FORT LAUDERDALE COUNSELING AND THERAPY BLOG
"When The Going Gets Tough" - From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale
Oftentimes in therapy, when faced with difficult or painful issues, people often drop out of therapy. Of course, embarking on a therapeutic journey requires immense courage and vulnerability. It is a path that calls for self-reflection, exploration, and growth. Along this journey, we are likely to face challenges and moments of doubt. However, when we choose not to give up on therapy, we open ourselves up to profound transformation.
Creating a Supportive Therapeutic Relationship
The therapeutic relationship serves as a crucial foundation for the healing process. By committing to therapy and persevering, we foster the growth of a trusting and collaborative alliance with our therapist. This connection provides a safe space where we can freely express ourselves, explore our emotions, and receive guidance and support. Through this relationship, we gain a valuable source of encouragement, validation, and insight that aids us in our journey of self-discovery and healing.
Challenging Limiting Beliefs
A primary goal of therapy is to identify and challenge the limiting beliefs that hinder our personal growth and well-being. By persisting in therapy, we demonstrate a commitment to confronting these beliefs head-on. With the guidance of our therapist, we acquire tools and strategies to reframe negative thought patterns, replace self-limiting beliefs with empowering ones, and develop a more compassionate and empowering self-narrative. Through our continued dedication to therapy, we create space for profound shifts in our mindset and pave the way for lasting change.
Discovering Hidden Strengths and Resilience
Therapy has a remarkable way of unveiling our hidden strengths and resilience. As we navigate the challenges and setbacks inherent in the therapeutic journey, we unearth untapped reserves of inner strength. By persevering, we learn to trust our capacity to overcome difficulties and bounce back from adversity. This newfound resilience becomes a powerful asset, not only within therapy but also in our everyday lives. It equips us to face future challenges with greater confidence and determination.
Nurturing Personal Growth and Empowerment
By refusing to give up on therapy, we embrace its transformative potential. Through self-exploration, introspection, and the guidance of our therapist, we embark on a journey of personal growth and empowerment. We gain insights into our patterns of behavior, emotional responses, and underlying motivations. With this heightened self-awareness, we can make conscious choices, implement positive changes, and align our lives with our true values and aspirations. By persistently engaging in therapy, we take an active role in shaping our own growth and creating a more fulfilling and authentic life.
So, embrace the courage to continue on your path, knowing that the rewards are worth the effort. Don’t give up!
The Benefits of Counseling for Depression
The Value of Counseling for Depression
Depression is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people around the world. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and changes in appetite or sleep patterns. Depression can make it difficult to function at work, school, or home, and it can lead to social isolation and loneliness.
There are many different treatments available for depression, including medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Counseling is one of the most effective treatments for depression, and it can be especially helpful for people who are struggling to cope with the symptoms of their condition.
Counseling can help people with depression in a number of ways. It can provide them with a safe and supportive space to talk about their feelings and experiences. It can help them to understand the causes of their depression and to develop coping strategies for managing their symptoms. Counseling can also help people to improve their relationships with others and to build a stronger sense of self-esteem.
If you are struggling with depression, counseling can be a valuable resource. It can help you to get the support you need to overcome your condition and to live a happier and healthier life.
Here are some of the benefits of counseling for depression:
Counseling can help you to understand the causes of your depression.
Counseling can help you to develop coping strategies for managing your symptoms.
Counseling can help you to improve your relationships with others.
Counseling can help you to build a stronger sense of self-esteem.
Counseling can help you to overcome your depression and to live a happier and healthier life.
If you are struggling with depression, please know that you are not alone. There is help available, and you can get better. Please reach out to us today: CLICK HERE FOR HELP
Mental Health Care for The Career Woman
When you think about it, modern women are really like superheroes. Not only are they obtaining college degrees and climbing corporate ladders, they’re doing so while also raising families. They may also find themselves taking care of aging parents at the same time.
While some women are able to manage juggling all of these big responsibilities, many women, over time, will experience burnout and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
A Gold Medal for Prioritizing Mental Health
Last summer, the world held its collective breath as gymnast Simone Biles made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw from the Olympic finals. She was very transparent, announcing her decision was a result of making her mental health a priority.
This was a real act of bravery and her decision shone a light on the importance of protecting the mental health of world-class athletes.
But the reality is, protecting your health is important for all women, no matter your career choice. From professional athletes to CEOs and every career woman in between, it is vitally important to prioritize their mental health.
How Career Women Can Cultivate Good Mental Health
The following are some ways professional women can protect their mental health from the burdens of careers and family life:
Accept and Expect Imperfections
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never get everything perfect 100% of the time, and that’s okay. Recognize your own humanity and give yourself a break.
Find Support
As you continue to try and be there for everyone else, it’s important that you find people and things to lean on. This can mean family, friends, your faith, or a personal exercise routine.
Make Time for Yourself
It’s important to step back from the daily grind every once in a while to just rest and relax. The more you take the time to recharge your battery, the more able you’ll be to juggle the responsibilities of your life.
Talk with Someone
Sometimes it’s easier to speak with someone outside of your social or familial network. Talking with a therapist can really help you gain perspective on your life and your abilities. He or she can also give you strategies to navigate the stressful situations in your life.
If you’d like to speak with someone and explore treatment options, please get in touch with me.
SOURCES:
https://lifestyle.livemint.com/health/wellness/how-career-growth-impacts-women-s-mental-health-111646530320157.html
https://fortune.com/2022/01/21/women-mental-health-careers-support-employers/amp/
file:///C:/Users/jbruc/Downloads/Mental-Health-Facts-for-Women.pdf
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Journaling Therapy - Art Therapy
“Dear Diary…”
As kids, many of us told our deepest secrets and our hopes and dreams to our diaries. And then we got older and forgot all about visiting those pages each day.
You may have heard about journaling, which some would say is the adult equivalent of keeping a diary. But journaling can also be a powerful form of therapy, as journaling exercises can bring about self-awareness and improve mental health.
The Difference Between Journal Therapy and Keeping a Journal
Before the 1960s, when journal therapy began, people simply used a journal to record their experiences, much like they did as kids. This was a narrative form of writing and wasn’t really seen as a truly therapeutic process.
But when psychologist Dr. Ira Progoff introduced an intensive form of journaling, the therapeutic potential of the journaling process came into view. Today, journal therapy is a stand-alone therapy modality similar to art and music therapy.
Perhaps the biggest difference between journal therapy and simply keeping a journal is the way an individual’s internal thoughts, feelings and experiences are captured. Journal therapy allows a person to not only write down their issues and concerns, but to also be reflective and introspective about them. In this way, journal therapy can be a real agent for change.
Who Can Benefit from Journal Therapy?
Journal therapy can be very beneficial for those individuals who typically have difficulty processing their thoughts and emotions. Journal therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions, including:
Anxiety
PTSD
Depression
Grief and loss
Substance abuse
Eating disorders
Low self-esteem
And more
Getting Started
While anyone can try journaling on their own, to truly benefit from the process, it’s best to work with a therapist who can guide you and offer prompts that can help you get your thoughts and feelings on the page.
If you are struggling with mental health issues, have a hard time talking about them, and would like to explore journaling therapy, please reach out to me.
SOURCES:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201006/cool-art-therapy-intervention-4-visual-journaling
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/journal-therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-therapy/201101/journaling-in-therapy
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Infertility’s Impact on Women’s Mental Health
Infertility is a condition that refers to an inability to become pregnant or to take a baby to term after one year of trying. This is a heartbreaking reality for many women across the globe. In fact, it is estimated that in the United States alone, roughly 6 million women suffer from infertility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What Causes Infertility?
Infertility can be caused by a variety of health issues. The most common is Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormonal disorder that negatively impacts ovulation.
Other disorders that cause infertility in women are:
Uterine fibroids
Endometriosis
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Blocked fallopian tubes
Uterus deformities or abnormalities
And finally, one of the primary reasons for infertility is a woman’s age. Nearly one-third of all women over the age of 35 experience fertility issues.
Infertility and a Woman’s Mental Health
Infertility is a very stressful issue to deal with and it can greatly impact a woman’s mental health. Research published by the North Carolina Medical Journal found that common mental health concerns of fertility patients are symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Patients frequently report that each month’s cycle becomes a tumultuous storm of emotions ranging from anger, sadness, fear, and guilt. And the more demanding and intrusive the fertility treatment protocols become, the greater the emotions felt.
Much focus is given to the physical aspects of not being able to conceive. But it is important for women to recognize that their mental health may be impacted and to get help.
If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety or depression because of infertility issues, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to discuss treatment options with you.
SOURCES:
https://womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics/infertility-and-mental-health/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4009564/
https://womensmentalhealth.org/posts/impact-infertility-treatment-mood-women-vulnerable/
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - A Modernization of Schizophrenia
Roughly 1 in 100 people around the world are diagnosed with schizophrenia. While the recognition of this mental illness has been around since the early 1900s, have we been successful in treating the condition? No, in fact, some data suggest only one in seven people recover.
So despite the advances in mental health treatments, the number of people who recover from schizophrenia has not increased over time. Many experts in the mental health field suggest this lack of improvement is due to the language and concepts surrounding schizophrenia.
A New Language
The term schizophrenia poorly characterizes the actual features of the illness and gives the diagnosed an instant stigma to overcome. In other parts of the world, the term schizophrenia has been renamed. In Japan, for instance, they have renamed schizophrenia as “integration disorder”. We must follow suit and begin speaking of this mental health disorder using a different language.
New Thinking
In order to begin using a new language around schizophrenia, we must begin to form new concepts. It is now believed that psychosis, typically characterized by confused thoughts and delusions, should also exist along a continuum and in degrees, much like autism spectrum disorder. Schizophrenia would then be the severe end of the spectrum.
We must also begin to think differently, or rather understand more deeply, how people end up with the characteristics of this condition. New science is pointing to things like exposure to parasites, cannabis use, and childhood viral infections as potential pathways to specific mental disturbances.
And finally, we must stop thinking of this condition as a hopeless chronic brain disease. This idea excludes the many people who do have positive outcomes.
A New Treatment
Antipsychotic drugs are historically the first line of treatment for schizophrenia. But these medicines can have serious side effects, which is why many patients refuse to take them.
In recent years, many mental health professionals have begun to advocate for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as an adjunct to antipsychotic drugs. Recent studies, including meta-analysis, have shown some success with CBT’s ability to reduce psychotic symptoms. It is believed that CBT could help patients stop trying to fight or suppress hallucinations or stop engaging with the voices in their heads.
There will no doubt need to be further discussions about how we think about, speak about and treat schizophrenia. But we must all agree that those discussions need to happen.
In the meantime, if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and would like to discuss CBT treatment options, please reach out to me.
SOURCES:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0920996421003595?via=ihub#bb0155
https://theconversation.com/the-concept-of-schizophrenia-is-coming-to-an-end-heres-why-82775
https://www.science.org/content/article/schizophrenia-time-flush-meds
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - HELLO MASSACHUSETTS!
BIG NEWS!!!
Maesk Counseling is pleased to announce that we are now serving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As of today, you may book a telehealth appointment and be seen within days.
As you may know, there is a shortage of mental health professionals in Massachusetts, and we are pleased beyond words that we can now step in to help fill that gap.
You can book your appointment here: APPOINTMENT NOW!
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Overcoming Trauma
You know you got your hairline from your Dad’s side of the family and your eye color from your mom. You know diabetes runs in your family, as does heart disease and Parkinson’s.
But do you know that many families also pass down trauma to their loved ones? It’s not just our physical makeup and risk of disease that we inherit from our family, it is also the emotional wounds as well.
What is Transgenerational Trauma?
Before you were born you were in your mother’s womb and very susceptible to her emotions. As your mother felt joy, her body released hormones that made you feel joy.
When she felt sad, scared, or angry, her body released hormones that made her experience these same emotions.
Eventually, you were born and raised in a house that may not always be happy or harmonious. Your parents may have been emotionally distant or even abusive because they may have been brought up by parents who had their own reasons for being emotionally absent or abusive.
Many families have unresolved trauma that works its way through one generation to the next. Those families who have dealt with addiction, depression, anxiety, terror, racism, and the like, often continue to pass on negative emotions, poor behaviors, low self-esteem, and maladaptive coping strategies. These not only lead to a painful and hard life, but they can also lead to chronic health conditions.
It Can Stop With You!
If you have a history of family conflict or trauma, you can be the individual who puts an end to the cycle. You can be the one who begins a new cycle, one of passing down loving communication and positive self-images.
Of course, it will take work on your part to overcome the pain of your family history. That’s why it’s a good idea to work with a mental health professional who can offer you the right tools and coping strategies that you can then pass down to your own children.
If you’re interested in exploring therapy, please get in touch with me! I’d love to help you end the cycle of trauma in your family.
SOURCES:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-flourishing-family/202107/breaking-the-chains-generational-trauma
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcoming-intergenerational-trauma-we-can-break-the-cycle-of-abuse/
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/latinx-mental-health-stigma
From Maesk Counseling in Fort Lauderdale - Relationship Independence
The Importance of Independence in a Relationship
When we first fall in love with that special someone, we want to spend all of our time together. In fact, we seem to feel better when we are with our significant other.
This is the infatuation stage, and admittedly, it feels really good. But enduring relationships move past this stage and into a place of mutual respect and care. This will require each partner to give the other space to be their own individuals.
Why Individuality and Independence are Important in Relationships
First, what does it really mean to be an independent individual? It means you know how to be your own person, whether you are single or in a relationship. It means while you make the effort to make your partner happy, you also ensure that you continue to do the things you enjoy that bring you happiness.
The following are just some of the reasons why there should always be independence in a relationship:
No One Likes Clingy
When you lack independence and don’t have a solid sense of yourself, you can come across as “clingy” or needy. If you want to be around your partner 24/7 and they are wanting space, your neediness can drain their energy.
Mutual Growth
When the two of you stay independent, you give each other the opportunity to grow as individuals, which then can lead to growth as a couple.
Mutual Support
Independent people are strong people, and strong people can be counted on when it matters most. When you are both strong individuals, you can lend that support when the other needs it.
Need Help Getting Your Independent Spirit Back?
Most of us demanded our independence when we were in our teens and early 20s. But life happens, and we can often lose that independent spirit and lose our own identities. If you need some help reconnecting with yourself so that you may one day enjoy a beneficial partnership, please get in touch with me. I’m more than happy to discuss how therapy can help.
SOURCES:
https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/be-independent-in-a-relationship/
https://www.symbiosiscoaching.com/why-independence-is-important-in-a-relationship/
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-being-independent-improves-your-long-term-relationship.html