Grieving the loss of a pet is never easy, but we can help our grief process and healing along with self-care and counseling. First, though, it’ll help to understand why grieving the loss of a pet is so difficult: For one, they aren’t just pets but family members. Our pain…
Journaling enables us to express and process our emotions as well as our thoughts without judgment. However, the act of journaling is more difficult for some than others. If you’re interested in journaling but unsure where or how to start, mental health prompts can provide direction and offer health benefits,…
Waiting… how much of our lives do we spend waiting? Right now, I know people who are waiting to find out if: a lump is cancerous they are going to lose their baby she is going to lose her job he is going to get into graduate school her marriage…
Chronic illness starts with physical pain but the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies it (or any serious illness) is a journey all its own. Onset, diagnosis, and beyond are often wrought with frustration, fear, anxiety, and grief — with positive emotions like hope and relief sprinkled in. When you’re…
A winter snowstorm struck the East Coast, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, including myself. After facing difficult feelings of loneliness and boredom, I pulled together tips for what to do for your mental health when the power goes out. First, stop fixating on when the power will come back…
I’m about to put myself out of a job. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit, but I do think the following idea could decrease a lot of arguments and lead to better relationships. Introducing: The Internal Emotion Thermometer Let’s first think about the concept of having an internal emotion…
Shame: There is something wrong with me as a person. Guilt: I’m a person who may have done something wrong. What is the thing that causes you to lay awake at night; the thing that causes you shame? I promise that you’re not damaged beyond repair. You’re not unlovable. You’re…
An effective self-care strategy requires identifying practices that work specifically for you: practices that you’ll enjoy engaging in and stick to. You can identify these practices by asking yourself, “What self-care practices align with my values and my interests?’ For example, if you’re a people-person and relationships are most important…
Here’s the thing: Anger is normal. We all have those days that are completely infuriating. We receive bad news or things don’t go as planned. This, on top of trivial things, can cause us to overreact with rage. Now, there’s another thing we have in common here: we all also…
Stress can be defined as something that is under an uncomfortable amount of pressure. In this case, that something is a someone and it’s you! And you’re tired of it. But now what? What can you do to slow down this stress? The following have worked well for clients of…
As September 11 approaches, many Americans brace for impact. After 20 years, we have come to expect the grief, the sadness, the fear, the anger. Or, even an overwhelm of all of these emotions at once.Read: Grief Counseling 101 For some—especially those who lost loved ones on this fateful day—it…
Sometimes, nerve-racking situations make us feel tense, such as the emergence and spread of COVID-19. It can feel like there’s nothing to do but wait it out; however, there are proactive ways to relieve your tense feelings now. First, try going for a walk: Spending time in nature will help…