Category: Depression

What are boundaries?

Simply put, boundaries are what keep us safe. But REALLY what are boundaries?

Healthy boundaries can be defined as behaviors that keep us safe physically, emotionally, timely, sexually, intellectually, and materialistically. Boundaries are the needs that you require from others to keep you safe and comfortable in your relationships. There are many questions when it comes to boundary setting, but something important to remember is that first, and foremost, boundaries are not easy to set, and they cannot be glazed over if you want them to stick. Fortunately, there are things that you can do in your daily life to make boundaries less intimidating.

Through the counseling process, us counselors like to aid our clients in becoming more aware of the types of boundaries that are being placed. In order to acquire healthy boundaries, we have to be aware of what unhealthy boundaries look like. As Nedra Tawwab st ...

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Living life for others is simply exhausting. Sure, it is a noble sentiment to think beyond yourself, but how much neglecting of self is tolerable before losing oneself? Believe it or not, there is no definitive answer. Our environment, culture, past experiences, and goals are just a few possibilities that reveal our desire to put others first.

The cape is real! I am not talking about the piece of land that reaches for the ocean. I’m talking about the cape that’s affixed to Superman, Batman and the others. It is a mental cape used to propel people to put aside personal inhibitions, and defer energy and strength to those who take, take, take.  Maybe I should say we ALLOW them to take, take, take.  This is the superhero mentality.

Have you heard the statement “The struggle is real?”  Well this statement becomes all too true when we become exhausted from tending to others' call for help.  The superhero mentality is ...

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Black People and Mental Health: Transcending the Stigma

by Sharde Taylor, LPC-Intern, Supervised by Shelley Zavodney, LMFT-S, LPC-S

There is no denying that in recent years more and more Black people are bravely seeking out mental health services for themselves, but many of us remain reluctant or even adamant about not getting the help we need. Here are some of the factors and barriers that contribute to this long-standing issue:

TRUST

The lack of trust between Black people and those in the medical and mental health fields is completely understandable and even heightened in this current political era. Given our lengthy history of oppression by judges, police officers, scientific researchers, educators, and others in positions of authority, it is not difficult to see why some may be leery of mental health providers. This very reason for not seeking help also happens to be ...

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