Am I an Empath?
An empath is often described as one who identifies with another person’s emotions as if they were their own. This personality trait goes beyond the usual definitions of relating to others. For example, being sympathetic is merely understanding another’s experience. Empathy moves beyond this definition, where somebody feels for or with another person.
The Power of Listening Part II: Friends, Family, and Partners
Giving one another our attention is powerful. It signals that we are interested. It invites the speaker to continue to engage with us. It communicates that we are interested not only in their story, but in them. It is a subtle sign of acceptance, of inclusion, and of worth. It doesn’t mean we agree with the speaker, but it does mean that we see them.
Beating the Winter Blues: A Social Worker's Guide to Embracing Light and Wellness
As the days grow shorter and the darkness descends earlier, many individuals find themselves grappling with the emotional weight of seasonal depression. As a social worker, I understand the impact that changing seasons can have on mental health. In this post, we’ll explore 7 effective and practical tips to help you and your child navigate the challenges of the winter blues and emerge stronger, happier, and healthier.
5 Ways Psychodynamic Therapy Can Benefit You
Rooted in psychoanalytic theory, psychodynamic therapy focuses on helping clients become aware of their unconscious processes. More specifically, how feelings, impulses, and defense mechanisms may be influencing your current behavior and personality, and why those mechanisms were created in the first place.
What is Movember and How Does it Relate to Mental Health?
Movember is primarily to bring attention to various medical and mental health issues that men often face or go unspoken, and to promote longer healthier men’s lives. Movember examines mental health from a perspective tailored to men, emphasizing preventative measures, early intervention, and the promotion of well-being.
Antidepressants Aren’t Always Medications
Did you know that depression can be influenced by a loss of connection? What areas in your life are you feeling disconnect? Perhaps it’s at work or with people, maybe you feel disconnected from joy as you seek after achievements. It’s possible to disconnect from the past, especially if you have experienced traumatic events. Disconnect can also arise in the face of inequality. Maybe a lack of movement is disconnecting you from your body or the world around you.
Songs For Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month
Sometimes there are no words that can help ease pain experienced in our lives. The only thing we can do is ride the waves of emotion. Sitting with emotions can be really uncomfortable and even scary. I’ve found that music can help me feel the feelings I need to feel in a controlled way so I can move with the wave until it subsides and I can feel my feet under me again.
Tips for Parents of LGBTQIA Youth
If you are a parent of an LGBTQIA youth moving towards accepting your child's identity read this to learn the importance of familial support to LGBTQIA youth as well as practical actions to support your child through this moment.
Fellow Clinicians: Self-Care Will Not Save us From Pain
I am a therapist and some of my favorite clients are also clinicians. Some come to therapy to work on their own stuff and others come because they are experiencing work related problems like secondary trauma stress, burnout or a loss of compassion satisfaction. When I work with other clinicians, I love the instant camaraderie I feel; without saying a word, we have a shared understanding about the joys and pains of the job.
Exploring Faith Transition Through the Lens of Cognitive Dissonance
Thinking about faith transition through the social psychological lens of cognitive dissonance can help us understand the painful process of changing beliefs.
What is EMDR?
What is EMDR? This is a common question that people have when they see EMDR listed as a specialty in a therapist’s bio, as many of us can be unfamiliar with psychology lingo. Jamie Kelly, CSW, is trained in EMDR and will help answer some questions about EMDR, with a helpful handout that gives a basic rundown of what this therapeutic technique looks like.
Tips to Get Your Child Back-To-School Ready
As summer break draws to an end, the excitement of a new school year can sometimes be accompanied by feelings of anxiety for children. School anxiety and school refusal are common issues children face this time of year. Such behavior may become a routine problem in a small percentage of students. Some children with school refusal may have an earlier history of separation anxiety, social anxiety, or depression.
Emotional Connection
Emotional connection is a form of vulnerability and intimacy that couples need to have in order to maintain healthy and secure attachments. It is more than saying “I love you” or having consensual sexual relations with your partner, but it is allowing your partner to see and be present with you in all forms of emotion, including ones that require vulnerability, such as pain, sadness, shame, loneliness, or fear. These emotions can come from our personal triggers, unresolved past experiences, or attachment needs not being met. However, sharing and understanding one’s emotions can be difficult and does not come easily for everyone.
Want To Know the Secret to a Happy Marriage?
Surprisingly, the answer ISN’T a lack of conflict between a couple. Whether it’s about not having enough sex, the dirty laundry, or spending too much money, conflict is inevitable in every marriage. Happiness lies in the “positive affect” a couple has during the conflict. So what does that mean?
What Sex Therapy Can Teach Us
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first conference with the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), which “provides training, community and visibility to promote the understanding of human sexuality and healthy sexual behavior.” While I am not an AASECT-certified sex therapist, I attended this conference to better my understanding of and ability to effectively work the concerns related to sexuality that are central to the human experience and that I see clients wrestling with every day in my office. On reflecting on the experience, I have three takeaways to share
What Parents Need to Know When Taking Your Child to Play Therapy
Deciding to take yourself to therapy can be a vulnerable and scary step for anyone and is filled with lots of unknowns. Bringing your child to therapy can feel just as vulnerable and scary for both you and your child. Here are some things you can expect when you decide to bring your child to therapy for the first time.
Self-Care in 30 Seconds
“Self-care” has become a buzz word in our current society, but what if I told you it doesn’t have to mean what you might think. Getting a massage, taking a bath, going for a walk, doing yoga, etc. are common things we may think of when we hear the word “self-care”, but self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
You’ve Got Dragons: An Upcoming Story Time at Wasatch Family Therapy
My colleague, Amy Lambert LCSW, and I are hosting a one-day workshop for kids ages 6-11 who experience anxiety in learning how to help themselves increase their ability to access their rational brains, meaning they will be better able to problem solve what to do when they feel overwhelmed by their anxiety.
Shhhhh! I'm Trying To Be Mindful!
Mindfulness is all the rage right now. The problem is trying to find the time to be mindful! This easy mindfulness exercise only takes five minutes or less!