GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Exploring values can be a rewarding experience in therapy. Everyone deals with life experiences, and similar life experiences between people can help facilitate shared life values. Sharing your values with others can help people in therapy learn about how to build strong value systems, and how those value systems can help with promoting good mental […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Working with children is as challenging as it is rewarding. Children see and understand their world very differently than adults. As they grow, they learn more about their lives and how they are influenced by their experiences and feelings. While children grow, their emotions become more complex and difficult to understand. This can often make […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
A common cause of challenges with relationships is how a person communicates. Communication skills can affect a person in different ways, whether they are struggling with relationship issues, social anxiety, self-esteem, or other issues. Being able to communicate well helps with a person’s mental health in several ways, including boosting confidence, working through emotional challenges, […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Family bonding time is an important part of any family dynamic. A family’s sense of unity and connectedness grows when they can enjoy time together and make fond memories. Setting time aside to enjoy the company of your family also helps family members feel wanted and appreciated, which helps boost self-esteem and trust in your […]
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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
Supporting a loved one with depression can be challenging. It can drain you mentally, emotionally, and physically, which can lead to burnout and exhaustion. While it is a gesture of love to support a loved one who is struggling with depression, it is important to do so in a healthy way. There are ways to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Teaching a child to learn how to express what they are feeling can help them learn assertiveness skills and skills to express how they feel in times of need. Assertiveness and self-expression skills are important for a person at any age, and the younger a child learns how to communicate what they are feeling the […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
When you do not set clear and healthy boundaries with others, you put yourself at risk of being mistreated. Without proper boundaries, the people in your life may mistreat you and not realize it. This is because they do not know that the way they are approaching you is upsetting you or simply does not […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Listening skills are important to have, but not everyone is taught effective methods of listening to others. To listen does not mean to formulate a response, it means to understand the points and perspective of another. We all get eager to respond to things we are listening to at times, but it is often more […]
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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
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
Teamwork is an important part of any relationship. Whether it is family, partners, peers, classmates or coworkers, being able to develop a good working dynamic can be a skill that lasts throughout the course of the relationship. In order to have a productive relationship, you must have good communication skills. Without effective communication skills, working […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Issues in relationships often stem from a problem with communication. Communication is a critical part of a healthy relationship. Without proper communication skills, it is difficult for a couple to work together as a team and resolve issues. Good communication skills are important both during the good times and the bad times. People often think […]
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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
Relationships can be challenging. In any relationship, there are points of strength and points of struggle. In the more challenging times, it is important to be able to work as a team. The goal of resolving problems in a relationship is finding resolution, not winning an argument. To be a strong team, each partner must […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Relationships can be challenging at times. There are many obstacles a couple faces throughout the course of their partnership. It is not uncommon for a couple to fall out of sync with each other. Whether it is dishonesty, unfaithfulness, or just troubles with managing work and family, every long-term couple will face its trials. Every […]
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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
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
Self-image is an important part of understanding who you are as a person. Many people who seek therapy struggle because they do not have a good relationship with themselves. They do not understand who they are, and that can be for many reasons. Sometimes people are so distracted with who they want to be they […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Children often struggle to explain how they are feeling. During childhood, they are actively developing their understanding of their own emotions. Feelings can be confusing for a child, and in that confusion they can struggle to express themselves. Children often do not realize their physical symptoms of feelings like anxiety, anger, fear and sadness are […]
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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
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
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
Relationships can be tough, but a couple that is motivated for change and attends couples counseling has a lot of room for growth. It is not uncommon for a couple to struggle with a number of issues. Sometimes an issue that a couple can face is remembering to express gratitude for their loved one. Feeling […]
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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
Grieving can be very overwhelming and confusing for a child. Loss and death can be complicated concepts, and it can be hard for a child to understand what death and loss mean, and how the permanence of a loved one’s passing will affect them. It is not uncommon for a child to feel many different […]
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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
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
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
When a child is suffering from the effects of anxiety, trauma, abuse, or behavioral problems, he or she feels helpless and vulnerable. These feelings can prevent the child from taking action in taking care of themselves when it counts. In order to ensure a child develops the skills needed to become mentally and emotionally strong […]
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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
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
At some point in a client’s journey, he or she will need to take a step back to evaluate how he or she is managing self-care. It is important for a client to be well-aware of what he or she needs to be able to maintain self-care, and to understand a hierarchy in which the […]
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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
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
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
Working on communication in relationships is an integral part in strengthening the bond between a couple. Often, people who are struggling in a relationship have a hard time expressing their needs in an open and effective way. This can often cause tension in a relationship and cause a rift between partners. About This Worksheet This […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Teaching emotional intelligence skills is important when working with young children. Often children have feelings they may not understand, which makes it difficult for them to express how they are feeling and if they are upset. This struggle can prevent caretakers and parents from being able to understand the child’s needs, and can further complicate […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
It is not uncommon to have a client pass through your doors who has low self-esteem and a poor awareness of who he or she is and how he or she fits into the world. This can cause a great deal of unpleasant feelings and anxiety within a person, as he or she struggles 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
The way we think is a huge component that contributes to the way we feel, behave and react to situations. People develop habits in thinking. Sometimes those habits are healthy, but often people can develop erroneous patterns of thought that affect the way they perceive the world and their place in it. These thoughts are […]
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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
Sometimes clients struggle with learning how to feel happy and fulfilled in their lives. Whether it is due to depression, low self-esteem, or motivation issues, it is not uncommon for clients in therapy to struggle to find traction toward happiness or contentment. These clients will ultimately feel lost and sometimes hopeless in their efforts to […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Sometimes our clients have a hard time expressing how they feel to their therapist and others. There could be several reasons for this, like the client was not brought up to express their emotions, they struggled to relate to how others feel, or they simply struggle to make the connection between feeling and expressing their […]
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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 submission, when dealing with confrontation. Sometimes it can be difficult to know which road to take, whether to be assertive, aggressive or submissive, and the confusion can […]
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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 […]
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GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
One major cause for stress for patients 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 patients struggle with such challenges it helps to help them understand social […]
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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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