The Importance of Community for Young Adults
Bailey Smith , M.Ed.
As a society, we are lonelier than we’ve ever been. According to a study from the Survey Center on American Life in 2019, almost 50% of all Americans reported having less than 3 close friends, up from 25% reporting...
Improving Self-Esteem by Practicing Positive Affirmations Daily
A helpful, but not always easy, way to improve feelings of self-worth is the daily practice of positive affirmations. I like to use affirmations as a mental exercise, getting the mind into healthy shape. Positive Affirmations are helpful in...
7 Cs of Resilience
Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and is often a wonderful strength for those who possess it. Like many other things, developing skills and strengths often takes work and intentionality. Building resiliency in teens...
Self-Worth & Values
“I am valuable. I am worthy.” When was the last time we said that out loud to ourselves? How often do we say this to ourselves? For most people, it is rare if ever. Both acknowledging that we are...
What Happens When it Feels Like the House is on Fire!
Human beings are magnificently designed. When we are in a life-threatening situation our body reacts while shutting down our prefrontal cortex where planning, analyzing and problem solving occur. This process allows us to react immediately without wasting time. If,...
The Trouble with Transition: Life After College
During my time as a therapist, I have noticed various trends and patterns. I have picked up on when the busy seasons are; what life stressors are universal; and what type of client I may have in session with...
Transitions: How to Cope With Change and Set Realistic Expectations and Cope With Transition
Change is inevitable, in fact they say that the only thing in life that is constant is change. If we pay attention, we can see that even in nature things are constantly changing. The seasons change, the tide changes,...
Supportive Friends and Empowering Therapists
Will Goodwin , M.A
The scene is common. Usually, a group of men or women gathered around one distressed individual, plying them with tissues, words to bolster one’s masculinity, ice cream, and occasionally a nip of an adult beverage. For centuries, women and...
The Power of Self Compassion
Most of us can be critical of ourselves from time to time. We may judge our performance, appearance, behavior, or personality. Feelings of guilt or shame may prompt us to reflect on something we said or did. Reflecting on...
Sleep and Mental Health
Brittany Glaser , M.A., M.Div.
When I was growing up, my mom would always ask us in the morning, “How did you sleep last night?” Now I find myself working with teens and asking them a slightly different question, “Did you sleep last night?”....
Selfish or Self-care?
Madeline Redetzky , M.S.
People in our society often prioritize work, school or other people over their own health and well-being. When they come to therapy and are challenged about it, they state they do not want to be selfish. I have heard...
“Why Am I So Angry?” Part I
Stephen Walters , M.Div., M.A.
Have you ever gotten angry and you didn’t really know why? You know, the car in front of you is only going 5 mph OVER the speed limit and you are ready to start a fight. Or, the cashier...
You Don’t Have to Be Alone
Stephen Walters , M.Div., M.A.
September 10, 2019 was World Suicide Prevention Day. I work with many clients that deal with trauma and/or depression. I’ve worked with many clients that have contemplated or attempted suicide. Previous to my career as a counselor, I have...
How are Food and Emotions Connected?
Rebecca L. Marshall , Ph.D.
Our culture now has a term for anger associated with hunger. Irritable, hungry people are often called “hangry”, a condition solved quickly by eating. While being “hangry” is not usually a serious problem, you may have wondered what kind...
How Does Sleep Affect Your Emotional Life?
Rebecca L. Marshall , Ph.D.
Parents of adolescents often tell me that their children stay up too late, usually on electronic devices, and that they are sleep-deprived during much of the school year. Most parents assume that poor or insufficient sleep is impacting their...
Learning to Grieve Well
Grieving affects all aspect of our life, and getting through a day, can seem overwhelmingly complicated. Paradoxically, finding a way to live with the pain of grief enables us to heal. Effectively coping is to alternate between enduring the pain...
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is an epidemic that has been impacting our nation and community. It’s important to take some time to touch on this difficult topic. A big part of this is learning to be intentional about noticing things in your...
Coping with the Anxiety of IVF
Research indicates that around 1 million babies were born in the United States between 1987 and 2015 through the use of IVF or other assisted reproductive technologies. These procedures have given couples new hope; infertility and IVF treatments cause...
The Perfectionist and Procrastination
Perfectionism is defined as striving towards the impossibly high goal of perfection. The trap that exists with this type of standard is that the perfectionists can never be good enough – if it isn’t perfect, it’s horrible. Unfortunately, perfectionism...