By Rory Scher, LMFT Thinking we can find lasting pleasure and avoid pain is what keeps us miserable, caught in a hopeless cycle of suffering–Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart All of us on some level wish we could escape emotional pain. While we may not use these exact words, what many of us are saying is: I want to… Continue Reading »
Getting Unstuck
By Felicity Dineen, LPC Have you ever had the thought, “I feel stuck”? If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky. This is a very familiar and common feeling for a lot of people. Whether it be in a relationship, a job, a city, or any other situation, feeling stuck can happen at any point in one’s life. Many times this feeling… Continue Reading »
Making It Through Your First Breakup
By Lexy Ulrich I remember sitting in my office one evening as a young woman told me about her recent breakup. She said, “He is the one who ended things. And I don’t want to be that girl who can’t get over it, but people keep telling me I need to move on. Everyone assumes that our love was shallow,… Continue Reading »
How to Identify Passive-Aggressive Behavior
Most people who come to me for counseling—whether it’s for anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, substance abuse, or stress management—are on some level dealing with a shame issue, a pervasive or occasionally triggered sense of not being good enough. Shame is part of the human condition; we all have it to some one degree or another. When we’re ashamed, we tend… Continue Reading »
I Feel Crazy, But Am I? Understanding Gaslighting
By Rory Scher, LMFT We hear all the time that physical aggression is abusive; what we don’t often hear or recognize is that emotional abuse can be equally damaging. One such type of emotional abuse is called gaslighting. Gaslighting is a tactic of emotional manipulation designed to create extreme doubt in someone’s memory, sense of competence, and ultimately, one’s sanity…. Continue Reading »
Validation: the Key to Successful Relationships
By Marilee Feldman, LCPC, CADC “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” —David Augsburger If I had to name the single most critical aspect of any relationship, I would say it’s validation. When we’re validated, the other person “gets us” and we feel understood, accepted, and supported. Can you remember… Continue Reading »