How to Deal with Difficult Family Members

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It's time for a quick pep talk! 

You are in charge of who you let into your life.  Just because someone is a blood relative does not give them the right to be in your life.  They must EARN the right to be in your life, to have access to you.  Do they inspire, support, encourage, and uplift you?  Or, do they just make you feel badly about yourself, physically hurt you, put you down, or yell at you often?  Are they harsh, judgmental, and critical? 

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Let's Talk Letters: A Quick Guide To The Letters After Our Names

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I realize in the counseling field there are a lot of acronyms, and I thought it might be helpful to write about what all those letters mean.  Although it’s shorthand everyone in this field uses, I think we just assume others understand it too.  The world of therapy can seem so cryptic, because it’s hard to know what goes on in a therapy office unless you’ve actually been there.  I want to try to help explain things in this field, and part of that is educating others about things as simple as the letters after our names.  The credentials become more and more specific as you have more training.  Think about it like a path, and with each turn you are getting to a more specific location.

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Practicing Gratitude

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Gratitude is often a word we hear thrown around near Thanksgiving time, but I think it is something we should talk about more often. Gratitude is more than just something related to turkey dinners.  Gratitude is being thankful and grateful for what is present in your life, rather than focused on what is missing.  Practicing gratitude can help change your perspective.  In one of my favorite books, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Viktor Frankl writes,

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More Tips on Sleeping Well, part 2

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As a follow up to last week's blog post on tips for sleeping well, I wanted to share a recent article on the same topic.  This article discusses 12 ways to improve your "sleep hygiene" (which is just a fancy way of saying anything that helps your sleep).  I'm excited that some of the tips I've shared with you last week are included in this article! I will offer a quick snapshot of the ways to improve your sleep, but also suggest you read the full article for more detail.

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