Character bonding is when we start to emulate the personality traits of fictional characters that we admire and/or feel drawn to. There’s nothing inherently harmful about character bonding; just remember that there is a distinction between them and you. While people may be drawn towards different fictional characters based on…
Humans haven’t yet adapted to facing their own reflection all the time, whether they’re looking into mirrors, taking selfies, or talking to their coworkers on Zoom. People now ask cosmetic surgeons to make their faces look more like their Instagram filters. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious mental health…
Click here to schedule online counseling at Thriveworks. Hi, my name is Chrissy Myers and I’m a Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist with our Thriveworks Midlothian office. During this COVID-19 health crisis, we’ve received many questions from clients about the different challenges and emotions that they are facing. One of the most…
Today, social conscience is an extremely valued asset. How we act is typically dependent on the people we interact with in personal and professional settings. Some struggle evaluating situations and utilizing social conscience, and it shows when mishaps and faux pas occur. How we react to our oops moments places…
Life has its ups and downs, and it takes quite some practice to be able to handle it well. A really good foundational theory to help make sense of the world and your reaction to it is the idea of self-concept. It’s a powerful idea that when understood can be…
Many of us realize that spending too much time on social media can be harmful—for example, it can damage self-esteem. Recent research explored this consequence and found a link between increased use of social networking sites and women adopting “the thin ideal.” This study analyzed over 1,800 females of various…
There are five recognized thinking styles: those who employ them are called synthesists, idealists, pragmatists, analysts, and realists. Synthesists stand out with their creativity and curiosity; they like to consider different ideas, views, and possibilities. Idealists are always setting and working toward big goals—they set the bar high and expect…
A few years ago, I embarked on a trip abroad to “find myself.” I felt stuck, bored, but most importantly lost. Then I stepped onboard that plane to Europe and three months later returned with a newfound happiness and confidence. I was certain in who I was and who I…
Many of us have asked ourselves this question. Whether or not we gave it much thought or consideration is another matter. Most simply shrug it off, and that’s certainly the easier thing to do. We have come to accept drinking, and even some drugging, as being a normal part of…
We all have those guilty pleasures that we don’t like to admit- sneaking an extra piece of cake, listening to bad pop music or watching a television drama that is meant for a younger audience. Mine is The Vampire Diaries. Between shuttling the kids to school and trying to make…
Whether constructive or otherwise received from a spouse, boss, family member or friend, criticism for some of us can provoke defensiveness, justifying, rationalizing, minimizing, and sometimes self-defeating hostility. I’ve personally seen these responses to criticism displayed more frequently in those who reported histories of trauma of some sort. Whether the…
I knew a very fine therapist who was in his early 70’s when we met. He was “old school” and had been working in classic psychoanalysis for more than 30 years. I remember thinking “What would anyone have to talk about after all that time.” When I asked he just…