According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, over 47,000 people died by suicide in the United States in 2017. In the same year, there were an estimated 1,400,000 suicide attempts.Knowing the signs of suicide is the primary step in preventing someone you know and love from successfully taking their own life.The Warning Signs of SuicideHopelessnessMany individuals who are contemplating...[ read more ]

For many, childhood is the most wondrous and exciting time in a person’s life. But even when a child is growing in a loving and stable family environment, they can feel fear and anxiety.Think back on your childhood. Everything new was something to be not-so-sure of. It was easy to feel a bit anxious on the first day of school...[ read more ]

For many, childhood is a time of wonder and adventure; a time when all needs are met and comfort is merely a whimper away.And yet for others, childhood never feels quite safe or secure. For these people, emotional neglect was something that colored their early years and affects them as adults.Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) is the result of parents not...[ read more ]

As teens struggle through the tough transition period of childhood into young adulthood, it can be difficult to decipher a teen’s behavior. Are their out-of-control emotions and conduct a result of the natural process of adolescence, or is it something more serious?According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2016 approximately 3.1 million adolescents between the ages of 12...[ read more ]

When I first started my practice, I remember reading a statistic about divorce that I found shocking. And that was that 40-50% of all marriages in the United States ended in divorce.According to recent surveys, however, the divorce rate in the U.S. fell by 18% between 2008 and 2016. While everyone has their theory as to why the rate is...[ read more ]

No one ever wants to be on the receiving end of romantic betrayal. The emotional pain of discovering that someone you love and trust has been cheating and lying to you can be overwhelming.When you are the victim of massive deception and betrayal, it can leave you feeling sadness, confusion, resentment, and anger. Many victims also feel an increase in...[ read more ]

When a loved one is depressed, it’s often difficult to know what to say. Even with the best of intentions, friends and family can often say the wrong thing, which can make the person feel misunderstood and even more isolated.If you’ve never suffered from depression, you may simply not know what is appropriate and what is not when speaking with...[ read more ]

On an almost daily basis we hear stories of female sexual harassment and abuse in the media. Sadly, male sexual abuse is fairly common, but the issue is underreported by the media and society in general.One US-based study found that 1 in 6 boys experience some form of sexual abuse by the age of 18. Other research suggests the ratio...[ read more ]

For better or worse. Those words seem easy to say at the time, but when worse gets really bad, many couples are ready to throw in the towel. That’s because they didn’t seek help in time and let things get out of hand.The Stigma of CounselingIt can be hard to make the decision to go to couples counseling because it...[ read more ]

As shocking instances of mass shootings continue to occur all over the United States, we often hear people talk about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Frequently associated with post-war veterans and victims of mass violence, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can develop in people who’ve experienced or witnessed a traumatic or life-threatening event.However, there are many other instances of...[ read more ]