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11/16/2020 0 Comments

What is Gratitude?

Written by: Maritza Barrera, LMFT

It may not be what you think.

Everyone has heard of gratitude. But how many of us have taken the time to consider both its meaning and purpose in our lives? 

As a therapist, I often hear clients say things like, “I mean, I’m grateful for [fill in the blank], but...” And after hearing this time and again, I began to see the ways in which our “gratitude diet” has become yet another self recrimination for our own humanness.
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8/13/2020 0 Comments

Understanding Adolescents: Do They all Really Sleep that Much!?

Written by: Melena Postolowski, MA

Short answer: yes, yes they do.

I regularly meet with concerned parents who wonder whether or not their adolescent is “normal.” We review concerns such as mood fluctuations, sleeping in late and engaging in risk-taking or more “defiant” behavior. Without taking away from the difficulties parents are having with these changes, I do get to reassure them that, in many cases, these are expected behaviors for teenagers.  Understanding what is going on in the teenage brain in addition to reviewing the developmental tasks teenagers face can help in understanding this behavior with more empathy.

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5/11/2020 0 Comments

You May Need to Mask Your Face, but You Don’t Need to Mask Your Worries

Written by: Melena Postolowski, MA

Simple Ways of Helping Your Family Navigate Anxiety Amidst COVID-19

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Anxiety can exist both in our heads and in our bodies.

We may notice that our brains ‘jump to conclusions’ and think of the worst possible outcome in situations or worry about things we have no control over.

It’s helpful to pause and pay attention to our thoughts to determine whether or not they are something worth listening to. Of course, there are plenty of things worthy of worry right now, but if you’re noticing yourself worrying about things you cannot control, or always assuming the worst, here are some basic practices that may offer help.


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4/28/2020 0 Comments

Letting Go of Guilt

Written by: Maritza Barrera, LMFT
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Are you living with guilt? Understanding one simple fact can change your life. Guilt can be a very debilitating emotion. Unfortunately, some of us suffer with this feeling daily. If you are living with plaguing feelings of guilt, remind yourself of one thing...if you could have done something differently, you would have.


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3/29/2020 0 Comments

Parenting: An Essential Business

Written by: Melena Postolowski, MA

Helping Children Navigate Big Feelings in a time of Quarantine

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Spending some extra time with your children lately? With schools closed and daycares restricted in addition to many parents working from home, family time is a 24/7 endeavor. This can be an opportunity to reconnect and spending quality time with one another. This can also be a time when stress is heightened, feelings are big and patience is low. 


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    Blog Authors

    Maritza Barrera is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Qualified Supervisor. She is the owner of Pure Empathy and works to fulfill her mission of promoting awareness, compassion, and acceptance to everyone she can reach! Welcome to the light side! #nerdybynature

    Melena Postolowski is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern. She brings 10 years of counseling and coaching experience working with parents and their children, teens transitioning into adulthood, and couples looking to grow together. Melena is here to help your family thrive. 

    Categories

    All Anxiety Cognitive Coping Defiant Emotional Intelligence Emotions Gratitude Guilt Medication Mental Health Pandemic Parenting Past Positive Thinking Reframing Sleep Stigma Teenager Teens Therapy

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