A person's religious upbringing can have as much influence on them as their family of origin, shaping how they see and interact with the world around them. In this post, we'll cover the basics of religious trauma and how therapy can help survivors of religious trauma deconstruct their experiences, find new meaning, and rebuild their value system.
We all have our own stories for how our identity formed. Some of these stories are full of beauty and can serve us really well. Other stories can get in the way. Narrative Therapy encourages us to consider how we might “re-author” these stories to have more ownership over our lives.
It's a difficult, scary time in American politics. This blog outlines some healthy coping strategies for staying engaged and creating sustainability even when political news and events are causing you stress and anxiety.
Just because grief is part of the human experience, doesn’t mean we have to cope with it alone, or reign in how we express it. In this post, we’ll explore different kinds of loss and grief, and how to know when it’s time to seek therapy for grief.
Winter is upon us, and for those that live far north of the equator, it can be a time of year we brace ourselves for. It is the season that bridges the end of year to the new, and a time to truly rest and reset. Along with that, there are naturally fewer sunnier days, shorter days, and less movement. These changes can impact our circadian rhythm, as well as our serotonin and melatonin levels. For some this causes symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
When an argument happens with your partner, you may feel a wide range of emotions such as betrayal, anger, and disbelief. Although there are several different strategies to de-escalate, therapy may be the best option if you find yourself getting stuck in the same pattern time and again. Your therapist can teach effective de-escalation and help your relationship heal and grow. One therapeutic technique that can help is utilizing effective timeouts.
Tis’ the season for online dating! According to an article written for USA Today, the Sunday after New Year’s Day is the most popular day to begin online dating. Dating apps like Match, Coffee Meets Bagel, and Tinder have reported the highest user engagement spiking up to 75% on “Single Sunday.” (Brown, 2019 Dating Sunday). Singles are feeling refreshed after the holiday, ready for a new year, and ready to make some connections!
Family drama, financial strain, lack of routine, increases in substance use, and memories that can trigger grief and trauma - the holidays are rife with opportunities for emotional distress. Establishing a coping plan is essential to navigating the stress of the holiday season with your sanity intact. Consider the strategies below:
Found in nearly every major religion and a cornerstone of ethics for millennia: the golden rule - to treat others as you would like to be treated - is a maxim of the ages. It is no wonder that the golden rule is oft-applied to improving our interpersonal relationships. Regularly, I find clients reducing discord in their partnerships to not following this tradition. To their surprise, I find the golden rule is often the source of many relationship issues, not the solution; I think it is time to toss this rule out the window.
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