Category: Coping Strategies

Finding the Right Therapist by Clayton Isiminger, LPC-Intern, Supervised by Shelley Zavodny, LMFT-S, LPC-S

Finding the right therapist can feel like a daunting task. For many, it's already a time of great stress, and stopping to consider relevant factors in choosing a therapist can be overwhelming when you may already have so much going on that's causing you to seek therapy to begin with. Yet, there are some important things to consider to ensure you get the help you need when searching for the right match. First and foremost, it's important to verify that your therapist is indeed licensed, which you can check by going to the first link listed below. You can also check to see if they have had any disciplinary taken against them by the state board in the second link.

https://vo.ras.dshs.state.tx.u... to ...

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Codependency and Our Addicted Loved Ones

written by Monica Giuffre, UHV Supervised Practicum Student

           

Codependency is already an intricate issue, but it becomes even more complex when it involves an addicted loved one. Codependency, according to Melody Beattie, resembles grief in regards to the feelings and emotions, such as guilt, obsessions over what went astray, denial, bargaining, controlling, sadness, and anger. Further, it is a type of dysfunctional helping relationship and we start to lose our identities once we are wrapped in the vicious cycle. Addiction, on the other hand, is a disease that incorporates denial and the loss of control. We become invested in our addicted loved ones while our self-love dissipates. The good news is that ...

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The Benefits of Creativity for Those Who Self-Harm

by Haylee Furlow, SHSU Counseling Intern Student

Hope & Harmony Therapy, LLC

           For children and adults alike, creativity can be a great way to express one’s emotions. When we don’t know the right words, we can get our feelings out through our art. Those who self-harm often do so because they feel they cannot express themselves adequately or even at all. Whether they already engage in some creative practice or not, establishing or expanding creative habits can help to express the emotions that may be the cause behind self-harm.

            Multiple articles have lobbied the benefits of creative arts for people struggling with self-harm. In “The Use of Visual Arts Activities in Counseling Clients Who Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury”, research ...

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