Toxic Relationships Part 2: Understanding Gaslighting
Relationships that have grown toxic can sometimes be hard to spot, especially if you are experiencing gaslighting. In the previous blog, I’ve defined gaslighting as “manipulating someone with psychological means into questioning their own sanity.” Gaslighting forces you to...
The Best Tip for Holiday Family Bonding
Christmas: it’s the most wonderful time of the year! But for so many of us, especially those of us with children, it can seem more stressful than wonderful. Just think, there’s buying, wrapping, cooking, getting dressed, traveling, socializing, and making sure everyone is on the same page and...
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...
Keeping Routines Through the Holidays
Kate Smith , M.A.
Last school year, kids were constantly wondering if they would be in the school building or learning virtually. Teachers and parents spent the beginning of this school year fielding the questions of what will this year look like? With...
Parenting: Using Encouragement Over Praise
Maddie McGarrah , M.Ed.
When your child gets a good grade, figures out how to do something, or completes something we often respond with praise such as “Great job!”, “Excellent”, “Way to get an A on that!”. This is defined as praise. While...
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...
What Makes Addiction a Disease?
Addiction is all around us. Whether you are a family member of a loved one who is using, an employer, a pastor, or simply someone who is concerned about the state of affairs in our world, you are keenly...
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...