By Don Damsteegt, PhD. With pleasant thoughts of food, family and decoration, the holidays can be a source of joy for many people. For others, this time of year can be associated with anxiety and stress. In fact, the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Stress in … [Read more...]

By Marie Garry, MA, LMHC For many of us the winter blues consists of complaints about the weather, mornings where we want to stay in bed, warm and cozy, or feeling restless with cabin fever. For others the winter season affects them significantly and presents a greater … [Read more...]

Talk therapy vs. medication vs. both? By Patricia Steflik, LMHC The take away message from TV, internet and other forms of media advertisements would have us believe that the answer to all manner of ailments or conditions lies in a “pill.” The recent July … [Read more...]

While the holidays are seen by many as a joyful time, they can also be a stressful time for many people, particularly women (who tend to feel particularly responsible for the family like shopping, cooking, and holiday celebrations) and lower middle income individuals (who … [Read more...]

According to US estimates from The National Institute of Mental Health, between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of girls and women (i.e. 5-10 million people) and 1 million boys and men suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or other … [Read more...]

How have you been sleeping? Where are you sleeping? How long do you sleep? If you are like most adults, you are likely not getting enough sleep. Most adults try to get by on five to six hours of sleep each night. We are busy. You may work outside of the home and then have … [Read more...]

There will be times that I will suggest that you journal, as part of your therapy homework. Keeping a journal is recording your thoughts and feelings, just as they are. No sugar coating. No tidying it up...the raw thoughts and feelings. This is your private writing and you … [Read more...]

By Keri Christensen L.I.S.W. Parenting has always been a difficult task but has become even more difficult in our fast-paced society. Many times parents feel like a taxi, running their children from activity to activity. With hectic work schedules and many parents working … [Read more...]

By Ken Fate, MS, LMHC I once asked my father why he made us work so much and had so many rules.  He said, “Well, I wanted you to not like it here so much that you would want to come back and stay.”  He was saying this tongue in cheek, but he helped me separate from the … [Read more...]