Since April is Counseling Awareness Month, I thought this would be a great time to talk about what counseling is, how it can help, and who provides it. A few terms used to describe counselors include therapist, psychotherapist, or “shrink,” but what is counseling? In essence, counseling or therapy is a therapeutic relationship in which a mental health professional helps...[ read more ]
Today, I want to share about a product I’ve been using to help manage my anxiety disorder. It’s worth noting that I am using this product in addition to other mental health interventions. Bach Rescue Remedy is considered homeopathic, which is alternative medicine. It is all natural, vegan, and gluten-free. Ingredients/ uses My review If you keep up with my...[ read more ]
Today, I’ll share some things that I’ve been doing recently to support my mental health. I’ve been in a very transitional season of life. I was laid off at the end of December and have been going through the hectic process of starting my business. I finished my counseling residency in January and passed my state licensure exam earlier this...[ read more ]
I’m amazed at how prevalent my issues with body image and weight management continue to be… In 2019… 8 years after I lost about 100 lbs in 11 months time. Welcome to my struggle. Before the transformation I was always overweight growing up. I had very little understanding about food, calories, and how physical activity is required to offset the...[ read more ]
At the age of 26, I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve never lost a person who I’ve been close to. I was there to help my mom when her husband died suddenly of a heart attack in 2017. I’m also a therapist, so I’ve worked with many clients who are struggling with grief. It wasn’t until I suffered my own...[ read more ]
Part 1(Past): A personality shaped by childhood Childhood was characterized by both good and bad. Good: I made honor roll and did well in school. Bad: I was overweight, was often bullied, and struggled with social anxiety for most of my childhood. I believe this background contributed to me becoming introverted, assertive, and hardworking in the present. Since I didn’t...[ read more ]
You find yourself marking ‘Decline with regrets’ on a wedding invitation. Staying home from the office Christmas party. Being terrified at the thought of the wait staff singing “Happy Birthday” to you at a restaurant. And saying things like, “You go in, I’ll wait in the car.” A quick google search defines Social Anxiety as “some amount of fear in...[ read more ]
Written 5.10.18 “It is possible to have too much of a good thing.” ~Unknown We’ve all heard this quote at some point in our lives. It’s one of those quotes that can relate to almost any circumstance or situation. Today, I’m gonna talk about how it applies to how we cope with stress or adversity. We all have coping skills...[ read more ]
Though I’ve been writing on the topic of mental health, I enjoy reading other blogs on the topic as well. I’ve seen several that talk about medications prescribed for conditions like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. For this post, I’d like to share some of my insights about mental health medication both from a personal standpoint (I was diagnosed with...[ read more ]
This post is based on my experience counseling children, adolescents, and adults. In addition, my wife is a school counselor, experienced working with primary and elementary school students. She’s provided me with additional insights to include. We all know what bullying is. Someone is being picked on. A person is trying to overpower someone else. Someone is asserting dominance over...[ read more ]