Uncategorized

By Diana Ibarra AMFT Why We Get Triggered Picture this, You hear someone talking about their weight loss. The rational side of you understands that many people diet and lose weight... yet your “irrational” aka the emotionally wounded side of you remembers your mother talking about your body as a child, constantly comparing you and restricting your food intake. You end up making a snarky comment at that person. Your partner forgets to call you at the end of your work day because they became pr[...]

By: Kendall Raymond AMFT 127810 A client sharing disturbing material from a traumatic event prior to the therapist helping them establish safety and emotion management skills to calm down is like taking a hot apple pie out of the oven without using oven mitts and immediately dropping it onto the floor: dangerous, ineffective, and irresponsible.  The way in which we digest a traumatic event in our lives is an essential treatment consideration throughout the trauma recovery process.  Pushing clients to go[...]

By: Telicia Swihart LMFT In my last blog, I wrote about tips for improving your communication skills. If you have been trying them out, you may have discovered that in some situations you can be using the most effective communication skills possible, but the person you are speaking with is blocking the communication from moving forward. See the list below for common communication blockers and how to address them. · Laughing It Off When a person makes a joke of your concern, or tries to laugh it of[...]

By: Telicia Swihart LMFT Most of us learned to talk around age two, but not all of us have learned how to effectively communicate. Communicating well with our loved ones involves much more than just talking! Try out some of the tips below to improve your communication with others: · Purpose of Conversation Before you begin a conversation with a friend, family member, or significant other, think about the purpose of the conversation. Is your goal to solve a disagreement, or to share how something t[...]

By: Caitlyn Marr, AMFT Grief is an inevitable part of our lives that is often considered taboo to discuss. At some point in our life, we will all be impacted by grief. Whether the impact is indirectly, a friend of a friend, or a tragedy seen on national news; or directly impacted, for example the death of your husband, sister or father figure. While we all will experience grief at one point or another, ironically, grief can feel very lonely and isolating. This is often believed because grief and death eff[...]

Irma Fragoso LMFT When was the last time you were in an argument with your partner and you noticed that you wanted them to assume what you want, how you want it, or when you want it? Be it food, sex, or even gifts. Henry Winkler said it best “Assumptions are the termites of relationships”. Read it again, because assumptions are like wanting our partners to read our minds. If assumptions or mind reading are like termites, then why bring those nasty bugs into your relationship? Many of us, wanted[...]

By Cassandra Garduno LMFT “The death of a beloved is an amputation” C. S. Lewis, ‘A Grief Observed’ Life after death of a loved one is like snowflakes, although it appears we may see similarities with others on our grief journey and have shared experiences. Grief will always vary in how we each experience our own journey and how we individually process it. Thus, making it impossible to have two identical snowflakes. Grief is a complex process and can be overwhelming when we are experiencing[...]

BY: Christopher McKeown LMFT When I was growing up as a gay boy, I knew the simple acronym of my tribe LGBT and what each letter represented for a fairly long period of time it was the standard used.   When I went into graduate school, I began to learn that my tribe became more interesting and was starting to include new gender identities and sexual orientations LGBTQIA+.  When I was working at an agency to get my hours for my licensure, I had quite a few teenagers who would talk with me a[...]

By: Krystina Jones-Norvell LMFT Many people come to therapy because they want to “feel better”. As therapists and counselors, we are trained to complete assessments, ask the right questions, and try to drill down to the core “negative belief” or “explore self-defeating life patterns and beliefs”. Often, as I sit with my clients, listen to them process the challenges of their lives one question floats upward to my lips. “Do you have a faith or religious practice?” This can be a risky quest[...]