It’s that time of year again where kids are getting up to early morning alarms, school lunches are packed, and busses slow down traffic in the morning and afternoon picking up and dropping off children. September has always felt like a “fresh start.” A time to reorganize and recommit. I love the fun-loving vibes of... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I was performing internship duties at a location on the West Side of Chicago with one of the highest rates of incarceration, violence, poverty, and other aspects of disadvantage. I was scheduled to run my first session on Peace Management as a supplement to the needs of formerly incarcerated men, and... Continue Reading →
Do you agree that expected gender roles have major impacts on the success of a marriage? In a widely cited classical book, Judson and Mary Landis (1953:) argue, “We emphasized also the necessity for looking upon the wedding as a commitment binding both partners to permanent cooperation, and offering no limiting escape clause. Important also... Continue Reading →
In my time as a counselor, I have found myself disliking the broad question of: “What brings you to therapy?’ I find this question sometimes creates a wave of nervousness or pressure for the client. While it is certainly important for both the therapist and client to ultimately collaborate on goals and seek direction, I... Continue Reading →
You may have heard the words, “Quit being so defensive!” Hearing this statement can feel challenging because you may not even see an error in the way you responded. You may also have been responding in this way most of your life. Defensiveness is not a character flaw; rather, it ought to be looked at... Continue Reading →
Anxiety can make you feel physically awful. We often feel a tightening in our chest, or maybe our hands get sweaty? Some people feel their stomachs start to rumble or toss and turn. Other times anxiety can squeeze our shoulders or feel like something is banging on our brains, and it feels like our head... Continue Reading →
I’ll admit I am a daily user of Facebook and Instagram. I have a love/hate relationship with social media. For years it has been the source of my income, and social media has helped me connect with interesting people from my past and people I’ve never met from all over the world. I’ve learned much... Continue Reading →
I have to tell you about a song I heard this week. It's been playing inside my head on repeat, free of charge. I first saw the video linked on one of my favorite Instagram influencers. As I watched the video and listened to the lyrics, I had a strong physical reaction and felt tears... Continue Reading →
There is hope if you or a loved one is experiencing a suicidal crisis, emotional distress, or a substance abuse crisis. You can now call 988 and be instantly connected to a network of local crisis centers that provide free and confidential emotional support. On July 16, The National Suicide Hotline went live and is... Continue Reading →
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