Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh logo
(412) 322-2129
New client
Patient Portal
Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh logo
412-322-2129
featured_image

Playing the Victim? A Deeper Look at Victim Mentality

by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghMay 16, 2025 choice theory, emotional invalidation, external locus of control, helpless, helplessness, invalidation, learned helplessness, maladaptive assumptions, maladaptive coping mechanisms, personal power, playing the victim, powerlessness, self protection, victim blaming, victim complex, victim mentality, victimhood0 comments
Playing the Victim? A Deeper Look at Victim Mentality If you’ve been accused of playing the victim, or if you’re trying to understand why someone you know seems stuck in a cycle of helplessness, you’re not alone. The term “victim mentality” often stirs up strong emotions and assumptions. It’s frequently associated with manipulation or avoidance of responsibility,...
Learn More
featured_image

Limiting External Locus of Control for Personal Power

by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghApril 17, 2025 choice theory, external locus of control, faulty beliefs, helpless, helplessness, internal locus of control, learned helplessness, locus of control, luck, personal power, personal responsibility, powerless, powerlessness, self efficacy0 comments
Limiting External Locus of Control for Personal Power Do you ever feel like life is just happening to you, with external forces like luck, fate, or other people dictating the outcomes no matter how hard you try? When everything seems beyond your control, it’s easy to feel stuck and powerless. Psychologists explore these experiences through concepts like locus of...
Learn More
featured_image

Why Am I So Defensive? Defensiveness as Self Advocacy?

by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghMarch 17, 2025 defend, defensive, defensiveness, gottman method, invalidating, invalidation, self advocacy, self efficacy, self empowerment, self protection, why am i so defensive0 comments
Why Am I So Defensive? Exploring Defensiveness as Self Advocacy You sit down to dinner with your partner and they make a comment about having pasta again this week. You feel a rush of heat, and before you know it, you’re becoming defensive, overexplaining yourself about how busy your week has been, how you didn’t have time, and so what if it’s pasta again....
Learn More
featured_image

Learned Helplessness: End the Cycle of Powerlessness

by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghDecember 18, 2023 chronic stress, complex trauma, cptsd, early childhood experiences, helpless, helplessness, learned helplessness, powerless, powerlessness, self efficacy, self empowerment, stress, stress management, trauma, traumatic childhood0 comments
Learned Helplessness: End the Cycle of Powerlessness Learned helplessness, a psychological phenomenon discovered by psychologist Martin Seligman in the late 1960s, speaks to a state of mind where you believe you have no control over your circumstances. This leads to passive acceptance of negative situations even when opportunities for change exist, with profound...
Learn More
Contact Us
close slider

    How did you hear about us?...(required)

    *By submitting this form you acknowledge and accept the risks of communicating your health information via unencrypted email and electronic messaging and wish to continue despite those risks. Every month we email new mental health articles, new therapist bios and more. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.