We moved into our brand new house in 2005. It was such an incredible experience to move into a clean, freshly painted, and newly landscaped space. At that time, every wall was free of blemishes, every door closed quickly, and there wasn't one stain on the carpet. However, as I look around today, I can't... Continue Reading →
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? We all know what that saying indicates someone is being cranky or unreasonable. Why? Because the quality of our sleep affects our mental health. Research continues to look at the connections between mental health and sleep. Currently, we know that mental health disorders make... Continue Reading →
In the world that we live in today, there are many areas where we can start to feel burnt out. We begin to feel that we are just exhausted and we do not want to do anything. For job burnout specifically, it is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that involves a sense of... Continue Reading →
One truth in life is that everyone faces situations that frustrate or challenge them. In those times, the coping skills one has learned will help one regulate their emotions and hopefully make wise behavior choices. Unfortunately, often children and adults do not have the tools they need to get through emotional storms. Teaching children as... Continue Reading →
The reality of family life is there is never a shortage of activities to attend, work to be done, or tasks to be completed. Family members often feel like ships in the night as they go from one activity to the next. If a family has multiple children and teens, it may be impossible to... Continue Reading →
Why do we crave comfort food? When we think about comfort food, most think about a food that was a childhood favorite or reminds us of home. When we are reminded of home, we feel the familiarity and soothing element. If they make us feel the sense of familiarity and soothing, we tend to crave... Continue Reading →
Test anxiety is something that most college students deal with on a day to day basis. Whether we have it because we are scared of failing or we have it because we want to meet people’s expectations. I deal with test anxiety whenever it comes to a standardized test or a regular exam in my... Continue Reading →
“Visual or guided imagery can help clients block out intrusive visualizations by substituting a relaxing or empowering visualization or image” (Erford, 2020: 77). I recently attended an early morning devotion at a church imbedded in a high crime neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The deacon was leading the prayer meeting where the topic was how... Continue Reading →
“I’m lonely,” a woman told me. She describes how she longs for meaningful friendships but doesn’t know how to make those happen. With tears, she explains how she looks around, and it seems everyone has someone but her. She feels desperate and is void of any hope that things will change. She says she knows... Continue Reading →
CounselingMatters.live 