Reading our Sexual Scripts
By Cecilia Wishneski, Clinical Mental Health Intern Think back to how you learned about sex growing up. Take a Look… Did you receive formal education on sex at all? In 2023, thirty-eight (38) states plus the District of Columbia require sex education for students in...
Sleep Like Your Life Depends On It. Because It Does.
By Becca Hovermale, LAPC, CSAT We all know that lack of sleep can leave an adolescent - or any human being for that matter - irritable, but did you know that it can also negatively impact one’s memory retention and immune function? Lack of sleep can even be linked to...
Emotions and Mindfulness: The Power of Meditation
Pause for just a moment and recall the last time someone asked you how your day was. Typically, our response to this question is quick: “Good, thanks!” or “Ugh, terrible!” If it’s a good day, we list everything positive that happened to us; if it’s a bad day, we...
Five Ways to Learn to Love Valentine’s Day Again
By Cecilia Wishneski, Clinical Mental Health InternEvery year, Valentine’s Day seems to sneak up; yet, Valentine’s Day is thrown in our faces 24/7 for nearly two months leading up to it. Despite the chocolates, stuffed bears, and roses in stores the day after New...
The Imperfect Realities of Perfectionism
By Elizabeth Sabatino, Clinical Mental Health InternPerfectionism. We hear it so often in today’s world. What does it mean to you? Do you immediately identify with it? Do you have a visual in mind of a close friend who falls under this category? Did you know...
Anatomy of a Hack: Psychological Tactics Hackers and Scammers Use — and How to Protect Yourself
There are many wonderful things about technological advancements and support in our daily lives. I am grateful for my smartphone that doubles as an alarm clock, personal calendar, connection tool, GPS, access to music and entertainment as well as scriptures and...
ADHD, Addiction and Trauma: The Trifecta
By Heather Putney, PhD, LMFT, CSAT, EMDR-CIT As I write this post, many of my “parts” are very activated. I have excited parts, fearful parts, nerdy/academic parts, helper parts and “not good enough parts” that are nervous about how this information will land. I put...
The Journey to IFS: Breaking through Blocks in Trauma Therapy
Although I am relatively new to Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, I have been a trauma therapist since 2013. In the early stages of my career, I tried to get as much training in trauma work (from graduate school or CEU events) as possible, but I found myself...
IFS – Trauma Therapy That Accepts ALL Our Parts
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) is a model of psychotherapy that theorizes that every human individual is composed of discrete “parts” or sub-personalities, as well as a core “self”. IFS therapy, founded by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s and supported now by...
Tackling Life’s Storms: A lesson from Nature
Tackling Life's Storms: A lesson from Nature Buffalo and cattle, like many animals, can sense when a storm is coming. However, their strategies for taking on life’s storms couldn't be more different. Cattle instinctively protect themselves by turning away and...
How do we protect our mental health and wellness when the world suddenly feels less safe?
By Chris Burd, Masters Level Counseling Intern With 24/7 news coverage and global social media connections, many of us in the United States are witnessing the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces in real-time along with the rest of the world. After two...
Want to feel better? There’s a hormone (or neurotransmitter) for that!
By Meredith Maloney, Master's-Level Counseling Intern I am not going to get too heavy into science here (hopefully the title did not lose you already), but I do want to nerd-out a little about how our bodies are amazing and equipped to make us feel good! The...
Managing Your Mental Health During a Pandemic
By Jennah Delmonico, Master's-Level Counseling Intern Picture this: It is December 31, 2019, at 11:59pm. You are most likely surrounded by the people you love, soaking up their presence for one last minute of the year. The ball is just about to drop to welcome...
Attention Caregivers: Three (Not So) Simple Tips for Minimizing Holiday Stress
We receive a lot of advice around the holiday season about simple ways to minimize stress. But let’s be honest: nothing about caregiving is simple. You are not alone as a caregiver, but you are unique. You might be caring for a child with special needs – whether that is a disability or a serious, acute illness. You may be caring for aging parents or an ailing spouse. Caregiving may be your full-time job, or you may be balancing a career and a family. Here are just a few ideas for all types of caregivers to consider while you prepare for the stressful holiday season.
How to Handle Partner Conflict and Holiday Stress
The holidays often exacerbate the stressors of relationships. Many times couples find themselves arguing during the holidays over the very things that should be keeping them together. Common holiday conflicts include: where to spend the holidays, how much to spend on presents, in-laws, prep work and cleaning duties, movies vs football, politics, expectations… the list goes on. So how can you and your partner be prepared for these common conflicts and turn towards each other instead of against each other this year? Healthy Communication and problem solving! What does that look like?