GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Helping a patient build self-esteem can be a challenging process. Many patients suffer from poor self-esteem, and that poor self-esteem contributes to their presenting concerns. It also will hold patients back from reaching their full therapeutic potential and feeling confident in themselves to make the changes in their lives that will help them improve their […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When working with patients who struggle with relationship issues and communication issues, it is important to be sure the patient understands the core elements needed in developing relationships. Patients often struggle with building relationships, getting to know people, being open to others, and communicating. When patients struggle with these issues it is important to teach […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Many patients will struggle with a major issue that all people are best coming to terms with: we cannot control what happens around us. Wanting to remain in control is a natural thing for people, but it can sometimes be difficult for a patient to understand that he or she cannot control the environment or […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is important for children to feel empowered and confident in themselves. Confidence helps a child feel proud, motivates them to learn and engage with others, and helps them build social skills and resilience that will be useful in the real world. Unfortunately, many children find it difficult to identify their positive qualities and what […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A major reason why patients suffer from low self-esteem or emotional issues is a poor sense-of-self. There are many reasons for a person to develop a poor sense-of-self, but one common reason being aware of or understanding the things they value in life. Helping a patient discover what is important to them and their moral […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children find it hard to cope with things they do not understand. There are many people, places and things in the world that scare children, and when children are afraid they feel lost, alone and vulnerable. Children who are fearful sometimes have a hard time developing the confidence they need to face the fears they […]
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 […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When we are confronted with patients who are fixated on the negative it is difficult to break away from the bad and shift focus on the good. Often we will have a patient who does not acknowledge anything besides the negative in his or her life which not only is detrimental to their overall health, […]
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, […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Patients who are suffering from a mental illness can often feel discouraged from being able to achieve their goals. Sometimes their ambitions and efforts are cut off by thoughts like “why bother?”, “it’s too much, I won’t be able to do it” or “I will start tomorrow”. It helps a great deal to draft a […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
With all the responsibilities we have as adults it is all too easy to get wrapped up in the stress of the day and miss out on the things we appreciate in this world. When a patient is overwhelmed with their environment it is helpful to remind them to focus on things that they appreciate […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When a patient is learning what is affecting them and ways to feel better it is expected that they take lessons learned in therapy and to them to their lifestyles. Sometimes in the heat of emotions and stress patients can forget what they learned and how to implement them, and need a reminder of why […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Often those with depression lose sight on what is important to them. Depression is mentally, emotionally, and physically debilitating and when a patient is depressed and does not understand what they can do to manage the depression the patient will feel hopeless about life and the future. It is important to encourage patients to find […]
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A huge part of CBT is understanding what core beliefs are and how they affect people. Core beliefs are the perceived conclusions a person makes about themselves, their world, and their future based on what they have learned through life experiences. When a person develops negative, irrational, or maladaptive core beliefs, the way they see […]
