A little perfectionist likes order, rules, and thrives on certainty. Perfectionism can start at an early age and when parents or caregivers give these children the support they need, they will thrive. However, it can be challenging to teach young children how to to deal with the inevitable reality that … Read More
Defense Mechanisms & Coping Skills – Denial – Part 2
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
Making Stress Your Friend: Experiencing Stress Positively – Part 3
In the previous sections of this blog, we began exploring the health benefits the body experiences by simply viewing the body’s stress response (quickening heart beat, sweaty hands, etc) as helpful. In the last part of this series, we will investigate how the hormone oxytocin is a critical component to … 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