Often encourage individuals to reflect and delve into their experiences. Mindfulness is a widely used tool used in counseling to increase an individual’s ability to be present in the here and now. It urges individuals to consider the thoughts, feelings, and sensations occurring in the session. This type of practice leads to self-awareness of the human experience. What is going on inside me–right now?
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Who am I? What are my beliefs and values? What makes life meaningful for me? Who are the individuals in my support network? These are all questions counseling puts at the forefront of an individual’s mind.
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Boundaries are the physical and emotional limitations that help to differentiate the desires, needs, and preferences of one person from another. The most important aspect of establishing boundaries is recognizing where you need them.
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Counseling tends to improve communication skills, such as those pertaining to assertiveness, emotional intelligence, empathy, active listening, confidence, and respect. Assertiveness, which involves standing up for one’s own needs while also respecting the needs of others, is crucial to.
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Encourages individuals to use coping skills related to the individual’s thought patterns. Individuals can reframe thoughts and consider alternative perspectives.
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Conflict in a relationship is virtually inevitable. In itself, conflict isn’t a problem; how it’s handled, however, can bring people together or tear them apart.
Most people have never learned how to communicate. By developing your communication skills, you and your partner will be able to establish and preserve a loving, respectful relationship between two people who love each other. |
Dr. John Gottman introduced the concept that a foundationally secure partnership is like a house. It has weight-bearing walls and levels that each person builds upon to create a sturdy bond. He called this structure the Sound Relationship House, and for more than 20 years, it’s given countless couples the tools they need to have happy healthy relationships.
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Feeling empathy for another person means putting yourself in their shoes. It is the ability to imagine what someone else is thinking and feeling. Empathy means caring as much about your partner's well-being as you care about your own, and it can make the difference between a healthy relationship and an unhealthy one.
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The Fair Fighting Rules is a respectful, structured way of confronting each other on issues that are causing open or hidden conflict. It is a set of ground rules for handling and resolving the differences of opinion that inevitably occur between two people who love each other.
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Learn the love language of your partner. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, there are five ways to “speak” and understand emotional love.
It will take practice and patience to put those expressions of love into action, but the end result—feeling loved and secure in your relationship—is worth the effort. |
A first step toward reconnecting with your partner is to open up to each other and to be honest with yourself. As a couple, you can use these insights to forge a deeper connection based on mutual understanding.
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When is it’s time to seek therapy
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When you are struggling to gain insight into what’s ailing you. You have trouble getting clear on what it is that you want. Seeking therapy can help you figure out what is in your best interest; and then it can help you move forward in that direction.
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You are feeling significant distress
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This usually means that most things in your life are not working. You can’t shift the emotional weight off on you and you may start to suffer from trouble sleep, can’t concentrate, or having issues at work. You may become anxious and/or depressed which can cause greater distress.
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You tried everything
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From self-help to books to journaling and beyond but nothing has worked to alleviate feelings of distress or discontentment. You can often get stuck when you know “intellectually” what to do but not know "emotionally" how to do it - to decrease what is causing you distress.
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Everybody is tired of listening to you
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Often time friends and family mean well by trying to make the decisions for you because they are honestly tired of talking about the same issues over and over. Keep your support system but it may be time for you to go to therapy where you can figure out on your own what is best for you.
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You are grieving a loss that has become overwhelming
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Grief is a common experience of all humankind. Whether it is a love one, a job, or an unresolved loss from childhood; unresolved grief can cause decreased concentration, numbness, disrupted sleep, and a range of negative thoughts and feelings. Grief therapy helps to process the loss and move through the grief process in a healthy way.
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Other reasons to go to therapy
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You have a history of trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse that causes you distress. Trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. It is important that you have someone to share your feelings and listens without judgement.
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