– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is often used interchangeably with self-confidence. While self-esteem and self-confidence are related concepts, they are distinct from each other. Since both are important, let’s look at how the two differ. Self-confidence is more specific and focuses on belief in one’s abilities and skills to accomplish specific tasks or goals. This … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Have you ever felt that you are “stuck” or falling behind in life? This feeling might convince you that maybe if you just tried harder, you could propel yourself into a life experience that will bring success and happiness. This feeling might prompt you to search Pinterest for motivation quotes, purchase self-help books and bullet journals, … Read More
– Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC National Eating Disorder Awareness week (NEDAW) is observed each year during the last week in February. During my time in high school, this “awareness” typically looked like some well-intentioned student organization plastering triggering images of “textbook anorexic” models in the girls’ bathroom. Although perspectives on eating-disorders have become more progressive, there is still … Read More
by Carolyn Moriarty, LCPC Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to experience excessive worries and anxiety about one or several aspects of their physical appearance. BDD affects approximately one in every 50 people. While a person of any age or gender can have BDD, it is most common in teenage and young adult … Read More
Down and Out When we find ourselves in low mood states, when we’re stressed, tired, and hopeless, it can be extra brutal to encounter thoughts kicking us when we are down. Blaming us. Angry and hurt potentially that we are in this position to begin with. In certain situations, a compassionate friend might just be what is needed to support … Read More
Finishing up our in-depth review of negative thinking traps, there are another five common traps that can hijack us into negative feedback loops if we are not prepared. Taking us to places that are unproductive and skewing the truth when in reality, the situation may be easily resolvable. Rounding up the last of the prominent negative thinking traps we can … Read More
Commonly Known Types of ED & Their (Brief) Diagnostic Criteria: Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Binge-Eating Disorder (BED). Anorexia Nervosa (AN): is characterized by an individual’s refusal to maintain healthy body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and significantly distorted perception of one’s body image. There are 2 types: 1 is the restricting type- meaning there is … Read More
By Martín Prete, LCPC Being in our heads 24/7 can be difficult. Thoughts can be relentless. Passing through our stream of consciousness in a variety of manners. Sometimes it feels like speeding bullets while other times, we can barely think at all. Sometimes too, our thoughts can be nasty and cruel, even if deep down inside we don’t believe it. … Read More
In our previous post, we gave a brief outline on the concept of negative thinking traps and how they have a nasty habit of taking us away from the present moment, exacerbating our negative emotions and distorting reality. These thoughts tend to just pop into our heads but are prone to stay within our thinking process if we buy into … Read More
Written by Megan Pajak, LPC I remember being in High School, 10th grade, math remediation class and my teacher was discussing an upcoming test. Visibly, most of us students were stressed about our performance. “All you can be is wrong”, said my teacher who was trying to reassure us. That statement only increased stress about our ability. Fast forward … Read More
