GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A client’s quality of sleep can be very telling when addressing their mental health. Poor sleep patterns or hygiene can be symptomatic of several different conditions, like anxiety, depression, insomnia or PTSD. If a client is reporting issues with sleeping or recurrence of nightmares, it is important to look closely at the patterns that may […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Panic attacks are very difficult to go through, and it is not uncommon for a person to have a panic attack without even realizing it is a panic attack. Panic attacks cause many alarming symptoms that can be disguised as other conditions. It is important for a person to be able to determine whether or […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children can have a particularly difficult time communicating how they feel. There could be a few different reasons for this. Whether they are afraid, frustrated, or simply do not understand how to express emotions, the ability to talk about how a child feels is important. An emotion that is especially important to be able to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
The first step to managing stress is learning how to recognize stress. Most people who experience symptoms of stress do not realize that it is a physiological reaction. They also do not realize how often daily occurrences can be triggers for stress. When working with a client who is struggling with stress-related issues, it is […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Many of the clients that pass through therapy offices struggle a great deal with feeling safe in their own skin. Whether it is due to a history of trauma, personal insecurities, or just a general suspicion or lack of self-awareness, people often develop symptoms of anxiety and panic when confronted with different challenges. Sometimes, this […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Creating mantras is a great way to help your client learn how to cope and self-soothe when going about their day-to-day life. A mantra is a saying or phrase that is created and used by a person in times of distress, discomfort, sadness or anger. Mantras derive from meditative practices and have been found to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When confronted with a difficult situation or an uncomfortable feeling that is not easily resolved, it can be easy to fall into a pattern of ruminating over the discomfort. It creates an urgent need to resolve a situation or find a solution to help you feel better. As we move through life, we learn that […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
We all know that sometimes life can get overwhelming. Whether it is stress at work, home, or from an unexpected circumstance that causes us to feel overwhelmed. Whatever the case, it is important to know how to manage the feelings of stress, anxiety, fatigue, and depressed mood that comes with difficult circumstances. We all have […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It can be easy to get wrapped up in the moment of a stressful situation and instantly feel overwhelmed and without direction or hopes of finding resolution. When dealing with stress it is important to keep in mind that it will trigger anxiety, and each person reacts to anxiety in different ways. It is important […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes when it comes to working on goals, it is difficult for a client to really understand what it means to set a goal and how to go about working toward that goal. Often times we think of goals as the end result, without considering the means to which we achieve the goal itself. Sometimes […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
We all know that worrying consumes time and energy, and is a feeling that is often hard to shake. Patients often struggle to cope with worrying, and may not even realize how severely they are affected by their worrying. do not quite understand that they have the power to control how their thoughts affect their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
There are many reasons why people tend to have trouble sleeping. Among the most common symptoms of insomnia or sleep issues is having racing thoughts right before going to sleep. Many clients will struggle with falling asleep because as they try to fall asleep they are overwhelmed with thoughts that seem to demand their attention. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People who suffer from eating disorders have a difficult time staying on track with a healthy diet. Whether they are inclined to eat too much or not enough, it can be a difficult keep track of the progress they are making in their journey back to health. Often when a patient is first starting out […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When patients suffer from more debilitating emotional issues like depression and severe anxiety it can be difficult for them to keep from falling into bad habits like isolating and cutting off things that bring them joy. Of course this is understandable, as with such mental illnesses it can be difficult for a patient to enjoy […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When we are struggling with understanding our mood and emotions it helps a great deal to use a mood journal to keep track of daily activities, triggers from the day, and how we managed out feelings. Sometimes we get caught up in the day and forget to focus on what we are feeling, which causes […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Weekly mood charts are great ways to track the progress of a patient’s mood regulation exercises. With weekly mood charts the patient is able to record any successful or unsuccessful attempts of managing his or her moods and emotions. It is also very helpful for helping the patient identify his or her triggers and ability […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Patients often have a pattern of how their mood affects them. Throughout the day there are certain triggers based on responsibilities, encounters, etc. that may cause a patient’s mood to fluctuate. It helps a patient prepare for triggers when they are aware of when and where they are likely to encounter a trigger, along with […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Like all mood disorders, it is important for the patient to really understand their depression, how it affects them, and how they help or hinder their ability to stay well when managing their depression. Often, people with depression feel hopeless to get better, which will prevent them from trying new things to manage their depressed […]
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