It is a beautiful day, and you are sitting outside with your family enjoying their company, when suddenly you start to feel your heartbeat racing. Your mind starts to race, and you feel a sense of impending doom begin to surround you. What is going on? Am I ok? You start to look around to... Continue Reading →
I have an 18-year-old son who is a senior in high school. We spend a lot of time talking about the future. Each day he gets further into his senior year, he gets more excited about the possibility of moving out of mom and dad’s house and into the world of independence. He can hardly... Continue Reading →
Journaling can be a great habit to help you learn more about yourself, discover what you are grateful for, and achieve personal, professional, and relationship goals. It is easy, doesn’t take a lot of time, and can be built into your routine without much pain. The first step is to find a journal you like.... Continue Reading →
The season of peace on earth and goodwill to all is upon us. Although a good holiday movie, party and gift giving are fun, the reality is that we often experience the holiday season as craziness and never-ending to-do lists. For some reason, I am always surprised by how busy this season becomes. This shock... Continue Reading →
Being vulnerable is really hard. To be vulnerable means to be able to identify, name, and experience our feelings. Nothing about this process is simple, which is why I do not ask every client, “How do you feel today?” I am careful when and how I pose this question to my clients. Of course, the... Continue Reading →
Many of us have heard that non-verbal cues make up about 90 percent of communication. But how so? You may be thinking, “yah, I know, so what”? So follow this logic for a moment. This means that regardless of how well polished, or unpolished your words to someone might be, the ways that you behave... Continue Reading →
It is sometimes said that people primarily listen with their hearts, not their ears. The first time that I was told this statement was during a train-the-trainer session to implement the non-violent approach of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. At first, I was puzzled by the statement because I wondered what my heart had to... Continue Reading →
I heard Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman interviewed on the Unlocking Us podcast the other day. They talked about their new book, "The Love Prescription: 7 days to more intimacy, connection, and joy." It was a fascinating conversation about the small steps we can take in our relationships to make marked differences.... 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 →
CounselingMatters.live 