By Amanda Wiegert Childhood is the prime time for brain development and the time when people typically learn to have healthy attachments and a stable sense of love and security. However, when a person experiences something traumatic during childhood, it can interrupt their brain development and skew their sense of healthy relationships. Every person deserves to have healthy, loving relationships
By: Brian Kurz Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States. If you just received an anxiety diagnosis, you might be experiencing a range of emotions and uncertainty about what to do next. But there is hope! Know that very effective treatments are available and successful! Each type of anxiety disorder has its own treatment plan. Some
By Allison Petro, LMHC When anxiety takes over your mind and body do you find it difficult to think clearly? You feel restless or on edge, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating or your mind going blank, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbance. Some people are simply prone to feeling anxious on a regular basis and for others, it is brought
by Mike Martinez, RMHCI Children can, at times, trigger anger. Many parents know this deep down, but the sentence alone may bring some feelings of sadness. For others, that first sentence is an overwhelming and obvious fact. Maybe that fact is why you’re here reading this. I’m here to let you know that you are not alone. Let’s start by
By: Amanda Wiegert, LMHC, NCC Have you ever seen the acronym EMDR and wondered what it stands for? Maybe this is your first time seeing those four letters put together. Either way, I'd like to help explain what EMDR is and how it can help you. What is EMDR? When we experience trauma, this event overwhelms our brain. We are
By: Allison Petro, LMHC If you have ever experienced clinical depression, you know how scary it can be. I’m not referring to feeling blue for a day or two. I’m talking about true clinical depression. If you're still unsure and want to know how to start treating depression, here are the criteria taken from the American Psychiatric Association: The individual
by Mike Martinez, RMHCI First off, I want to let you know that anger is a normal human emotion which can range from slight irritation to strong rage. Keyword here is “normal.” It can become a problem when we don’t express it appropriately (aggressiveness) or don’t express it at all (resentment). Control & Expectation We want to control things. Who
By: Amanda Wiegert, LMHC, NCC Set healthy boundaries and realistic expectations. Are you noticing that most of your relationships are one-sided or emotionally destructive? Do you find yourself getting involved with the same types of unhealthy relationships over and over again? If you answered "yes" to both questions above, then you may have characteristics of a codependent relationship. What is
By: Allison Petro, LMHC How many times have you said after a first date, "I’m in love! I've found the perfect man! He’s good looking, respectful, funny…" and the list goes on. But, after dating for some time, you are crying about the same man and your new relationship. He never listens, ignores your feelings, and only seems to want
By: Amanda Wiegert, LMHC, NCC In our world today, almost all of us can say that we know someone who is struggling with or has struggled in the past with an addiction. We see it on the news, on social media, and in our own communities. Recently, we learned that singer/songwriter Demi Lovato relapsed after battling with substance abuse and
