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Recognizing Apology Language and how it’s different from Forgiveness
Forgiveness and apology are terms that have been around for a while. They are generally understood, but how does one really and effectively apologize to a partner? Have you ever felt like conflict isn’t getting resolved because you’ve not gotten an apology, or you...
Attachment
There are a lot of different opinions on just about every subject within psychology. One thing that we can all agree on is that relationships are crucial in a person’s life, not just for emotional well-being and happiness, but really, for basic survival as well. From...
Why Seeing a Counselor Makes a Difference
Everyone experiences emotional struggles in life. Transitions are a part of everyone’s lives. Everyone has dreams and aspirations for their future. If everyone shares these life experiences and stressors, how can counseling make a difference? Having Another...
Why Balance Matters: Part 1
Finding a “healthy” life balance seems to be the popular prescription for mental health challenges. Life balance is certainly not one of the skills we are taught in childhood, but work-life balance has become one of the most popular goals of our ever-connected...
3 Habits to Learn from Children to Boost Your Mental Health
Watching my son play and interact with the world is one of the greatest joys in my life. As a counselor, I find it particularly interesting to witness his emotional experience. Children experience the full range of emotions and intensity of emotion that exists in...
When Life Changes
Everyone experiences changes in their lives. As we grow older, graduate, move to new cities, meet new people, change careers, life seems to constantly change. Many people feel conflicting emotions when they find themselves in a new transition. You can be excited for...
How Long do I Hang on? When Friendships are No Longer Equal
IsWe’ve all had a relationship where the investment from each party is not equal. You’ve either been the person who reaches out for support the majority of the time or you’re on the other side offering support and care to the needs of another person. In the life span...
What is Codependency?
The term codependency and the concepts behind it have gained momentum in the fields of self-help and psychology over the past couple of decades. And while it is now a pretty steady part of the vernacular, “codependent” still feels a bit ambiguous. When someone says...
Good Father
Today we have a special interview from a father of nearly 40 years to share about his experience. Please meet Isaiah. Isaiah has 4 adult children who all reside in the Chicagoland area. A sibling of 5, Isaiah was born and raised in the city of Chicago. From the age of...
Why Emotions Matter
Counselors are known to ask the question, “How are you feeling?”, and our media loves to playfully poke fun at counselors for it. The funny thing is, most of us don’t know what we are feeling. Emotions can seem fickle and unreliable, and we can intentionally overlook...