Katelyn Lukensmeyer MSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first month of a new year! The holidays are over, kids are back to school, and you’re crushing those new 2024 goals, right? Right?

The resolutions we set for the new year often start off great; we feel motivated, ambitious, and hopeful at the prospect of, “the new me!” Then, the holidays end, the kids go back to school, a foot of snow falls, the kids return home, your entire house gets sick, your to-do list grows, your resolutions take a back seat, and feelings of failure or defeat start to creep in.

It’s around this time of year, when clients start saying some variety of, “I’ve already ruined my resolutions for 2024, maybe 2025 will be my year!” If you’re feeling this way, and wondering what you can do differently, here are a few common “Mistakes” and “Fixes” when it comes to setting and executing those New Year’s goals!

Continue reading “New Year’s Resolutions Solutions!”

Nanette Thomas Shepardson, M.A., LPC, CADC
Licensed Professional Counselor

Has anyone ever made the above suggestion when you felt anxious, “out of control,” or angry? Did you find the suggestion helpful or comforting? Or did you become more anxious, less in control, and angrier than ever?

Be comforted if you find yourself “triggered” into less than-desirable feelings and behaviors due to the “just breathe” recommendation, as many of us do.  Here are some things we can do to help us resume our standard breathing patterns when feeling anxious.

Continue reading “Let’s Take A Moment and Breathe”

Pregnancy and motherhood is a time in a woman’s life that brings about so many life changes, emotions and new experiences. Many of these new changes can be filled with immense joy, but it is equally as common for individuals to encounter challenges during this time.

Research shows that 80% of mothers experience “baby blues” in the first few days after childbirth, and 1 in 7 develop postpartum depression or anxiety within the first year. Although postpartum mental health disorders are common, there are often social stigmas and myths that can prevent women from being diagnosed and receiving the care they need which can include counseling. There are several factors that contribute to perinatal mood disorders including physical, psychosocial and concurrent stressors. Some of these factors include genetic predisposition, history of mental health disorders, sensitivity to hormonal changes, lack of support system, perfectionism, lack of sleep, poor diet, interpersonal stress, and cultural stress. Rates of PPD and PPA have also risen throughout COVID. One study indicates that 1 in 3 new mothers reported postpartum depression amidst the pandemic. This drastic increase in prevalence highlights the importance of receiving adequate and consistent prenatal care and having access to a support system.

Continue reading “Pregnancy and motherhood”

Happy New Year! Or is it???  Today we wake up to a world none of us knew existed two years ago.  Two years ago on New Year’s Day we woke up to whispers of a potentially threatening virus that was spreading across China and Europe.  “Will it really come our way this time?” was the thought we all had.  And I’m sure none of us gave much thought to “How will our life change because of a threatening virus?”.  And NONE of us could have predicted how drastically our lives would change because of COVID-19.  Sure, in the past there were several other potential flu threats on the horizon but thank God none came to fruition.  As the spread of COVID-19 has taken hold of us, our lives have gone from “free to be” to “can I be with you safely?”

Continue reading “New Years’ Day 2022: Our Need for Connection”

By Caitlin S. Lowry, M.S., LMFT

If the time has come for you and your partner to part ways, the prospect of navigating a divorce can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Educating yourself on your divorce options is the first step. As a divorce consultant, I will describe all of the dispute resolution procedures available to you so that you may make an informed decision regarding which approach is best for you and your family. In the following 5-part series, I will describe each option along with its pros and cons to help you determine whether each divorce procedure may or may not be an appropriate option for you.

Continue reading “What are your divorce options?”

Written By: Amanda Summers, M.Ed., LPC

The changes, stress, and fear associated with COVID-19 can be difficult for anyone to manage, but research shows that it can have a particularly difficult effect on teens. As teens are adjusting to limited time spent with friends, adapting to school changes, and decreased extracurricular activities, they may also be experiencing increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.

A study conducted by Harris Poll with the National 4-H council  surveyed 1,500 teens ages 13-19 and found that 7 out of 10 teens reported struggling with mental health. 61% of the teens reported increased feelings of loneliness due to COVID-19, 55% reported increased feelings of anxiety, 45% felt excess stress, and 43% felt feelings of depression.

Continue reading “The Unique Effects the Pandemic is having on our Adolescents”

Habits can often be hard to break, especially the habits that we don’t even know that we’ve developed. In this era of fingertip solutions our society has become accustomed to solving a problem with the 6-letter search engine that seems to have all the answers or asking their nearest electronic device. This fact is why the 40 years of research that Dr. John Gottman put into researching what makes marriages succeed or fail is more important now than ever.  

Continue reading “Google Vs Gottman Method”

Nancy Kuhn, M.A., LMFT

Wow it’s February already!  How are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions??  January flew by for me, as I’m sure it did for many of you.  All those goals to get healthier – weight loss, work out, get more sleep, cut back on the alcohol use, get together with friends more often, use technology less, read a book, be kinder to your wife/husband/kids….how are you doing with accomplishing what you intended this year?  I know for me, it’s not happening nearly fast enough and certainly it is not as EASY as I wish it would be.

Continue reading “5 Habits to Lasting Change”