Do you struggle with how to empathize with others?

Oftentimes, people listen to a loved one share something troubling going on in their life and their initial reaction is to help them "solve" or "fix" their issue. What's often missed is the importance of empathizing with their difficult emotions first.

Empathy is incredibly important because it allows you to connect with someone important to you on an emotional level.

Do you ever notice your emotions get the best of you when confronted with conflict?

 It’s easy to get lost in your reaction or emotional response to things that sometimes it can be difficult to reflect on what’s truly happening in the present.

Mindfulness can be a useful way to reflect on the present moment.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “grief”?

For most people, the word “grief” likely elicits a number of thoughts and feelings, and it is often associated with the loss of a life. 

And then there is the loss associated with positive things, such as the loss involved when we set healthy boundaries, release an unhealthy coping mechanism, change careers, or move to a new city. This is what I call the grief in the good.  

Have you ever sat there and just thought about both how different you are from your partner, but also about the common ground you share? 

Have you wondered if the differences could break you? 

Do you wonder if your attraction to your partner is because of the similarities or the differences? 

Are you afraid to speak to your loved ones about how difficult the world can feel at times? Maybe you are having troubles processing your feelings regarding current events happening in the world.

Between racism, violence and natural occurrences that effect large numbers of people, it can feel difficult to find the words to express how these major events make you feel.

‌Life can be challenging, with many variables outside of your control. We all have experienced stress from one time or another based on the many different spinning hats we each wear that stem from our careers, families, hobbies, care-giving, parenting, etc that the stress of them all can often take a toll on us. 

But did you know, when we experience difficult times and are more forgiving to ourselves, these difficult emotions have less of an effect on our overall emotional well-being?

Spring has finally arrived and many of us are excited for the warmer weather coming our way

During the winter months days are shorter which results in us getting significantly less sun exposure. This can lead to an increase in the secretion of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep. This means that we are more likely to feel tired, lethargic and lack motivation.

spring can be a great time to start implementing new habits because it’s time to start using the energy that we are getting back and get rid of that "blah" feeling. 

Are you interested in making some changes within your life such as quitting a bad habit that's formed, going to the gym more often or maybe it's simply to spend more time with your loved ones?

In this month's Therapy Moment, Victoria Meeks, ALMFT helps us identify the different stages of change to help create awareness of where you are at in the process of accomplishing your goals!

Have you ever felt disconnected from your partner? 

Feeling more physically connected can be a bridge to improving that emotional connection as well, and a lot of times, the physicality in a relationship can be a lot less daunting than the emotional.