GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children can benefit from learning and practicing mindfulness skills. Mindfulness can help kids cope with uncomfortable feelings and calm their minds. It can also help with improving concentration. Mindfulness can be used as an aid in improving behavior at school and home, as well as reducing reactivity caused by stress. Mindfulness activities help children prepare […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Avoiding relapse is an important part of recovery. A relapse is difficult for a person to cope with, but when they are equipped with the proper tools, they can avoid relapse and stay on a path that promotes a healthy life. People in recovery work hard to achieve their goals- whether for sobriety, abstinence, anger […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Therapists who are trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) find value in teaching their clients how to cope with automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). ANTs can be catalysts for negative behavior like lashing out at others and self-destructive habits. They also cause negative emotions and hurt feelings that may not necessarily fit the situation that caused the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that is used for different types of mental health challenges. It can help a client who is struggling with different experiences, including a depressed mood, anxiety, ruminating thoughts, low self-esteem, poor impulse control, anger management issues, and more. CBT is an effective form of treatment that can […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People who suffer from mental health challenges may find themselves having a hard time staying on track with a healthy diet. Whether they are inclined to eat too much or not enough, it can become difficult to maintain healthy eating habits while struggling with mental health. Clients in therapy can benefit from a food journal […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It can be difficult for clients who suffer from emotional issues like depression and anxiety to keep from falling into bad habits, like isolating and cutting off things that bring them joy. With such mental health challenges, it can be difficult for a client to enjoy the moment without having to deal with uncomfortable symptoms. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Managing a client in crisis can be challenging for a therapist. When confronted with a situation in which a client is expressing that they are in danger of causing harm to themselves or is in danger of being harmed by someone else, it is important that a therapist does all they can do to keep […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When starting with recovery from substance use, it is important for the client to know the people, places, and things to avoid. The more a client learns about themselves and their sobriety, the more they realize the how certain people, places, and things influence them and how detrimental they are to their recovery. The client […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes we get caught up in the day and forget to focus on what we are feeling. This can cause us to miss important signs of our changing mood, which can affect our ability to use healthy coping skills. When we are struggling with understanding our mood patterns it helps a great deal to have […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People who are suffering from mental health challenges can often feel discouraged from being able to achieve their goals. Sometimes their ambitions and efforts to make progress toward their goals are overshadowed by defeating thoughts, like “why bother?”, “it’s too much, I won’t be able to do it” or “I will start tomorrow”. Having an […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Utilizing gratitude skills with clients in therapy is a great way to help them learn how to cope with stress and frustration. With all the responsibilities we have each day, it is easy to get wrapped up in the stress of the moment and miss out on the things we appreciate in this world. When […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger is difficult to control sometimes. It is powerful, and can affect a person in a number of different ways. When a person does not feel in control of their anger, they can react in ways that leads to consequences. It is important to know how to stay in control of anger. Anger can be […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
An important step to understanding anger is understanding how intense it can become and the situations that make it as intense as it can be. People with anger management issues find it difficult to assess a situation without their anger affecting their judgment, which makes it challenging for them to control their reactions. Learning how […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger can be a difficult feeling to understand and control. Everyone feels angry sometimes, but dealing with chronic anger can be challenging for a number of different reasons. It is not easy for a client to struggle with controlling their anger, but a good first step to managing angry feelings and minimizing consequences is to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anticipatory anxiety is a struggle for many people. It is a type of anxiety that occurs when thinking about something that will be happening or may happen in the future. A person who is struggling with anticipatory anxiety may find themselves in thinking patterns like catastrophizing or imagining the worst-case scenario. When it comes to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
In therapy, a client learns a lot about their emotions and gain perspective on their life challenges. Through self-exploration, they learn different ways to cope with the challenges they face. Therapy teaches coping skills that help clients relieve their symptoms in real-life situations. They learn valuable life skills in sessions, but sometimes it can be […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
After learning what cognitive behavioral therapy is, how it works, and how components like cognitive distortions, automatic negative thoughts, core beliefs, emotions, and behavior all contribute to our perceptions, it is important to learn how to challenge negative thoughts and cognitive distortions. A great tool to learn how to challenge cognitive distortions is the automatic […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
In cognitive behavioral therapy, a therapist will often work with their client to identify their cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are patterns in thinking that typically make someone think in the negative and have negative expectations. This can be detrimental to the client for many reasons, the biggest being it holds them back from growing mentally […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Having coping strategies is an important part of maintaining good mental health, but sometimes a person can develop unhealthy coping strategies without realizing the impact they have on their quality of life. Unhealthy coping strategies may be effective, but that does not necessarily mean that they should be used to cope with life stressors. There […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Core beliefs are the strong and withstanding beliefs that a person has about themselves and how they relate to others, the world, and their future. These beliefs are based on what a person has learned through life experiences and begin being formed during childhood. The way a person sees each aspect of their life is […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Thoughts can be upsetting sometimes, but the thoughts that upset us are not always healthy or realistic. We often have thoughts in reaction to situations that we may not fully understand or are interpreted through our feelings. Upsetting thoughts can affect how we feel about ourselves, our behaviors, and our emotions, so it is important […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger management skills are an important part of maintaining good mental health and healthy relationships. People who struggle with anger are often struggling with other feelings, like stress, grief, and fear. In the moment, they may not realize how many other things are going on that is causing the anger, which can lead to outbursts […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Experiencing a traumatic event is a challenging experience. It can cause our bodies and minds to react in a number of different ways. Reactions to trauma can be obvious, like shock and fear, but there are other reactions that may not be so obvious. People who have suffered trauma may be reacting to their trauma […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Controlling anger can be challenging for many people. People can be triggered at different times and for different reasons, but the experience of anger is often relatable. Everyone deals with anger sometimes, and while the reasons may be different, people can empathize with each other’s experiences and methods of coping. Knowing that you are not […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A depressed mood can affect most areas of a person’s life. Sometimes depression is chronic or consistent, and sometimes it can come and go in waves. Depression can impact how a person can cope with life stressors, which is why it is important to know how to handle it in the moment. A person does […]
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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
Everyone reacts differently when faced with a high-stress situation. It can be confusing for people to know why they reacted to such situations the way they did when reflecting, but there is a theory that suggests that when a person is faced with danger, they will react in one of three ways. They will either […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A major factor in the success of achieving a goal is how a person plans for a goal. Oftentimes people set goals that are not realistic, but they do not realize that until they are overwhelmed with work. Because of this, it is important to develop proper goal-setting skills when creating a plan for the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Many people in therapy suffer from sleep issues. Whether it is stress, anxiety, depression a reaction to a medication, or insomnia, sleep issues are a common issue for people who are working on their mental health. Insomnia and sleep issues are difficult to deal with and can be symptoms of a deeper underlying issue. While […]
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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
Life gets stressful for everyone. Managing all of the responsibilities that come in a day can be challenging, and it is not uncommon for people to struggle with managing time and stress. Whether a person takes on too much at once or has unexpected changes in their lives, time management is not always easy and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Managing symptoms of mental health conditions can be challenging, especially for clients who prolonged mental illness or clients who are new to managing their mental health and wellness. It is common for clients to give in to their symptoms and allow them to take control, which can feel good at the moment, but causes a […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Jumping to conclusions can have a major effect on how a person relates to others and feels about themselves. When people jump to conclusions, they draw conclusions based on part of the whole picture they see. This causes them to assume things that may not be true and can prevent them from handling a situation […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When it comes to addressing a child’s behavior, consistency is key. Consistent and expected rewards and consequences can be a great motivator for behavioral modification. When it comes to encouraging good behavior and discouraging bad behavior, understanding consequences helps a child understand how to behave. Planning rewards and consequences do not need to be complicated. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Learning about cognitive distortions can be helpful for a person in therapy. A cognitive distortion is a pattern of unhealthy thinking. When a person thinks through cognitive distortions, they are not able to see a situation clearly. This can impact their judgment and how they view themselves and the world around them. A cognitive distortion […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People in therapy often face challenges when they are not in touch with how their thoughts affect their behavior. Without understanding the connection between these two things, clients can struggle to understand how to reflect on themselves to become healthier individuals. Both thoughts and behaviors should be challenged when working to build a healthy lifestyle. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
An important skill to have when managing negative thoughts is learning how to identify cognitive distortions. A cognitive distortion is a pattern of unhealthy thinking. Identifying cognitive distortions is an important part of cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you learn how to challenge and rethink unhealthy thoughts. One type of cognitive distortion is called generalizing. The […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Setting life goals is an excellent way to set a path for a client in therapy. When a client has a goal they are trying to achieve, the feel a sense of purpose. A goal can give direction and motivation in a client’s day. It can also help them identify and modify their own behaviors […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Emotional reasoning can be a major barrier in a client’s progress in therapy. When a client uses emotional reasoning to understand the world around them, they develop a poor self-image and distrust for people around them. Emotional reasoning can cause a client to have unrealistic expectations and misunderstand the reality of the challenging situations they […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Goal setting can be a great method of promoting good mental health. When people set goals for themselves, they set themselves on the path for success. While that path can be challenging at times, goals can give people a sense of purpose and value. A great way to help people who are struggling with their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Negative thoughts can have a significant impact on how we feel and how we react to challenging situations. They can cause us to act out of character, and get down on ourselves for reasons that are not fair to us. When we give in to our negative thoughts, we set ourselves up for feeling anxious, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger is a powerful emotion that can have many effects on people. Everyone feels anger for different reasons, and everyone has different triggers for their anger. It is important to be in touch with your anger. Understanding your own anger and why you are feeling angry is an important step in managing anger. If an […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is important to teach clients how to challenge their negative thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to negative self-talk, which can affect a client’s self-esteem. It can also affect how they relate to people around them, and have a negative effect on their ability to build relationships with others. Cognitive restructuring is a process that involves […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A great method of helping a client overcome their anxiety is educating them about cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are patterns of negative thinking that make the client have unrealistic expectations or perceptions of a situation. Cognitive distortions can cause a person to view the world and themselves in a negative light, which prevents them from […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Cognitive distortions are a major source of mental and emotional strain on a person’s day-to-day life. Everyone struggles with cognitive distortions sometimes. They are natural patterns that our brain develops to understand how the world affects us. The challenge with cognitive distortions is they warp the way we see the world and how it relates […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger affects everyone. It is a powerful emotion that can be triggered by many different things. You may feel anger from an upsetting situation, stress or another emotion you don’t entirely understand. Sometimes, when we do not understand our anger or how it negatively affects us, it has a damaging effect on our quality of […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Awareness about your own cognitive distortions is an important part of therapy. It is a step toward correcting thinking errors. A cognitive distortion is a pattern in negative thoughts. It is an error in thinking that causes many challenges in a person’s life. Understanding cognitive distortions is a part of the process of cognitive behavioral […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It can be challenging to have a balanced and healthy perspective on life’s challenges. Clients often struggle to understand how they think and feel, and how their thoughts and feelings can affect a situation. When a client is being negatively impacted by their behavior, it is important to help them take a step back. A […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anxiety is an oppressive emotion for people to feel. People with chronic anxiety tend to suffer from cycles of anxiety, panic and avoidance. It is not uncommon for these people to not realize the cycle of anxiety they fall into, nor how the cycle affects them. In order to learn how to manage anxiety, a […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an oppressive condition to live with each day. It causes many daily challenges, and can cause a client to feel helpless to ever get better. OCD causes a lot of obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors and irrational fears that can be difficult to manage. It creates many challenges as a person tries […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger can be difficult to manage. People who suffer from anger management issues often struggle to cope with their anger in a healthy way. They may engage in unhealthy behaviors, like lashing out at others or taking it out on themselves. It is important to have healthy anger management skills. Without proper anger management skills, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) is a form of therapy that can be very effective in helping clients. It offers a means to gain perspective on challenging situations. REBT suggests that the way people understand situations causes them to be reactive. The concept of REBT implies that a situation is neither positive nor negative. A […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children often do not understand how to handle their anger in a healthy way. They may act out, shut down, or lash out at others. Anger can be a complicated emotion for children, so ensuring that they understand how to cope with the feeling is important. Children often need guidance for how to communicate their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Exploring values can help a great deal in therapy. When a client understands their values, they can gain a better understanding of their goals and what they want from life. They also learn about the type of person they want to be, and how they want to behave. When a person does not have a […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children often struggle to talk about how they feel. They struggle to work through their own emotions to feel okay. When a changing family affects a child, they may act out or shut down. It is important to be mindful of these changes, and to help the child work through their feelings, rather than punishing […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A huge part of having a healthy lifestyle is having proper boundaries with yourself and the people in your life. Boundaries promote healthy relationships with others and a good sense of self-esteem. They are very important, but can sometimes be difficult to maintain. Everyone’s boundaries are different. Each person has their own unique needs and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Everyone has stressors in their lives. When people are in therapy, different stressors can serve as triggers for different conditions. Most people in therapy will have significant triggers that can cause them to think, act and feel in ways that are not healthy for them. An important part of therapy is helping clients identify their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When working with clients in recovery from substance use it is important for both the counselor and the client to understand where their temptations stem from. Everyone will have different moments of temptation, and it is not uncommon for a client to be confronted with temptation when they least expect it. Temptations are very difficult […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A huge part of encouraging a child to continue to engage in good behavior is to provide positive reinforcement. Reinforcement is a powerful tool because it helps a child learn what behaviors will get a positive reaction from the people around them. It helps them to understand consequences and how to behave in a way […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A major part of learning how to cope with stress, anxiety and other mental health disorders is to learn effective relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are a critical part of maintaining good mental health. They are needed for different areas of your body, and without them you cannot properly cope with stress, anger and other upsetting […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Phobias are a challenging struggle for clients to experience. Working with clients who are trying to overcome irrational or debilitating fears takes a great deal of time and patience. A person who is facing a phobia or fear will work hard to develop the courage to face it head on, and often need guidance and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Just like adults, children can have a hard time controlling their anger. They often do not understand how their anger affects them, and how it affects others. Children can struggle to learn how to process and express negative feelings like anger, so it is important to teach emotional intelligence skills to keep them grounded when […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Mindfulness is an important exercise to practice regularly. Clients must learn how to be mindful of themselves, their needs and their emotional wellness in order to ensure good mental health. Families often need mindfulness exercises to ensure their mental health and relationships as well. Family mindfulness is a great way to bring families closer together. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Everyone struggles with cognitive distortions. A cognitive distortion is an error in thinking. It is a pattern of thinking that is detrimental to the way clients think about challenges and behave in reaction. A cognitive distortion can cause different issues with stress management, communication, and relationships. It can also affect a client’s self-esteem, self-image, and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Catastrophizing is a common issue that people face in therapy. It is a term that refers to people feeling anxious because they feel the worst will happen in a challenging situation. Catastrophizing causes people to feel a great deal of anxiety. It often causes people to act irrationally and in a way that worsens the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When used properly, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very effective form of therapy. CBT helps people work on their problem behavior by providing a means to understand their thoughts and feelings. People often react to stressors quickly, and that can prevent them from thinking things through. CBT teaches a person how to slow down […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Everyone faces challenges. Life is about facing challenges to find resolution and grow from the experience. A huge factor that affects a person’s ability to handle challenges while maintaining inner peace and growth is the way in which they handle their own negative thoughts. It is important to know how to counter your own negative […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Cognitive distortions (thinking errors) are a huge contributing factor to many people’s mental health issues. Cognitive distortions are erroneous patterns in thinking that lead to negative thoughts, bad feelings and poor behavior. When someone suffers from a cognitive distortion, they are not able to perceive tough situations in a healthy way. That is why it […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A huge part of using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients cope with their triggers is teaching them about cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking errors, and they affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, and reactions to upsetting situations. It is not uncommon for a person in therapy to turn to cognitive distortions like […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Throughout the course of therapy, it is important for both the therapist and the client to have a concrete understanding of how the client is growing and developing their coping skills. Therapy is more than just talking about feelings. It is about personal growth and learning how to manage thoughts, feelings, coping skills, behaviors and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Practicing effective self-care techniques is a very important part of mental health. Without self-care, people cannot grow and learn how to cope with the stress of their daily lives. It is particularly important to practice self-care when struggling with mental illness. This is because self-care helps to promote skills to maintain good coping strategies and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Social anxiety has an effect on how people interact with others. It affects the connections people make with friends and family. Social anxiety can cause a great deal of stress for affected people, and can be really frustrating to manage everyday. Those who seek help with social anxiety aim to learn how to manage their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Our thought patterns make a difference in how we interpret challenging situations. When we practice healthy thinking patterns we can control how we react to upsetting issues. When we have errors in thinking, or cognitive distortions, we can misunderstand a challenging situation and behave in a way that may not fit our character. Cognitive distortions […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Having healthy communication skills are important, but also challenging to develop. Some people may struggle with articulating their feelings and needs. It is common for a client to struggle with being assertive or understanding what it means to be assertive with your needs. Learning how to reflect on a situation before confronting another person can […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A huge part of successfully developing effective communication skills is understanding what it means to be assertive. Assertive communication skills are essential for clients who are learning how to express themselves effectively. When a person is assertive, they are able to make their point and perspective clear. They are able to state their needs and […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Emotions can be challenging to understand. Sometimes they have concrete reasons for being felt, and sometimes we are not sure why we are feeling a certain way. When we feel emotions we do not understand, we can struggle to understand how to cope. People who struggle to understand how to identify and cope with their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Using methods from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a great way to help children understand and take accountability for their feelings and actions. CBT helps kids understand their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, which can be instrumental in building self-esteem. It also helps with modifying problematic behaviors. Helping a child understand their thoughts, feelings and actions […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When teaching your clients cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) skills, it is important to help them gain an understanding of common thinking errors and how they affect thoughts, feelings and behaviors. When a person has a pattern of negative thinking, it will skew the way they see and understand how they fit into a situation. This will […]
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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
Cognitive distortions, or errors in thinking, can cause a person to misinterpret situations and see themselves in a negative light. They are powerful and can have effects on a person’s sense of self-esteem, mood, and reactions to challenging situations. Teaching a client in therapy about how cognitive distortions may be impacting their mental health can […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Being aware of a client’s triggers is a critical component of learning how to cope with symptoms of mental health challenges. Triggers are situations that can cause a person to react in an unwanted or unhealthy way. Triggers can cause a person to struggle with unwanted thoughts, feelings, and impulses. They are especially challenging when […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Many people in therapy struggle to see their daily lives from a healthy perspective. It can be a challenge for people in therapy to remove the lens of negativity that causes them to feel anxious, depressed, or angry. While it is unrealistic to expect someone always to see things positively, it can help to balance […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is not uncommon for a client to feel like a victim of their own anxiety. Anxiety is a difficult feeling to live with, and it is often chronic for people who seek counseling. Anxiety brings ruminating negative thoughts that can have a major impact on a client’s ability to get through their day. When […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
An important part of teaching a child responsibility, accountability and maturity is to provide structure and routine in the daily schedule. With the help of chores and responsibilities around the house, the child is able to learn how to interact with the world, how to take initiative to be self-sufficient, and how to internalize the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
People can develop unhealthy eating habits for a number of reasons. Some people use food as a reward, punishment or comfort, while others do not prioritize eating in times of stress. Establishing and maintaining a healthy diet is a critical part of mental health. Without a healthy body a person cannot maintain a healthy mind. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Anger is an emotion that can overwhelm anyone, especially a young child. When a child is not taught proper emotional regulation skills, they can have trouble with learning how to manage their behaviors in reaction to their feelings. This can result in behavioral issues and troubles with communication. Teaching proper anger management skills helps a […]
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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
Reinforcement exercises are a helpful tool when teaching children healthy communication and behavior habits. With positive reinforcement, a child learns what types of behaviors elicit positive reactions from people. Through using positive reinforcement techniques children can learn how to behave well in school, at home, and in counseling. A great technique is incorporating a reward […]
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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
When it comes to certain cases, clients may find it difficult to grasp an understanding of the struggles they are going though. Whether dealing with trauma, anger, anxiety, depression or otherwise, it can be a challenge for many clients to understand how they came to become who they are. Sometimes it is not easy 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
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) offers useful tools for teaching clients in therapy how to handle distressing or upsetting situations. DBT teaches healthy coping skills for distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and the reduction of mood swings and panic attacks. It provides tools that help a client learn how to cope with upsetting emotions like stress, anxiety, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Coping with anxious thoughts can be a struggle for clients in therapy. Racing, ruminating, or oppressive thoughts can be difficult to manage healthily, which can cause stress for clients who do not know how to control their thoughts. Cognitive behavioral therapy offers tools for clients to learn how to manage their thoughts so they do […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has become a leading form of treatment that mental health professionals use when working with their clients. Part of the process of CBT is focusing on interaction between a client’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A tool that is used to help explain how these three components affect a person’s mental health […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Clients in addiction recovery face different obstacles that are challenging to overcome. Recovery is a long process that requires patience and commitment to sobriety. Clients must be prepared to overcome many unexpected challenges that may compromise their recovery. It is important to have a relapse prevention plan when in recovery. Clients must be prepared for […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Building self-esteem is an essential part of child development. Without developing a high self-esteem, a child has a higher risk of struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, body image and many other challenges. These challenges will affect the quality of how the child lives his or her life. In order to be able to develop […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is not uncommon for a child to struggle with verbalizing his or her fears. It can be a challenge for a child to face his or her fears, but setting up a child in a safe setting to express and explore the fears that he or she struggles with can facilitate growth and development […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is important to have a list of goals and objectives for the client and therapist to work toward when beginning a new therapeutic relationship. Setting goals creates a foundation that helps the client and therapist stay on track when helping a client feel better. Setting goals also empowers a client to stay on track […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When working with kids, especially those who have behavioral problems, it can be a challenge to teach empathy and healthy socialization skills. Being able to express gratitude and appreciation for others helps a child relate to their peers and teaches them how to identify positive qualities within themselves. When a child can express appreciation, they […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes a client will struggle to overcome racing or ruminating thoughts. These thoughts can be frustrating for a client, and can prevent him or her from staying productive throughout the day. If a client is struggling with racing thoughts, it is important for him or her to learn skills to manage those thoughts. Managing the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Arguments are never easy, but it is important to know how to effectively argue to keep lines of communication open. Often when people struggle with arguments the point of the argument is lost, which prevents the partners to find resolution. This is why it is important to learn how to effectively argue to find resolution […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Gratitude can create healthy habits that help clients cope with several mental health challenges. Gratitude provides balance to negative thoughts and feelings, so a client can benefit from learning about gratitude and the types of exercises they can use to boost gratitude and mindfulness practices. Teaching a client how to practice gratitude exercises helps them […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Promoting self-love is an important part of therapy, but sometimes can be a challenge for clients. It is a lesson that is dynamic, and should be treated as such. For a client to learn to love himself or herself, he or she must also learn how to love and appreciate those around him or her. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Healthy self-reflection skills help clients in therapy learn how to be more aware of their behavior. When working with clients on methods to improve their reactions to challenges, knowing how to slow down reactions, think situations through, and be more aware of their feelings and triggers can help a client understand how to improve their […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Creating mantras is a great way to help your client learn how to cope when dealing with life stress. A mantra is a repeated phrase or saying used to calm the mind and promote relaxation. It is a useful tool when needing to calm anxious thoughts or feel more grounded. Mantras are an important exercise […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When confronted with a difficult situation or an uncomfortable feeling that is not easily resolved, clients can fall into a pattern of ruminating over the discomfort. Oftentimes, the ruminating thoughts cause a sense of urgency to resolve an issue or find a solution to help you feel better. With that sense of urgency, it is […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
We all know that sometimes life can get overwhelming. Stress at work, home, or from unexpected circumstances causes us to feel overwhelmed when not properly managed. It is important to know how to manage the feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and depressed mood that can come with prolonged and unmanaged stress. Because life can be so […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Learning how to regulate emotions is an important part of mental health. People in therapy often work on their emotional regulation skills, as it is a significant factor in their ability to cope with uncomfortable feelings and experiences. Emotional regulation can be challenging to learn at first, but when taught effective coping skills, a client […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Emotional regulation is an important part of mental health, and it is often a part of a client’s treatment plan. Learning how to regulate emotions can be challenging, but is an important skill set. Teaching clients how to regulate their emotions helps them understand how their emotions affect their reactions to difficult things in life. […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Teaching a client in therapy how to maintain healthy habits for mental health is an important part of the therapeutic process. Clients learn a great deal while in therapy, and making sure that they learn skills to cope with life challenges helps ensure the client’s success. It is also important to guide the client in […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Negative thoughts can be powerful and have a big impact on a client’s mental health, especially when they are dealing with issues like anxiety, grief, and depression. Without proper tools for managing negative thoughts, a client’s process for healing may be challenging. When a client is struggling with negative thoughts, they are seeing the world […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Planning the best methods for achieving goals is an important skill that can be used in therapy and other parts of a client’s life. Without proper planning, working toward a goal can quickly become overwhelming. This is especially the case for people in therapy- whether planning for their therapy or life goals. A common hurdle […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes we have clients who struggle with finding motivation. They may struggle to find motivation in developing a career, accomplishing a goal, or moving on to the next phase in life. There are a number of reasons why a person may struggle with achieving a goal. This is why it is important that the client […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
As therapists, we know that most issues and concerns our clients face are more dynamic and intricate than the client may realize. Many components contribute to presenting issues with our clients, and often there is more than meets the eye. When working with clients on issues like emotional regulation, mood disorders, anxiety, and self-esteem, it […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When teaching a client how to use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for managing anxiety it helps a great deal to provide a visual aid. Clients who suffer from severe or chronic anxiety struggle to maintain control over anxious thoughts and resulting anxious feelings and behavior. It is important to teach clients in CBT treatment to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
There are several reasons why a person in therapy may struggle to express their feelings. Many grow up learning that they need to silence or suppress their uncomfortable feelings, which can affect the way they relate to their emotional needs. People can also struggle to understand how they feel when they suffer from mood disorders, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Interpersonal issues like assertiveness, aggression, and confrontation are often things people struggle to know how to handle. There is a fine line between assertiveness and aggression, hostility, and passivity when dealing with confrontation. Sometimes, it can be difficult for someone in therapy to know which road to take- whether to be assertive, aggressive, or submissive, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Worrying consumes more time and energy than we may realize. It is a feeling that is often hard to shake, especially when struggling with anxiety and stress, or feeling out of control. Clients often struggle to cope with worrying, and may not even realize how severely they are affected by their worrisome thoughts. Teaching a […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is common for couples in therapy to struggle with communicating and resolving conflict. Conflict poses challenges for people in relationships because it impacts communication, which is an important part of socializing, bonding, and getting along with others. When a person in therapy struggles with communicating, their self-esteem, ability to relate to others, and overall […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
One common cause of stress for clients in therapy is understanding how to handle confrontation and interactions with others. Sometimes people struggle with being assertive, controlling their temper, or simply expressing how they are feeling or what they are thinking in a given situation. When clients struggle with such challenges, it helps to assist them […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When it comes to teaching children healthy behavior it helps a great deal to have a system in place in which the child can watch their progress grow. Such tools for positive reinforcement help motivate children to continue to grow and work hard to learn healthy behaviors and responsibility. Especially when working with children who […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Negative thoughts can control the way people perceive almost every aspect of their lives. Some may have negative thoughts about themselves, others, or the way of the world. Negative thoughts generate negative feelings. In turn, negative feelings contribute to harmful behavior and can worsen mood disorders. That is why it is important to know how […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is sometimes difficult to control anger. Whether it is an isolated situation or a long-term problem, managing anger can be a challenge, especially when feeling overwhelmed with emotions or stress. Triggers for anger can potentially cause a person to react in alarming and sometimes dangerous ways. Those who suffer from anger management issues find […]
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