14 ways to tell if a relationship is toxic.
14 Toxic Relationship Signs
According the great writer Leo Tolstoy “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Our sources say, ‘Not true Tolstoy’, of course when psychologists and social scientists put their noses in the matter we can quantify and define the exact toxic relationship signs to look out for.
A healthy marriage, friendship, or...
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Gottman Method Marriage Counseling
Gottman Method Marriage Counseling
Gottman Method Couples counseling is a form of therapy created by Drs John and Judy Gottman, which aims to support a positive and constructive relationship between two married or dating partners. Gottman method counseling is grounded in research and is proven to be one of the most effective ways to help couples enhance their relationship. The theory...
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How to Boost Your Brain Health, BDNF!
How to Boost Your Brain Health
If you knew that tweaking some lifestyle habits could act like brain fertilizer, building new connections to reduce your risk of dementia, improve mood and reduce depression, improve heart function, and more, would you want to learn about it? Lauri Lang, RDN, LDN, is here as your licensed nutritionist to help you navigate those changes and learn about the best...
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What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a common buzz word and psychological term, but what is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? According to the Beck Institute, In clinical terms, it is a specific theoretical therapy that is used as a psychological treatment. Since its creation in the 1960’s by Dr. Aaron Beck, CBT has been proven to help reduce the symptoms associated with a range of...
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Meditation, Ommmm-my! Getting from Mind-Full to Mindfulness!
We all have the innate capacity for greater clarity, calm, and focus. Consciousness is in fact a skill that can be sharpened when each day we wipe clean the debris that clouds our minds and trickles even into our physical bodies. Mindfulness meditation is a kind of focused awareness where we become distinctly aware of our selves, the nature of our thoughts, the quality of the sensations...
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Fire & Ice – What’s my conflict resolution style and the relationship problems it can cause?
When couples say that they have conflict or problems with communication they really mean that they have a trigger topic that is non solvable or that they have different ways of managing conflict. This causes their disagreements to have a fire or ice quality. I will describe each of these styles and inherently none of them is worse that the other, but depending on what your partner’s style of...
Learn MoreSamantha Ricci
Pediatric Counseling
When individuals experience trauma or toxic stress it is not uncommon to need therapeutic support and guidance. Samantha Ricci, MS, LPC is passionate about helping to create a safe and effective space for individuals to explore emotions and traumatic/ stressful experiences. To help her clients, who include children, adults, couples, and families who are experiencing...
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What is an LPC vs LMHC vs LCSW – Counseling has many abbreviations, all the answers here!
If you are trying to find a counselor or therapist, you might start to become overwhelmed with options and confused by all of the abbreviations for credentials. Or maybe you are considering furthering your education in the mental health field but are not sure which degree is the best for you. Allow this helpful guide to take you through the various meanings which make up those...
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Nutrition and Health Tips Having a Healthy Holiday
Holiday Nutrition and Health Tips
Having a Healthy Holiday
The holidays are here and along with them we have tremendous potential for time with loved ones, a flurry of new and exciting opportunities to celebrate. Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years blessings do not end with togetherness. Eating and breaking that celebrated bread are one of the most fundamental ways that we have come...
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‘5 Awesome and Up-worthy Benefits of A Digital Detox’
‘5 Awesome and Up-worthy Benefits of A Digital Detox’
Mental clutter, anxiety, ‘fubbing’ and stress related disease are just a few of the human spoils which we can estimate are at least in some part perpetuated by our over-reliance on cell phones and digital solutions. The technology era is here and the evidence is within our aching and gnarled fingers, computer blurred-out...
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Live Your Best Life, How to Slay anything in 2019
Live Your Best Life, How to Slay anything in 2019.
New year, new you? Well, maybe, whether you will be a wistful dreamer or a winning achiever of your New Year’s resolution really dwindles down to this; ‘How do you mentally prepare yourself for the process of change?’ We all look forward to the prospect of a new year, we start off with a fantastically shiny hope, we can do anything with these...
Learn MoreNutrition and Health Tips Having a Healthy Holiday
Holiday-Nutrition and Health Tips
Having a Healthy Holiday
The holidays are here and along with them we have tremendous potential for time with loved ones, a flurry of new and exciting opportunities to celebrate. Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years blessings do not end with togetherness. Eating and breaking that celebrated bread are one of the most fundamental ways that we have come...
Learn MoreTrauma; Honor For Your Healing Journey
Honor your healing journey
The four things your therapist wants you to know about your healing journey. When you’re healing from a grief, trauma, or resultant PTSD, you must be thinking about ‘how will I ever move on from this horrible, unexpected, agonizing reaction to the traumatic situation that I have experienced?’ Remember, PTSD is a reaction to witnessing or experiencing a sudden...
Learn MoreProviding Grace and Resilience to Trauma Survivors, How To – Help Guide.
Provide grace & resilience to trauma survivors.
How to Provide Grace and Resiliency to a Friend or Family Member Who Discloses Trauma.
According to the United States Veterans Administration, about 50% of women and 60% of men will...
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Hands off-Please Do Not Touch My Body, Yoga and Consent.
Consent, Please Do Not Touch My Body
Hands off-Please Do Not Touch My Body.
Closeness is sacred and powerful, and we should share it however we would like with a partner or partners with whom we have provided consent. Personally, I am a ‘toucher’, meaning I am a person who enjoys touch with my partner, someone who hugs family and friends and genuinely savors safe closeness. As we...
Learn MoreWhat are the benefits of a high fat diet?
What are the benefits of a high fat diet?
Liz Mckinney, CNS, LDN continues to examine the big fat myth and share some more information and sample mean plan to incorporate the dietary changes of a high fat diet into your busy lifestyle. Our last blog post caused quite a stir and we want to be sure that our readers understand the differences between ‘good fats’ and ‘bad...
Learn MoreThe Big Fat Myth
Big Fat Myth, High Fat Diet and how it affects health.
Open a women’s magazine or examine the back of a food label, you will find the ‘evidence’ there. It’s easy to find ready sources that say dietary fat is bad news for your waist line, cholesterol, skin, mood, you name it. Many clinicians still hold that saturated fats like coconut oil, butter and beef cause weight gain,...
Learn MoreKetogenic Diet
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
By: Liz Mckinney, CNS, LDN
The Ketogenic or Keto diet for short is a buzzword now, but it’s not new! Decades ago, it was used primarily to treat epilepsy in children whose seizures were uncontrolled. Research found that those with epilepsy had fewer seizures when in a state of ketosis vs. being glucose dependent. Today, there are many more applications for this diet...
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