Chances are you’ve heard about Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) – the period of depression that some people tend to experience just after Christmas and that seems to linger until spring. Maybe you’ve even diagnosed yourself with it or attributed someone’s bad mood to it! But what is it exactly? And have we been using …
Anxiety
Out-of-the-Box Ideas for Self-Care
Self-care…we’ve heard of it, we know we should do it, but sometimes it can be so dang hard to implement! Why is that? If you’re anything like me, then you tend to practice self-care at one of two times: 1) on that extremely random and rare day when you have nothing else going on (like, …
Vitality
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that you are encouraged about the year ahead! I know that I am! Exciting things are happening at Abundant Life Counseling St. Louis! Our first PICK group is launching this month, and I’m so excited about the folks who are joining us! I’m …
Setting Intentions for the New Year
I gave up setting New Year’s resolutions a long time ago.They were never really that great (mostly about changing some aspect of my body rather than self-acceptance and appreciating the healthy body I’ve already got), I never really stuck to them (I’m not sure any diet I ever tried made it past January), and I …
Tips for Surviving Holiday Blues
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But what if it isn’t? Many folks find themselves with a case of the blues during the holiday season for a variety of reasons. It can serve as a reminder of grief, for those who sat around our Christmas tree last year, but are no longer with …
How to Find the Right Therapist for You
So, you’ve decided to go to counseling. Now what? First of all, going to counseling—while worthwhile and fruitful—can be a challenging endeavor, so congratulations on having the courage to initiate the journey! You’ve not only made the decision to embark on the incredible journey of getting to know yourself better and/or [insert goal for therapy …
FOMO
Let’s be honest…social media plays a role in all of our lives. Even if you’re deliberately not on social networks, the existence of social media has changed the way we relate and connect with each other. One way in which social media has changed the way we relate to each other is that it serves …
Beautiful and Human
This canvas hangs in our office suite. It’s a simple canvas – I did not purchase it for the office, but it looks to be one of the canvases you could find at Hobby Lobby or even Target. It’s nothing fancy. To be honest, I didn’t really pay much attention to it when I moved …
The Power of Validation
I’ll never forget the first time Chris* came into my office. The only word that comes to my mind to describe his appearance is bedraggled. He looked like he had either just rolled out of bed and come straight in for his afternoon appointment, or like he hadn’t showered or changed his clothes in a …
Introducing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
I’m excited to introduce you to a new mode of therapy that I’ve recently been trained in and that I’ve added to my therapy practice: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT. Why ACT? I was working with a client, who I’ll call Joe. Joe is 18, a senior in high school, and came to see …