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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
When John Ortberg’s oldest daughter, Laura, was in high school and thinking about choosing a college, she was anxious about the process.
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 […]
“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 […]
Jane was blessed enough to have a mother and father who provided a strong emotional center of love and support. From an early age, she could count on them for hugs and kisses, for care and compassion, and when she needed to be disciplined, they administered it in an appropriate way. But not everyone has […]
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.
