practice, I often use metaphors to illustrate many truths which can be applied in people’s lives to promote understanding, healing or enrichment. One of my favorite metaphors, which underpins several others, is the notion of the “book”...
Adding Self-love to Your Daily Routine
Sometimes loving yourself can seem like a rollercoaster. Putting love and energy back into yourself seems like something that would come automatically in our daily lives, but many people struggle with self-love. We sometimes let the negative thoughts take over and consume how...
Self-Care: Hitting the Pause Button
An essential part to maintaining wellness and mental health is practicing regular self-care. Self-care is a popular topic and blogged about many times before, but for good reason. We all have responsibilities that can easily crowd out the time...
How to Prepare for Counseling
Going to counseling may bring up all different kinds of emotions for you. You may be anxious, excited, nervous, or scared. Whatever you may or may not be feeling… it is completely alright! You are welcome to counseling! In...
How to Show Up for Your Suicidal Loved One
Aleisha Parker , M.Ed.
When someone you love expresses to you their deep emotional pain or shares their thoughts of suicide, it can be extremely difficult. People experiencing such emotions are vulnerable and need their support network to show up for them in...
Overcoming an Anxious Mind
Anxiety is something we all experience, however there are times when anxiety can feel and become burdensome and impact our mood because of feeling weighed down by anxious thoughts. It is amazing how powerful our thoughts and self-talk can...
Grounding: Being Rooted in the Now.
Brittany Glaser , M.A., M.Div.
When working with clients, I sometimes notice how much of our conversations tend to gravitate toward things that have happened in the past or things that could happen in the future. We process what has been and how much...
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Receiving & Giving Validation
Brittany Glaser , M.A., M.Div.
When we are running our DBT classes, a lot of clients will ask me what to expect with each specific group. One of the groups that we run is called Interpersonal Effectiveness. In this group, we focus on learning...