Infertility is often experienced as a crisis, and women tend to carry more of its physical and emotional burden. Some coping strategies are more compatible with fertility treatment and infertility depression than others. Though psychologists usually discourage avoidant and escapist strategies, active distraction can reduce stress. More people benefit from…
There’s a difference between self-soothing and self-care. The former offers short-term relief while the latter can contribute to greater wellbeing that lasts. Self-care for parents isn’t the same as me-time or self-improvement. It’s sustainable, nourishing, and compassionate. Checking in with yourself doesn’t have to feel like another chore, and you…
Americans love to drive—70 billion hours every year are spent driving in the US with 86% of us choosing to commute to work in our personal vehicles over other forms of transportation. Despite the prevalence of our car culture, we might be driving ourselves into a corner. Driving (and even…
Even though most of us are comfortable with binge-watching a TV series, the thought of playing video games might seem out of the question. Part of our hesitancy comes from the stereotypes that we hold about gaming and those who play—but our outdated misconceptions shouldn’t hold us back from picking…
The holidays are often portrayed as a time of happiness surrounded by family and friends, but for some it can be a more difficult time. Especially in times of pandemic, when social distancing may cause physical separation, communication can become more strained causing feelings of isolation, loneliness and guilt. Within…
Opposing political views can stir up conflict in your relationship and ultimately drive a wedge between you and your partner. Before you engage in a political discussion with your partner, press pause and consider the best way to approach the conversation or if it’s worth having at all. Also, try…
Fredericksburg, VA. 10/20/2020 — Amid a jarring presidential election and an overall difficult year, US adults in counseling are feeling stressed, fearful, depressed, and/or hopeless about the election. This, according to a survey conducted by Thriveworks Counseling and completed by 275 mental health professionals. Are your clients talking about election-related…
Election season is—and always has been—stressful. So stressful, in fact, that Couples Therapist Steven Stosny created the term “election stress disorder,” which describes a state of complete and utter stress caused by the election. Think: Smear campaigns on both sides of the political aisle, nonstop news alerts, social media feuds,…
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…
“I’m going to take Monday off—I’m overdue for a mental health day,” you tell your partner with confidence. The next morning, you walk into the office and open your inbox to draft an email to your manager: Good morning! I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be taking PTO…
What do you look forward to at the end of a long day or week? Maybe it’s a bubble bath with your favorite book in hand. Or, maybe it’s watching the next episode of your current Netflix binge. Whatever it is, it probably centers around taking a well-deserved break—letting your…
Every year on September 16, we celebrate National Working Parents Day. This year, our celebration is a little different, as the majority of working parents are either 1) adapting to working from home while their kids adapt to learning from home or 2) juggling the tricky (and stressful) balance that…