mental health

  1. Treating Your Depression

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    Life is full of ups and downs, and there is no way to predict what tomorrow may hold. One day the sun is shining, and the next is cast in a gloomy grey. Depression can hit unexpectedly, whether you know the root cause or not, and leave you feeling like you’re swimming upstream, alone and afraid. When experiencing this feeling of desolation, every part of your daily routine is affected. Your favo…Read More

  2. 12 Signs of an Anxiety Disorder

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    We all feel nervous from time to time, but when does anxiety become an issue? According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the US, affecting roughly 40 million adults annually. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you could feel hopeless. When your anxiety is out of control, it can feel as if it’s taking over y…Read More

  3. 9 Tips For Starting the Divorce Process

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    When you marry someone, you hope to spend the remainder of your life with your spouse. However, things don’t always go as planned. Relationships are complicated, and sometimes they don’t last. Perhaps you and your spouse have grown in different directions over the years and are no longer compatible. One of the hardest decisions you may ever make is to ask for a divorce. If you’ve tried coupl…Read More

  4. Mini-Vacation

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    My husband and I have created a tradition of taking a long weekend to the beach twice a year. We have certain criteria for a short break – less than a 3 hours driving distance to avoid use of the airport, restaurants and activities within walking distance of the hotel, post- or pre- season, and within a budget including a dog sitter. As a result, a tradition has been born. This year I was somewh…Read More

  5. Why I Want to See You Weekly

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    "I'm feeling much better and I want to see what happens if I see you in 2 weeks. Do you think that's alright?" "I can't afford to come weekly. Do you think twice a month or once every 3 weeks will be OK?" These are complex questions. What is really being asked? How is treatment or the therapeutic relationship being perceived? A good therapist would be open to exploring rather than answering the cl…Read More

  6. How Counseling Can Help Save Your Marriage

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    Marriage has its inevitable ups and downs, as you and your partner are experiencing the trials and tribulations together. By taking the vow of marriage, you are heading onto the roller coaster of life with a partner, and things can get shaky. If you are finding that you and your partner are having a hard time with marriage, as you continually fight and are beginning to distance yourselves from eac…Read More

  7. Resolve

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    Did you make a New Year's resolution? A fresh start. Goals. New year of reflections, past and future. I couldn't wait for 2016 to finish. In hindsight, I can't recall a time when I longed for a particular year to remain. Last year, I hired a marketing company to boost my cyber presence and business. Started a blog. Considered firing my supervision group and leaving my church, maybe even converting…Read More

  8. Being Unreasonable

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    Fee arrangements for services have different significance for others. Since opening my private practice, I have heard various responses about my fee-for-service from "good for you" to "I'd never pay" to "Sounds great but I couldn't afford it." Interestingly, as much as I even received flat out insults from my own family ("I'd never pay for weekly therapy"), I didn't waiver to accept insurance or c…Read More

  9. Family Business

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    "Your family seems rather normal," claims my therapist with a smile after my litany of complaints and reasons the holiday season sucks. I chuckled because she named my unspoken fantasy of the Norman Rockwell image of holiday celebration and gatherings.   The warmth of his paintings captures a comfort and peacefulness of generations around feasts with decorations donning the walls and fire mantle…Read More

  10. I’m Gonna Disappoint You and Be OK with It

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    "Is there a way you can make the call while on vacation next week?"  asks my colleague,  "I'll miss your laughter and contribution to group." Immediately, I sense being attacked and ready to defend.  I wanted to protect myself from feeling mortified and ashamed.  Plus, I believed I needed to protect my colleague from my decision to enjoy my time on vacation instead of satisfying her with my pr…Read More