individual therapy, therapy methods
Sami Boomgarden
What is Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy?

In this post, we'll explore what neurodivergent-affirming therapy can look like, why it's important, and how to know if it's the right fit for your needs.

What is Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy?
individual therapy, therapy methods
Leticia Perez, LPC
5 Tips for Managing Social Anxiety

At one point or another, most people will experience embarrassment and fears of acceptance, but for some, this experience is much more acute. If you suspect that you have social anxiety, you do not have to manage it alone. Read on for tips and information about how social anxiety can be treated through mental health therapy.

5 Tips for Managing Social Anxiety
relationship therapy
Grace Eiden, MA, AMFT
What is Emotional Over- and Under-Functioning?

In this post, we’ll walk you through the framework of emotional over-functioning and under-functioning and how it can be useful in a therapy setting to repair dysfunction and find healthier ways to communicate.

What is Emotional Over- and Under-Functioning?
family therapy, individual therapy, relationship therapy
Danielle Zawadzki
What Is A Systems Therapist? Q&A with ECC ...

“I don’t believe in anything being a ‘personal problem,’” says Riley Brennan, our current graduate intern therapist who is completing her Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Adler University. In her Q&A on our blog today, Riley shares what it means to be a systems therapist: someone who works with clients to consider the system influences that impact their mental health, from family and friends, to workplace dynamics, religion, and politics. Keep reading to find out why she finds this framework helpful for connecting with clients.

What Is A Systems Therapist? Q&A with ECC Intern Therapist Riley Brennan
individual therapy
Tim Ciochon MS, LMFT
Engaging Mindfully with Mental Health Content ...

Social media has created new channels for people to discover more information about mental health, which often leads to curiosity about whether a particular diagnosis might apply to them. In this post we’ll talk about the benefits and risks of learning about mental health conditions through social media, as well as ways to seek clarity to ensure you’re getting accurate information and the right care.

Engaging Mindfully with Mental Health Content on Social Media

conflict resolution

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Is My Partner Gaslighting Me? Here's How to Know

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Is My Partner Gaslighting Me? Here's How to Know

Is my partner gaslighting me? Chances are if you’re in a relationship that you’ve wondered this before, especially in the midst of a conflict or disagreement. Gaslighting is a term that has entered the cultural lexicon in the last decade, yet we often hear confusion from clients about whether their experiences actually meet the definition of gaslighting, or something less serious. In today’s post, we unpack this loaded term to help you discern gaslighting from other communication issues in relationships.

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5 Therapy Tips for Connecting with Your Family This Holiday Season

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5 Therapy Tips for Connecting with Your Family This Holiday Season

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s normal to feel anxious about making plans with your family, especially if you have a history of conflict. Holidays might have been more fun when you were a kid when you could just play with your siblings and cousins, eat delicious food, and tune out the adult conversation. But now that you’re an adult with your own values and opinions, family togetherness during the holidays might feel more stressful, with lots of potential for disagreement and friction. Roast turkey with a side of resentment, anyone? 🙃

We can’t control how other people in our families act, but we have the agency to make healthier choices that help us navigate complex family dynamics. Here are five tips for connecting with family this holiday season. 

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What is Emotionally Focused Therapy?

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What is Emotionally Focused Therapy?

Maybe you’re familiar with this scenario: you and your partner (or parent, sibling, or friend) are both home after a long day at work, eating dinner together, when the conversation veers off-course into an argument. It could be about family plans for the holidays, or money, or household tasks that need to get done, but the fight feels too familiar. You’ve had this same fight before, even if it was technically about a different issue, and you and your loved one have reverted to the same feelings and reactions. You feel stuck. Why would something as innocuous as a family holiday gathering or a sink full of dishes trigger such intense feelings? Why can't you seem to react differently whenever the topic comes up? Something has to change, but you don’t know how to make it happen. 

Feeling stuck in your emotions and relational patterns is common, and it’s exactly the kind of issue that Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is designed to help.

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