Therapy – 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.[...]

19 Dec 2022

Relationships, Uncategorized

Recognizing Verbal Abuse

By: Ligia Orellana MA, LMFT When the topic of abusive relationships comes up in conversation, one automatically assumes physical abuse. Although, there is one type of abuse that can be a lot more subtle. Verbal abuse which can be a frequently normalized type of communication based of one’s experiences in childhood, is one an individual witnesses from their parents; either between parents or parent to child. This type of communication style can suddenly creep into one’s romantic relationship without s[...]

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[...]

Relationships

When is Couple’s Therapy Not Effective?

By Evelia Saucedo, MS, AMFT Couple's treatment is not effective when the couple does not have the same goal of working on the relationship. For instance, if one partner is open to therapy and the other partner is not fully committed to treatment or when there is no honesty in the relationship, when there is domestic violence or when one of the partners has already checked out, according to Relationshipcounselinggroup.com (August 30, 2020). Sometimes, when one partner or both have individual difficulties,[...]

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[...]

06 Dec 2021

Social Issues

Social Media & Mental Health

By: Jordana Moore M.S. LMFT Social media has become a significant part of our lives since the 90s, when it was first created. From Myspace to Tik Tok, our ability to connect with others via social media has transformed over the years and, consequently, has changed our lives. Research shows that 7 out of 10 people use social media. Still, arguably we all interact with it to some capacity as it shows up in the news, during sports broadcasts, in commercials, and many other ways beyond our control. From a[...]

29 Nov 2021

Relationships

Triggered?

By: Megan Montague LMFT “I’m so triggered!” has become a common expression these days, but what does it mean actually to be triggered? Being triggered essentially means that something in the present brings up similar feelings about something that’s happened in the past. How do you know when you’ve been triggered? A good indicator of being triggered is when your response to something feels larger or more intense than what is happening. An excellent example of this can be seen in the case of a wo[...]