NOTE: The following article by Jon Hamilton, correspondent, Science Desk, National Public Radio, explains why we lose our earliest memories—unique to us alone—as we age. Highlights include: —Scientists have known about childhood amnesia for more than a century. But it’s only in the past decade that they have begun to figure out when childhood memories […]
Kyleigh Leddy, a therapist-in-training, 25, paints a vivid portrait of her sister’s schizophrenia in The Perfect Other. Leddy’s compassionate but terrifying book is a love letter to Kait, the older sister she once adored—but quickly grew to fear after a traumatic brain injury brought on violent rages. Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, writer for People.com, shares Kyleigh Leddy’s story in the […]
Karla Olson, a 51-year-old mother of three in Park City, Utah, is working on creating what she’s calling the Empty Nester Club. She plans to develop an online community on the video-communication app Marco Polo, and hopes local branches will form around the country for in-person meetups. For Olson, it’s all about creating a community […]
Editor’s note: The following article is by Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, an expert in artificial intelligence for drug discovery and aging research. He is also the author of The Ageless Generation: How Advances in Biotechnology Will Impact the Global Economy. The premise of the following essay is that feelings of intense grief, intense joy, or the […]
Along With 12 Tools for Addressing Crisis Situations We all have thoughts that invade our brains from time to time and mess with our moods. We all get down. Whether it’s your job, social life, family, or something completely different, sometimes the negativity can be too much. It can snowball. That’s the part where it […]
How do you know if your spouse is depressed, and what can you do to help them? There are some healthy ways to encourage your partner to seek therapy, open up about their emotions, and address their symptoms, said Susan Bernstein, executive coach and leadership consultant with her own firm in San Diego, CA. Signs […]
Humans are not all equal in every way. There are a few individuals who have achieved an unparalleled mastery in their field—and they are what Kumar Mehta, Ph.D., calls the exceptionals. Put another way, they are the 1 percent of the 1 percent of the world’s most successful people. Some examples include innovators like Elon Mush […]
Source: webmd.com Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is not limited to children—30% to 70% of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms when they grow up. In addition, people who were never diagnosed with ADHD as children may develop more obvious ADHD symptoms in adulthood, causing trouble on the job or in relationships. Many […]
Note: At the end of the blog article, “Worried About the Election? You’re Not Alone,”—posted on October 5, 2020—I mentioned that I would provide tips on how to manage election anxiety. I offer these tips to you now in “How to Deal with Election Anxiety.” —Michael Angelo, LCPC When it comes to worries about the […]
Are you experiencing constant anxiety about the upcoming election? Do you feel helpless to hasten its approach? Does fear grip you because you can’t control the outcome? Join the club. Situations like these are tremendous stressors that eat away at our psychological resources over time, affecting many people, and especially those suffering from an anxiety […]
Elizabeth Bernstein, a writer for the Wall Street Journal and author of this article about bullying, had something to say recently to the guy who pulled up behind her VW Beetle in a jacked-up pickup truck, honked furiously while she waited for a pause in oncoming traffic to make a left turn, then followed her […]
Encompass Counseling Center is excited to share that Peter Ellew, LCPC, has completed SMART Recovery training to become a certified facilitator of SMART Recovery groups. This specialized training adds to Peter’s already extensive skill set in addiction treatments. Peter’s passion is to help patients with addictions manage and navigate the difficult road to recovery. The […]
Note: This article, from Amy Chillag, was published on CNN.com. Chillag is producer of special projects for CNN. It’s a warm, sunny morning in Tony Wright’s lush backyard in Roswell, Georgia. The retired human-resources manager sits on a folding chair and gazes around in contemplation, surrounded by shade trees and chirping birds. He sips coffee […]
The question is one that plagues parents and therapists alike: What to do with kids who won’t talk—who can barely handle talking at all—who also hate all the questions they’re asked, in an attempt to get them to talk? Should you keep badgering them until they say something? Or, do you leave them alone to […]
If you’re feeling stressed these days, join the party. The reasons behind that stressed-out feeling differ for each person. Some talk about it, others don’t. But there’s one thing people have in common: When you’re stressed, you’ll feel it in your body. That’s because your mental and physical response to stress go hand in hand, […]
The coronavirus is adding to your stress level, right? That’s understandable. What can you do to keep it in check? Here are some strategies that tie closely with our overall philosophy at Encompass Counseling Center about taking care of your whole self. Our focus is on the five attributes that comprise your entire being. This […]
Nightmares are no fun, but an international study has found that nighttime fears may actually serve a greater purpose. Researchers from the United States and Switzerland have identified areas of the brain that are activated while participants experience fears in their dreams. After participants awoke, these same emotion-regulating areas responded to scary situations with much […]
Taking One Scary Step at a Time Wendi was casually relaxing, enjoying herself, cuddled in a blanket on the couch, peacefully reading a book. Suddenly, she heard gunshots and what she thought were bombs going off. She was no longer safe. Her adrenaline soared as she ran for cover. It was now or never […]
Could retiring early cause you to lose your mind? Researchers at Binghamton University, in New York, believe so. They found that early retirement could accelerate the usual rate of cognitive decline among the elderly in developing countries, including Asia and Latin America. Their results mirrored those that had focused on the impact of retirement on […]
Table of Contents If you’re having trouble finding the right therapist, don’t despair. It’s not easy. People usually go with who’s closest to where they live or work, or who takes their insurance, or both—without ever actually deciding what they need personally from therapy. It’s what they need from therapy that should lead them to […]
Encompass Counseling Center LLC is a private psychotherapy practice serving the Bloomingdale and Naperville areas—and online. We combine our educational experience and professional expertise with our proprietary 5 CORE model of counseling to provide individuals, couples, and families with a “whole” health experience.
