Consent Preferences

Relationships

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Exploring Dimensions of Wellness

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Exploring Dimensions of Wellness

When many of us think of “wellness”, the first thing that may come to mind is our physical or mental health. Although our physical and mental health are important aspects of our wellness, there are many more contributing factors. Debbie Stoewen identifies eight separate, but equally important, components of wellness (2017). These eight components, named the “Dimensions of Wellness”, are independent of one another, but can also significantly influence and impact each other as well. These dimensions don’t require equal attention paid to them, but neglecting one can have negative consequences on the others, including our overall wellness.

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Parenting Support: I found out my child is self-harming… what do I do?

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Parenting Support: I found out my child is self-harming… what do I do?

Being a parent and finding out that your child has been intentionally harming themselves without any intent to kill themselves can be bring up a range of emotions; it can be upsetting, difficult, and maybe even confusing. It is something that no parent ever wants to learn about their child. This can bring up many questions for a parent related to how to proceed or why this is happening. The following will help best answer these questions.

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Creating & Maintaining Friendships

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Creating & Maintaining Friendships

In my own experience, and in the experiences of many others I have spoken to, it can be difficult to find new friends or even socialize in general. The Covid-19 pandemic forced many of us into isolation and we are still dealing with it in many ways nearly three years later. At the same time, many of us are getting older and our friend, or ourselves, might feel distanced from long-time and childhood friends as we navigate conflicting work schedules and developing families of our own. Many of us may be moving hundreds or even thousands of miles away from our homes and friends or many of our friends might be doing the same. We may no longer be in school where socializing is convenient and encouraged and we may not be spending time wandering around our neighborhoods, meeting new people. Having a support network of friends, and socializing, is an important aspect to our mental health and well-being. So, what are some ways we can fulfill our need to socialize and maybe make some new friends?

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Tips for Blending Families

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Tips for Blending Families

Blending two families can be a complex and challenging process.  With some basic skills and commitment to ideas like being patient, having open communication, and a willingness to compromise, it is possible to create a harmonious and fulfilling family dynamic. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you are in the process of blending two families:

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What Is Gaslighting?

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What Is Gaslighting?

The term “gaslighting” was one of the top searched terms of 2022.  So what is gaslighting? And how can you identify it?

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Taking A Time-Out

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Taking A Time-Out

Whether it be with our partners, friends, family or a stranger in a grocery store, disagreements, arguments and conflict can happen. They are a normal part of our relationships and even the healthiest of relationships experience them. However, just because everyone experiences them, does not make them any easier to deal with. In fact, in the heat of the moment, even the smallest of disagreements can feel like they begin to spiral out of control and end up turning into a much bigger problem. To navigate these disagreements, there are some strategies we can use to reduce the intensity of the disagreement and possibly even end it in a better place than it began. Although it “takes two to tango”, just one person changing their behavior and responses in a disagreement can change the course of the conversation.

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Is Your Relationship Healthy?

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Is Your Relationship Healthy?

As you go through life, it’s important to fully understand what makes up a healthy relationship. This is something that is not taught in schools & is usually learned through trial & error based on previous experiences. Personal relationships will develop within families, friends, colleagues & acquaintances. The shared experience of living, working & spending time together with similar interests is what creates emotional bonds, interactions & trusting relationships.

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Erikson's Stages of Development

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Erikson's Stages of Development

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) is a psychologist most well known for his model on psychosocial development. Erikson’s focus on the social aspects of development, and the impacts of social influences on our development, differentiated his model from others and provided a framework that would progress the field of psychology for decades to come.  Erikson’s stages of development theory details eight distinct and consecutive stages one progresses through to develop a healthy sense of self.

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Relationship-Building: How To Validate Your Partner

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Relationship-Building: How To Validate Your Partner

Validating your partner is a skill that is essential to establishing and maintaining intimacy.  When you validate your partner, you are letting them know that you see how they are feeling, their feelings are important to you, and you are giving reassurance that they feel that way.  Everyone has a different experience, and those in distress may experience painful feelings for different reasons.  What is hurtful for one partner may not be the same for another.  Validating your partner is not the same as being in agreement, you can still disagree and validate. 

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Infidelity in Relationships: What to Know.

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Infidelity in Relationships: What to Know.

Infidelity in marriages has been a topic of interest for many years, with many studies conducted on the topic. Recently, with divorce rates being what they are in the United States, there has been an increase in the amount of research focused on understanding the causes and effects of infidelity as well as possible ways of minimizing the probability of it occurring.

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The Importance Of Saying “No”

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The Importance Of Saying “No”

The word “no” is just two letters but can feel so intimidating and off putting to say to others. To some, this can be one of the most difficult words to udder. Despite the want to say “no” to another person, the words “yes, absolutely” or “no problem” can come in its place. Next thing you know, you are committed to a task or an event that you did not want to complete or attend. Saying “no” is an important skill to acquire and practice in order to begin prioritizing your own mental health and emotional needs.

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Navigating Friendship Breakups

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Navigating Friendship Breakups

As a society, there are often conversations that occur about the breakups and endings of romantic relationships; however, it seems that there are very little conversations about the ending or “breakup” of friendships. In a romantic relationship there is typically a conversation and formal ending, which provides some sort of closure and explanation. Whereas friendship “breakups” don’t always have the same sentiment, phone calls and texts become fewer and further between, and soon the only updates you really know about their lives are on social media. These friendship “breakups” cause unanswered questions along with some confusion as to how to grieve this ending. Society and pop culture display the grieving of a romantic relationship ending, but the friendship breakups seem to be less displayed or discussed. On the flip side, due to the lack of conversation about friendship breakups, it can cause individuals to feel an obligation to maintain friendships in life that no longer serve any positive purpose. The friendship can continue to go on, despite feelings of being hurt, because “breaking up” with a friend can be seem unorthodox.

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Supporting Others Emotional-Wellbeing: Ways To Support Someone Struggling With Depression

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Supporting Others Emotional-Wellbeing: Ways To Support Someone Struggling With Depression

Depression is ubiquitous, and unfortunately, a loved one in our life may struggle. When someone we love is having a difficult time, all we want to do is help, but many ask how? You can let them know you have noticed the change and express empathy.

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Do’s and Don’ts When Achieving Relationship Goals

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Do’s and Don’ts When Achieving Relationship Goals

On social media or in conversation, the term “relationship goals” has gained popularity as a term used in response to an example of a relationship that one feels represents the desired relationship in their life. In couple’s therapy, goals are crucial to establish and continue to interact with and update throughout the process to help keep the treatment focused and productive for the couple. Being able to develop genuine and wise-minded goals is more challenging than you think.

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Ways To Cope With Divorce

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Ways To Cope With Divorce

While healing from a divorce, you may experience a grieving process and there are things you can focus on during this time. Exhaustion, overwhelming feelings, negative and painful feelings may arise and while these can be scary, they are also normal and can be worked through. Here are some ways to cope through the process of moving forward from a divorce.

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Respecting Boundaries: How To Approach a Boundary When It Is Set

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Respecting Boundaries: How To Approach a Boundary When It Is Set

When someone sets a boundary, it can feel sudden. To you, it may not even feel as though you were acting or speaking in a way that made this other person feel as though they needed to set a boundary. You may freeze up, become upset, or even start an argument. Oftentimes, there are conversations focused on the importance of setting boundaries and how to do this, but there is not much discussion on how to navigate boundaries that others are setting with us. Read along to find out answers to some of the questions you may have.

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Using an Imagined Force Field to Reduce Conflict in Your Relationship

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Using an Imagined Force Field to Reduce Conflict in Your Relationship

There are many ways that people strive to conceptualize their relationships and that of others around them. It is hard to apply a framework to something so complex, so what is being offered in this blog post is not a full framework but rather a device to use to help side-step being defensive, reduce co-dependency, and increase your commitment to your personal values while in the context of a relationship.

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Understanding Myths Around Eating Disorders

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Understanding Myths Around Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can be complicated, confusing, and overall a frustrating truth for some people. Recovery is not linear, easy, or as simple as “just eat”. It’s not simply “just buy clothes that fit you”, or “maybe you should start going to the gym?”. Some of these comments can be incredibly hurtful, triggering, and lead to a relapse and worsening symptoms. There are some myths about eating disorders that can lead some people to not take the diagnosis seriously. Recovery is the most successful when you and your family and/or support system learn about common eating disorder myths and accept a new way of thinking. Eating disorder recovery may challenge common beliefs you have learned over your lifetime, generationally through your family, society, or medical professionals. Let’s take the time to get familiar with the truth!

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The Road to Recovery: A Recovery Journey With My Daughter.

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The Road to Recovery: A Recovery Journey With My Daughter.

If you are a parent seeking out help and to better understand how to support your child, male or female, living with an eating disorder, below are some strategies and resources for you. Maybe you just started to learn more, or you are here because you suspect your child is struggling with unhealthy eating habits, or maybe something more severe.

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Parenting Strategies: Navigating Time Outs and Punishment

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Parenting Strategies: Navigating Time Outs and Punishment

Most parents have been in the situation where their child continues to act out, break rules, or even talk back; all these situations can be frustrating and disheartening. Now think back to these times and how it is that you reacted. Did you find that your reaction was effective in changing or stopping the unwanted behavior? The way that parents react and discipline in these situations can be a great learning opportunity for their child.