One of our most primitive defense mechanisms is denial. Mark Twain perfectly captured the essence of denial when he quipped, Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. In effect, denial is an effort to avoid the pain or discomfort of reality by pretending it doesn’t exist. It is the emotional … Read More
Codependency and How to Care for Yourself
Codependency can simply be described as helping others while harming yourself. Have you ever found yourself in a relationship where you felt as if you were going “crazy?” Have you ever found yourself excessively worried, preoccupied or even obsessed with your partner’s problems? Codependency involves reactions which are unhealthy forms of … Read More
Defense Mechanisms and Coping Skills – Part 1
Coping skills can take many forms and help us make sense of our experiences, mitigate stress, and sustain our sense of self-worth. Sometimes life can feel pretty overwhelming. Without these strategies for managing life’s stressors and sustaining a sense of emotional well-being, it would be difficult to navigate even the … Read More
Party Survival Skills for the Socially Anxious
For many people, parties are a highlight of the holiday season. But for those who are socially anxious, holiday parties can be nothing short of torturous. Resolving social anxiety exceeds the scope of a blog post, but in the meantime, here are some quick tips for surviving all the festivities. … Read More
The Promise of the Holiday Season
In a world consumed with commercialism, it can be easy to lose sight of what the holiday season is really about. We tend to focus on superficial aspects of life and then fall hard when those things crumble before our eyes. Delicious food, presents, and lots of laughs are part … Read More
Holiday Dinners & Divorce
Jill Howgate, one of our therapists at GROW, sat down with the Divorce911 folks and talked about Divorce and the Holidays. Regardless of the season and what holidays you are celebrating, this is great information to have in hand!
How to Parent with the Magic 5:1 Ratio
If you’re a parent, these lines are all too familiar. “Hurry and eat your breakfast, or you’ll be late for school. Stop teasing your sister. Do your homework. Clean your room. I’m taking away that NERF gun if you hit you brother one more time. Are you listening to me?!” … Read More
Athletes: Listening To Your Body
Beep, Beep, Beep. I sleepily rolled over and looked at my alarm. The clock showed 6:15a.m. on Saturday morning. I lay in bed for a moment and had an internal debate. Should I put on my running shoes and get my 8 miles in? Deep down, my body ached; it … Read More
Self Care During Election Season
It is Election Season and it is a wonderful privilege to be able to vote and participate in deciding what our government will look like over the next four years. However, I think we can all agree that this election season has been very stressful, regardless of where you stand politically. It can … Read More
Making Stress Your Friend
Recently, I was listening to Psychologist Kelly McGonigal talk about stress. We all know that stress can be detrimental, and there is significant research that indicates its negative impact on health. However, stress is something that most of us experience a moderate to high amount in life. There are many … Read More
