Here are a few tips for easing into Fall this year:
- Make plans: plan
a trip or a walk, something to look forward to on the calendar.
- Be in the moment:
be spontaneous and have an outdoor picnic or take a day trip.
- Embrace the
change of season: take a walk on a cooler evening or go apple picking.
- You get to choose
your attitude towards the shifting seasons: choose to enjoy the good parts (cozy sweaters and hot apple cider).
Feeling more down
than usual or other changes in your mood and typical behavior can be difficult
to change on your own. So, get support and make sure you discuss this further
with a therapist to help get you on a health track this Fall.
For more
information, visit www.HealingLLC.com or contact us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com
or 240-274-5680.
Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C,
CEAP, Director & Psychotherapist and
Jill Gordon,
LCSW-C, Psychotherapist
Showing posts with label therapist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label therapist. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Friday, August 23, 2013
What to say when someone dies...
Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one as part of life. Though it is a part of life, it can often be a difficult one to know how to navigate for those directly and indirectly affected by such losses. Others losses can remind us of our own recent or distant losses. You may be afraid to say “the wrong thing”; however if you stop and think about it, is there a “wrong” way to show and express your sympathy for ones loss? Take this opportunity to really stop and think…
Now, in thinking about someones loss try and challenge yourself to wonder what you would want and need from a friend, co-worker, or family member if you were the one closely affected by the death.
Do you want someone to be with you?
Do you need some space and time to reflect?
Do you need to not think about making dinner for the next week?
Do you want a hug and a good cry?
It is important to remember everyone grieves differently, in our own way and own time. It can be helpful to keep in mind that even though some time may have passed, the loss is still very real and present for that person. Acknowledgement of this can be so meaningful; having a witness to ones grief (whether it be a therapist or friend) can really offer the feeling of not being so alone.
If you have having a difficult time with a recent or previous loss, and want some support working through it, feel free to call our office at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com to start getting the help you are looking for.
Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC
Monday, April 29, 2013
Are you a Mind Reader? Do you wish people knew what you wanted?
The mind-reading fantasy
“He should just know how it makes me feel when he does that!”
“She should know what that look on my face means by now.”
The fantasy of mind-reading in our relationships is a real wish for many people. What is it? You know when you expect your partner, parent, or friend just knew what to do or say? Or wish she knew just what you wanted for your birthday without having to spell it out? Mind-reading is the idea that your significant other always knows just what you think/feel/want/need and how to respond accordingly. The reality is, without asking, you may not know what she wants, and without her telling you, you really may not know. What you think, and what actually is happening in an others thoughts just might be two different realities.
What this comes down to is the desire one has for another to anticipate and meet his/her own needs. Sounds pretty basic, right? Well it can be. Mature, healthy adults are responsible for having our own needs met; oftentimes in the communication to and with our partner.
What can you do? Start by being more aware of this kind of thought process of mind reading. Take a moment and try and take a more global picture of the situation and see if you could be jumping to conclusions based on a possible false belief. Instead of assuming you think you know, ask. Ask for clarification. Take the opportunity to learn what your loved one wants and needs from you.
Save the mind reading for the fortune tellers…
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A Mind at Ease - The Right Relationship (Part 3 of 3)
We get the greatest benefits from therapy when we can speak candidly with our counselor and trust him or her to create a safe space for us to explore our ideas, thoughts, and emotions. It is absolutely critical for the connection to feel like a “good fit” between us and our therapist, because that relationship provides the arena where change, growth, and healing can happen.
If you decide to try therapy, choosing a therapist will be an important decision. It’s okay to explore options and look around for the right person to work with.
First, choose several counselors and give them a phone call. Find therapists online, get referrals from friends, or the phone book. Give a short summary of the challenges you’re facing and what you’d like to accomplish with therapy.
Take some time to learn about the therapist’s style. Ask them to tell you about their approach to counseling. Some give more feedback and are directive, while others are quieter and give you more time for self-reflection. There are therapists who give homework to do between sessions, while others do not. No technique is right or wrong, but one may be a better fit for you than another.
From your brief conversation, figure out whether it feels good to talk to this person; if it does, you can make an appointment.
While you’re shopping around, it’s okay to book an appointment with a couple of different therapists. You can even let them know that you’re talking to several therapists to find the best one for you. A good counselor will want you to feel comfortable with whomever you choose and will support your process in finding a good match.
The future looks a little brighter when you walk out of a therapist’s office. Once you’ve found the right one for you, what seemed like chaos in your mind and your life can begin to make sense. You can learn to take control and live more fully, more authentically, right now.
And that puts a mind at ease.
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP is counselor who helps regular, everyday people who are struggling through life’s difficult times to take charge of their lives and feel better about themselves. She is the director of Another Look at Healing, LLC, a counseling and wellness center in Gaithersburg, MD, where adults, teens, and couples come for individual psychotherapy or group therapy. For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/therapywork or contact Amy at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or 240-274-5680.
If you decide to try therapy, choosing a therapist will be an important decision. It’s okay to explore options and look around for the right person to work with.
First, choose several counselors and give them a phone call. Find therapists online, get referrals from friends, or the phone book. Give a short summary of the challenges you’re facing and what you’d like to accomplish with therapy.
Take some time to learn about the therapist’s style. Ask them to tell you about their approach to counseling. Some give more feedback and are directive, while others are quieter and give you more time for self-reflection. There are therapists who give homework to do between sessions, while others do not. No technique is right or wrong, but one may be a better fit for you than another.
From your brief conversation, figure out whether it feels good to talk to this person; if it does, you can make an appointment.
While you’re shopping around, it’s okay to book an appointment with a couple of different therapists. You can even let them know that you’re talking to several therapists to find the best one for you. A good counselor will want you to feel comfortable with whomever you choose and will support your process in finding a good match.
The future looks a little brighter when you walk out of a therapist’s office. Once you’ve found the right one for you, what seemed like chaos in your mind and your life can begin to make sense. You can learn to take control and live more fully, more authentically, right now.
And that puts a mind at ease.
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP is counselor who helps regular, everyday people who are struggling through life’s difficult times to take charge of their lives and feel better about themselves. She is the director of Another Look at Healing, LLC, a counseling and wellness center in Gaithersburg, MD, where adults, teens, and couples come for individual psychotherapy or group therapy. For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/therapywork or contact Amy at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or 240-274-5680.
A Mind at Ease - A Joyful Journey with Therapy (Part 2 of 3)
Therapy takes us on a journey of self-understanding, healing past hurts, improving current relationships, increasing healthy coping mechanisms, and finding self-acceptance. We can learn to attend to our own needs, to self-soothe, to find validation from within, and to increase self-control and self-love.
One common strategy to explore in therapy is looking at our past to make sense of our present. The wounds and hurts of our past can give powerful clues about how we see and interact with the world today. Examining these past hurts and working to resolve them might be painful, but a therapist can support you through the process.
It takes courage to let go of the old patterns, negative self-messages, and destructive behaviors that are no longer working for us. With the support of a trusted therapist, we can gain a new perspective and begin seeing the world differently. We gain the ability to react and respond to situations in new, healthy ways. Examining our past and present guides the work of becoming the person we want to be and getting unstuck from our past.
A counselor may also offer specific skills and coping mechanisms to help us in our healing journey. For example, they may teach us how to do deep breathing to decrease anxiety or use specific communication skills to get our needs met. They may share problem-solving techniques to help eliminate depression. Even the act of talking with our therapist will teach us something, too: how to calmly sit with strong feelings and emotions and communicate them to someone who cares about us. Practicing talking with your therapist can help you figure out how to communicate effectively in your other relationships. You can learn to express your true needs, discover what it’s like to have someone truly listen and help you meet those needs, and be free from other people’s expectations and projected desires.
For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/therapywork for details.
One common strategy to explore in therapy is looking at our past to make sense of our present. The wounds and hurts of our past can give powerful clues about how we see and interact with the world today. Examining these past hurts and working to resolve them might be painful, but a therapist can support you through the process.
It takes courage to let go of the old patterns, negative self-messages, and destructive behaviors that are no longer working for us. With the support of a trusted therapist, we can gain a new perspective and begin seeing the world differently. We gain the ability to react and respond to situations in new, healthy ways. Examining our past and present guides the work of becoming the person we want to be and getting unstuck from our past.
A counselor may also offer specific skills and coping mechanisms to help us in our healing journey. For example, they may teach us how to do deep breathing to decrease anxiety or use specific communication skills to get our needs met. They may share problem-solving techniques to help eliminate depression. Even the act of talking with our therapist will teach us something, too: how to calmly sit with strong feelings and emotions and communicate them to someone who cares about us. Practicing talking with your therapist can help you figure out how to communicate effectively in your other relationships. You can learn to express your true needs, discover what it’s like to have someone truly listen and help you meet those needs, and be free from other people’s expectations and projected desires.
For more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com/therapywork for details.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Times of Transition - New Ideas for a New Season
Summer has ended and the leaves are turning color. Are you feeling stuck? What types of transitions are you thinking about? Are there some changes you are looking to make? If so, what is stopping you? What benefit do you get from not changing – is it less effort, more familiar, comfortable? What could be the benefit of making changes – do you want to feel renewed, energized, and back in balance?
If you are looking to start fresh or transition into a new chapter of your life, take a look at the below tips for how to start.
1. Make a list of what you want your life to look like in 3 months, 6 months or next year. Do you want to spend more time with friends or family? Do you want to decrease the stress in your life?
2. Once you have made your list, figure out how you can make the changes and what is stopping you. For example, if you want more time with friends, can you meet a friend on your lunch break, stop by to see them on your way home, or have a potluck dinner party?
3. Clean out your life. Many dream interpreters believe that when you dream of your house, you are really dreaming about your life. The main floor of your home is your daily life, the basement is the deeper issue. You can clean out that back closet you haven’t see the bottom of in years. Or, make some new curtains out of some old fabric. Rearrange the furniture in your bedroom. If you take action and make changes, you will find yourself feeling less stuck and more ready for the days ahead.
4. Mend or forgive old relationships. Is there a friend or family member who you are not feeling as close to as you used to? Friends change along the way, are these people the ones you want in your life, or are they not the friends you thought they were. Relationships take work. If you want to rebuild a relationship, start with an open, honest conversation. If you have moved on and the relationship is one you are ready to part with, forgive yourself. You are not being mean, you are taking care of yourself and filling your life with what you want, not what you are obligated to do.
5. Try something new! Have you ever joined a book club? What about going rock climbing? Or volunteering? Including new activities in your life can add energy, fun and excitement. It is also a great way to meet new people and help relieve stress.
If you are looking to start fresh or transition into a new chapter of your life, take a look at the below tips for how to start.
1. Make a list of what you want your life to look like in 3 months, 6 months or next year. Do you want to spend more time with friends or family? Do you want to decrease the stress in your life?
2. Once you have made your list, figure out how you can make the changes and what is stopping you. For example, if you want more time with friends, can you meet a friend on your lunch break, stop by to see them on your way home, or have a potluck dinner party?
3. Clean out your life. Many dream interpreters believe that when you dream of your house, you are really dreaming about your life. The main floor of your home is your daily life, the basement is the deeper issue. You can clean out that back closet you haven’t see the bottom of in years. Or, make some new curtains out of some old fabric. Rearrange the furniture in your bedroom. If you take action and make changes, you will find yourself feeling less stuck and more ready for the days ahead.
4. Mend or forgive old relationships. Is there a friend or family member who you are not feeling as close to as you used to? Friends change along the way, are these people the ones you want in your life, or are they not the friends you thought they were. Relationships take work. If you want to rebuild a relationship, start with an open, honest conversation. If you have moved on and the relationship is one you are ready to part with, forgive yourself. You are not being mean, you are taking care of yourself and filling your life with what you want, not what you are obligated to do.
5. Try something new! Have you ever joined a book club? What about going rock climbing? Or volunteering? Including new activities in your life can add energy, fun and excitement. It is also a great way to meet new people and help relieve stress.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Overworked, Under Appreciated and Stressed Out at Work?
Managing work-related stress can be particularly challenging – especially during tough economic times…
With so much downsizing and “reorganizing”, the workplace is changing and becoming more stressful than ever before. Whether you were laid off, or still working, but doing the work for the people who were laid off – managing work stressors are particularly difficult. This article will examine what work related stress looks like and what can be done to help alleviate the stress.
Work related stress affects both your professional and personal life. Work stress can spill over and affect your family at home just the same as family stress can spill over and affect your actions at work. Have you ever come home from a stressful day on the job and raised your voice at a spouse, your client or a friend when they haven’t done anything wrong? This can happen when we don’t recognize how work stress affects us and learn what we can do about it.
The following are examples of how work stress can affect you as an employee:
1. Decreased Productivity
2. Increased Absences due to illness, anxiety or fatigue
3. Decreased Attention Span/Focus
4. Increased Interpersonal Issues (fighting with boss/coworkers)
5. Tardiness
Here are examples of how work stress can affect your family and home life:
1. Increased negativity and pessimism
2. Decreased Positive Communication
3. Moodiness
4. Decreased Patience
5. Increased Fighting
So, what can we do about it? Following are some steps to take control of your work stress and get your life back in balance.
1. Separate your work and home life by setting up a boundary between them.
a. For example, you can change your cloths when you get home, or listen to calming music, or even journal about your day. Then, after your activity, recognize that work is over and family time has started. Having a specific behavior or activity can help you to put the workday behind you so you can focus on your life.
b. Turn off your work phone and email when you get home. Do not check your work phone or email until you get to work the next day. This way, you are not inviting work into your home.
2. Take care of yourself.
a. Find a hobby or activity you like to do. Playing soccer or joining a women’s group can help fill your life with meaningful, fun activities. This way, you are more than your job.
b. Talk to others when you are feeling particularly stressed. Be open about your feelings and do not bottle them up inside – or they will explode at a time when you do not want them to.
3. Use Humor – carefully.
a. Using humor can increase moral and a feeling of cohesion both at work and at home. It can also increase positive communication.
b. Smiling and laughing actually releases “feel good” chemicals in your brain that will help lift your mood if you are having a tough day.
*note* Humor can exclude and alienate if not used with caution.
4. Improve Your Time Management
a. Get Organized! If you need help, ask a friend or coworker to help you organize your workspace and your priorities. You will find yourself becoming more time efficient the more organized you are.
b. Take short breaks throughout the day – that way you are refreshed when you are working and use your time productively.
c. Set a goal and a plan for working towards them. This way you are working smarter, not harder.
d. Practice deep breathing or another relaxation technique if you find yourself overwhelmed with stress and anxiety.
5. Get Help
a. If you need help at work – talk to your boss, find a mentor, or confide in a coworker who understands and can help you to work through them.
b. If you are having difficulties at home – talk about them with your family. Opening up lines of communication will promote understanding and can lead to positive change and acceptance.
c. If you are feeling overstressed with work and cannot find a way to manage the stress, or if you begin to feel anxiety or depression that interferes with your life, call a counselor, therapist or coach in your area for help.
With so much downsizing and “reorganizing”, the workplace is changing and becoming more stressful than ever before. Whether you were laid off, or still working, but doing the work for the people who were laid off – managing work stressors are particularly difficult. This article will examine what work related stress looks like and what can be done to help alleviate the stress.
Work related stress affects both your professional and personal life. Work stress can spill over and affect your family at home just the same as family stress can spill over and affect your actions at work. Have you ever come home from a stressful day on the job and raised your voice at a spouse, your client or a friend when they haven’t done anything wrong? This can happen when we don’t recognize how work stress affects us and learn what we can do about it.
The following are examples of how work stress can affect you as an employee:
1. Decreased Productivity
2. Increased Absences due to illness, anxiety or fatigue
3. Decreased Attention Span/Focus
4. Increased Interpersonal Issues (fighting with boss/coworkers)
5. Tardiness
Here are examples of how work stress can affect your family and home life:
1. Increased negativity and pessimism
2. Decreased Positive Communication
3. Moodiness
4. Decreased Patience
5. Increased Fighting
So, what can we do about it? Following are some steps to take control of your work stress and get your life back in balance.
1. Separate your work and home life by setting up a boundary between them.
a. For example, you can change your cloths when you get home, or listen to calming music, or even journal about your day. Then, after your activity, recognize that work is over and family time has started. Having a specific behavior or activity can help you to put the workday behind you so you can focus on your life.
b. Turn off your work phone and email when you get home. Do not check your work phone or email until you get to work the next day. This way, you are not inviting work into your home.
2. Take care of yourself.
a. Find a hobby or activity you like to do. Playing soccer or joining a women’s group can help fill your life with meaningful, fun activities. This way, you are more than your job.
b. Talk to others when you are feeling particularly stressed. Be open about your feelings and do not bottle them up inside – or they will explode at a time when you do not want them to.
3. Use Humor – carefully.
a. Using humor can increase moral and a feeling of cohesion both at work and at home. It can also increase positive communication.
b. Smiling and laughing actually releases “feel good” chemicals in your brain that will help lift your mood if you are having a tough day.
*note* Humor can exclude and alienate if not used with caution.
4. Improve Your Time Management
a. Get Organized! If you need help, ask a friend or coworker to help you organize your workspace and your priorities. You will find yourself becoming more time efficient the more organized you are.
b. Take short breaks throughout the day – that way you are refreshed when you are working and use your time productively.
c. Set a goal and a plan for working towards them. This way you are working smarter, not harder.
d. Practice deep breathing or another relaxation technique if you find yourself overwhelmed with stress and anxiety.
5. Get Help
a. If you need help at work – talk to your boss, find a mentor, or confide in a coworker who understands and can help you to work through them.
b. If you are having difficulties at home – talk about them with your family. Opening up lines of communication will promote understanding and can lead to positive change and acceptance.
c. If you are feeling overstressed with work and cannot find a way to manage the stress, or if you begin to feel anxiety or depression that interferes with your life, call a counselor, therapist or coach in your area for help.
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