Anxiety – Heredia Therapy Group

By: Veronica Salcido-Rodriguez AMFT Therapy consists of a lot of different pieces that come together in a weekly one hour session. One of the most important pieces is that of attendance and consistency. Therapy is interesting in that you talk to someone once a week for about an hour over a period of time. Over that time you hopefully form a connection with your therapist, open up and express your feelings, work towards your goal, and heal from wounds. It can be a difficult but also wonderful journey[...]

06 Feb 2023

Other, Social Issues

Self Care

By: Cesar Brijandez LMFT Self-care was a term I first heard while I worked on my bachelor’s degree at the university. I didn’t really pay too close attention to the term. I merely thought is was going on vacation a couple times per year. As I look at the term Self-Care, it encompasses a myriad of activities. The APA defines self-care as providing adequate attention to one’s own physical and psychological wellness. When do we have time for self-care? We may not have too much time, but it is necessar[...]

16 Jan 2023

Relationships

Building Healthy Relationships Through Boundary Setting

By: Tracy Brown, AMFT What are boundaries and what do they have to do with building healthy relationships? A boundary shows where something ends and something else begins. It is where we draw the line to mark limitations and guard our personal space. Boundaries, whether physical, mental or emotional, are essential tools for building healthy relationships because they establish the rules and limits of interpersonal relationship. Our boundaries indicate to others what is allowed and what isn’t allowed in[...]

02 Jan 2023

Relationships

How to Avoid Power Struggles

By: Noreen Kopaczewski LCSW #16864 Sometimes getting your child to comply with a task can seem like a game of tug-a-war, with both of you wanting to get your way. Here is a technique I have found helpful to get your child to be more cooperative by giving them choices. I called it “Watch the Clock”. Here’s how it works: Give your child a directive. If they do not follow it, remind them of the task and that if they choose not to follow it, there will be a negative consequence.[...]

05 Dec 2022

Relationships

Connections: Is it important or is it an illusion that’s it’s important?

By: Ruth Victor - Jackson MPA, M.S. Many questions come to mind as we live in our own perspectives of what life is or what life should be. One question is, "Why are connections important"? Connections are formed throughout relationships, either good ones, or bad ones. Is it the foundation of these connections that form how important they are to our growth in life, or do we need them to grow? Could it be an illusion to view one's connection as beneficial just because one has arrived by fortune and fame at[...]

13 Dec 2021

Relationships

Breaking the Cycle

By: Manuel Cruz, MA LMFT Emotional reactivity can be defined as the tendency to experience frequent and intense emotional arousal. In relationships, this happens when one individual is triggered by the behavior or emotion of the other. This trigger causes a fierce emotion and subsequent reaction that fuels a relational cycle filled with conflict, blame, and hurt feelings that, over time, can cause a relationship to break down. An inability to regulate one’s emotions is at the root of negative emotional[...]

15 Nov 2021

Other, Spirituality

Writing Your Heart Out!

by: Veronica Salcido-Rodriguez One of my favorite homework strategies in therapy is to Journal. When people think of journaling, they may think of a diary and think diaries are for teenage girls to express their feelings about a crush. While that may true, journaling or a diary can also be so much more than that, and I believe it is. A journal can be the place where you can write about sadness, anger, happiness, or any thought you may have or that you keep thinking about. It is a place where you can expre[...]

08 Nov 2021

Relationships

How to Help Your Child with Mental Health

Evelia Saucedo, AMFT Building a solid relationship with your children is essential, just as important for your children to have strong relationships with others. Other responsibilities will sometimes get in the way of spending time with your children; it is crucial to find the time and space to spend some time together, even during breakfast or dinner. Building the presence around your child will make a significant impact in helping them feel confident and develop resilience, according to caringforkids.c[...]

23 Sep 2019

Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety: Ways to Heal & Cope

By: Clarice Stout, MA Feeling anxious at times is a part of life and being anxious connects with our stress. Sometimes anxiety can manifest itself in different ways, and when our anxiety rises or feels out of control then we start to think of ourselves as an anxious person. The healthy goal with anxiety is for you to have control over your anxiety versus the anxiety having its control over you. There are many ways to cope and manage chronic anxiety, but the key is finding what coping tools work for you![...]

23 Jun 2019

Relationships

And Then Comes Baby

By; Nancy Ruiz-Barnes, LCSW “Postpartum”, “Prepartum”, “Depression” and “Anxiety“ are all words that described the different feelings that we are experiencing while we are pregnant or after having a baby. As a therapist I have seen that most women will either experience this before pregnancy, during pregnancy or after pregnancy due to a variety of reasons. Some of the most common themes that have come up include but not limited to anxiety and/or depression due to unplanned pregnancy, misca[...]