Does Trying to Relax Make You More Stressed? Maybe You Need a Good Laugh?
Note: The following article is by Lauren Geall, digital writer for Stylistmagazine. She writes on such topics as mental health, wellbeing, and women’s issues. If you find “calming” techniques like mindfulness and meditation make you more stressed, it could be time to change your approach to relieving anxiety, said Lauren Geall, digital writer for Stylist magazine. By definition, trying to relax shouldn’t be hard. After all, it’s […]
“My life was ruled by panic attacks. Here’s my seven-point guide to tackling anxiety.”
Tim Clare, shown above, spent a year researching panic attacks, a condition that left him continually, grindingly anxious. He tried every treatment he could think of—chronicling his journey in the book, Coward: Why We Get Anxious and What We Can Do About It. A portion of his story is below. Pinned to the living room floor, screaming, Tim […]
How to Find and Keep Friends: A Guide for Middle Age
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 […]
Aging Brings Us Closer to Death. Why Do We Get Happier as We Age?
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 […]
Therapeutic Ways to Change Negative Thinking
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 […]
What to Do When Your Spouse Is Depressed
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 […]
How to Deal with Election Anxiety—Without Freaking Out
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 […]
Worried About the Election? You’re Not Alone
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 […]
Letting Teens Sit with Silence. Or Not.
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 […]
The 5 Core Approach to Covid-19
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 […]
Putting the Coronavirus into Perspective
Perspective is an important thing to consider when dealing with anxiety-provoking situations. You know this from your sessions with your therapist. Please remember this as you consider your response to Covid-19. Don’t let emotions outweigh logic in your everyday choices surrounding the coronavirus. Whether it’s fighting someone in the grocery store for toilet paper, or […]
PTSD One Step at a Time
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 […]
How to Find the Right Therapist for You
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 […]
The Destructive Nature of Shame – and Why We Should Kill It
by Angela Walters, freelance author and creative consultant Our emotional scars are nothing to take lightly, and believe me I don’t, but sometimes a simple thing can help us find relief. That’s why I wrote this article, to give you something simple to remember that I hope will help you pinpoint why you can’t […]
The Psychology Behind the Job Interview
Marilee is not unlike most of the universe in that she genuinely does not enjoy job interviews. If asked to choose between interviewing and chewing glass, you can guess her answer. This makes sense because in the same way that most people dislike taking tests, a job interview is a test. Even those who feel […]
Is Technology Destroying Our Culture?
We might as well ask if the Pope is Catholic, or if Tom Brady is a future hall of famer. Of course, technology impacts culture—destructively. For example, how could it not when people living in the same house or workplace can all be looking at different screens and communicating with different people—some within the same […]
The Alarming Trend of Teen Suicide
Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade. Robin Williams. We know the tragic stories of their suicides. Countless other adults, mostly unknown, have succumbed to this tragedy, as well. Let’s not forget teens who take their own lives, either. As you’ve undoubtedly heard, the suicide rate for young adults is up—significantly. A study of pediatric hospitals released in […]
Discovering God’s Will for Your Kids in Big Decisions
When John Ortberg’s oldest daughter, Laura, was in high school and thinking about choosing a college, she was anxious about the process.
Why Therapists Shouldn’t Be Neutral about Divorce
When William Doherty began his therapy practice, he was strictly neutral about divorce. It was the clients’ decision, not his, and not much different from career choices and deciding whether to stay or leave a job. A senior therapist once told Doherty what he said to the couples he saw: “The main thing is what […]
Taking Charge with Difficult Teens
“I’m not going to give them any respect if they don’t give me respect,” and “It’s my life.” These are Tyler’s favorite phrases. A defiant teenager, he is particularly fond of using the disrespect card any time an adult asks him to do something. This includes his parents, teachers, and even the pastor at his […]
