Articles
Find the Latest Articles from Our Counselors
Find & Feel — Define & Heal
What purpose do emotions serve and why is it so important to be aware of them?
Taming your Triggers
If you’ve ever experienced an unpleasant emotion go from 0 to 100 instantaneously, you know what a trigger feels like! Taming them sort of depends on what kind you’re experiencing. Read on for some real-life advice mixed with some neuro-geek-speak just for fun!
Ring in the Rituals
For over a decade, Barbara Jandu has engaged in an annual ritual of finding one word to ring in the New Year, rather than setting resolutions she’s unlikely to keep. In recent years, researchers have noted mental health benefits from engaging in meaningful rituals…
Inviting Intimacy
In this article, Barbara Jandu explores intimacy in relationships. In our society, the automatic assumption is it has something to do with sex. If you say the word sex, many assume you mean sexual intercourse. But what if intimacy is more than sex, and sex more than ‘insert part A into part B’?
Mindset Matters
At some point along each of our paths, we must decide how we want to view ourselves and the world around us. But it isn’t always as simple as a one-time reframe. Barbara Jandu discusses how to reframe your view and maintain a healthy mindset.
June Bloom
As we enter spring with blooming flowers and wonderful weather, Barbara Jandu, AMFT, explores the experience of blooming internally and how we can get there.
Why We Worry
There are several things we can think of to worry about every day. If we can figure out why we do so, it may help us to choose healthier coping skills instead. In this article Barbara Jandu, AMFT explores some of the main reasons we humans worry.
Good Grief
All of us have experienced various losses throughout our lives. We may feel a sense of loss after losing a job, a relationship, a sentimental object, or a dream. Coming to terms with loss is an unavoidable process we must all face at some time.
Connecting with Kids
Although every situation is not going to be handled perfectly, there are tips that can help you to keep your cool and hold your ground.
Altering Attachment Styles
When some people hear ‘attachment style’, they assume it is a fixed part of personality. In actuality, even personality isn’t fixed. Both a person’s personality and attachment strategy can change with conscious effort.
What’s Your Word?
About a decade ago, I replaced the annual tradition of writing New Year’s Resolutions - (that I usually broke by the end of January) with a single word to bear in mind throughout the year. Here’s how you can too!
Elusive Emotions
We humans tend to struggle with feelings in a variety of ways. Whatever your particular struggle, there are some concrete ways to make peace with these emotions that can at times seem overwhelming, and instead use them for their intended purposes.
Addicted to Excitement
Let’s face it. Most of us are hooked on the pursuit of excitement! Music is getting louder, the beat stronger, and action sequences in movies more frequent and faster. Go to church and you will probably also be bombarded with more stimulating excitement than you’ve had all week!
Cross-Cultural Relationships
When two people meet and marry, they must navigate differences in communication patterns, family-of-origin dynamics, and gender roles. Partners may also come from different socioeconomic backgrounds or religions. So, in many ways, all marriages may be considered intercultural.
Father Forgive Me
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing the dice.
The Art of Self-Care
Many of us already have a lot of great ideas about self-care. Maybe you think of bubble baths, comfort food, exercise, meditation, or a glass of wine. While those things are wonderful, they represent a limited view of self-care. Instead of another to do list, self-care can be seen as more like a life philosophy—a life of caring for the whole self.
What is Codependency?
I once attended a church where we prayed repeatedly for a family with an alcoholic father and husband. We rejoiced when the man turned from his drinking and got involved in the church, but our joy was short lived because his wife soon plunged into depression. Maybe it was her despondency that started the husband drinking again, but as soon as he hit the bottle, she sprang back from her depression
Getting Grounded
Have you ever tried to relax, only to find yourself feeling more stressed or even triggered in the process? If this happens to you, you may want to try grounding instead. Grounding techniques are a bit different from relaxation strategies, in that they are designed to bring your attention to the present moment, especially if you’re stuck thinking of something that happened in the past. If you incorporate an element of something you find spiritually healing as well, grounding can be a powerful way to remind yourself that you’re safe.
Anorexia
Usually, we don’t think much about it until it hits our own families or the family of somebody we know. Cherry’s family was well-known when they traveled the country performing together. The eldest of four beautiful and talented teenage sisters, Cherry determined to maintain her slim appearance so she started a diet that included rigorous fasting, strenuous exercise, and an obsession with food and fasting that almost led to her death. Later, in a best-selling book titled Starved for Attention, singer Pat Boone’s daughter, Cherry Boone O’Neill, wrote about her battles with anorexia and the treatment that led to her recovery.