GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It can be scary to think about, but people deal with suicidal thoughts, which should always be taken seriously. Sometimes suicidal thoughts are just thoughts, and sometimes people have suicidal thoughts but know that their motivation is to overcome life’s challenges and not self-harm. Sadly, some people have suicidal thoughts and are at risk of […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People who are in unsafe relationships often feel trapped in their situation. It is common for people who are in a domestic violence situation to stay quiet about their circumstances, which prevents them from reaching out for help. People who are struggling with domestic violence may fear judgment from others or retaliation from their abuser, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Change takes time. Change can be challenging for people to accomplish, and it is often something that people resist. Change is scary, but can also be exciting, healthy, and liberating. Some changes cause pain while others cause relief. Whatever the need is for change, it can be difficult for a client to facilitate change in […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Between sessions, clients need to practice coping skills. Worries happen each day of a person’s life, but they should not be strong enough to consume a person. That is why it is important to remember to use coping skills each day. A great way to make sure a client remembers to use coping methods to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A strong social support network is an important component of maintaining mental health. Whether suffering from a mental health condition, recovering from addiction, or just managing daily stressors, social support can be a huge resource for managing mental wellness. Sometimes it can be hard to reach out for support, but helping a client know who […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Emotions can be challenging to understand. They are complex, and go against logical reasoning. When we feel emotions we do not understand, we can be at a loss of how to cope. An important part of learning how to cope with your emotions is learning how to understand them. It is not uncommon for people […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is not uncommon for a person to get stuck on the past, present or future. Each frame of time is important to consider when planning goals or the best way to move forward with life. When a person focus too much on the past they can get stuck because they don’t know how to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When dealing with a client who is struggling with self-confidence and low self-esteem, it is important to ensure that they are aware of their protective factors. Knowing your own protective factors is important. Protective factors serve as a source of strength, hope and comfort when dealing with a challenge. Sometimes a client is not aware […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Being aware of triggers is a critical component to learning how to cope with symptoms of mental illness. A part of a client understanding why they are feeling uncomfortable is understanding what causes the discomfort. Being able to identify triggers helps the client learn how to cope with several different disorders, like anxiety, depression, anger […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Dialectical behavioral therapy is particularly useful when it comes to teaching a client how to handle distressing or upsetting situations. DBT teaches coping skills for stress tolerance, emotional regulation, and the reduction of mood swings and panic attacks. DBT provides several different tools that help a person learn how to cope with upsetting emotions like […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes it can be tough for our clients to know what words to use to express what they are feeling. Feelings and emotions are complex, and can sometimes be uncomfortable and overwhelming. When our clients struggle to articulate their feelings it can be helpful to provide a guide to help navigate them through the words […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When we are confronted with a situation in which a patient is expressing to us that he or she is in danger of causing harm to himself or herself or is in danger of being harmed by someone it is important that as clinicians we do all we can do to keep our patient safe. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is always alarming when a patient comes into our office and begins to express plans or thoughts about harming himself or herself. We are trained as professionals to take any and all reports like this seriously and need to be able to collect all of the information we need to effectively and safely assess […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
One of the most important things we do as therapists are screen our patients for indicators that their safety may be compromised. As professionals, we do this to make sure our patients stay safe between sessions. While not every patient will require safety planning, therapists must be mindful of safety issues and know how to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes when people suffer from low self-esteem, low confidence, or mood disorders like anxiety and depression it is easy to focus on the negative and forget about the positive that they have in their lives. When patients focus only on the negative it is hard to imagine a happy and positive life that has hope, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
In therapy, a client learns a lot about their emotions and issues that create challenges in their lives. Through their own self-exploration, they begin to learn different ways to cope with different challenges. Therapy teaches coping skills that help clients relieve their symptoms in real life situations. They learn valuable life skills in therapy. It […]
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