A simple blog post about mental health counseling, therapy, and the therapeutic healing process.
If you’re considering seeking help in any area of your life, it probably has something to do with your emotions. Some clients have trouble understanding them, others have trouble expressing them; some are overwhelmed with them while others are burdened by the absence of them. What are emotions and why do we have them? One … Read more
Maintaining healthy boundaries with family members is crucial for one’s mental and emotional well-being. As much as we love our families, it is important to recognize that we are all individuals with our own lives, goals, and dreams. Setting boundaries helps us to protect our personal space and maintain healthy relationships with our loved ones. … Read more
Procrastination is a habit that affects everyone at some point in their lives. It is the act of delaying or postponing tasks that need to be completed. While it may seem like a harmless habit, it can have significant consequences, such as missed deadlines, decreased productivity, and increased stress levels. For many of the clients … Read more
Progress Counseling is proud to offer evidence based, effective therapy for clients recovering from trauma, mental health symptom, relationship ruptures. Several of our clinicians are trained and experienced in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a form of therapy that has been gaining popularity in recent years. Originally developed in the late 1980s … Read more
Here’s a helpful glossary of acronyms and abbreviations you might find on your therapist’s bio. With that, it may also be helpful to highlight a brief definition of theoretical approaches. Though many counselors operate from a single theory, most are able to use interventions and techniques from various approaches. But, as I mentioned in a … Read more
Some of the most confusing parts of choosing a therapist is decoding the jumble of letters after their name and assessing the significance of their chosen approaches. How do you know if you need an LMHC, Psy D, LCSW or an LPC? And whether it matters if they’re CDAC, SA or EMDR certified? Or whether … Read more
I grew up with a lot (!!!) of anxiety. Little bursts of anxiety on the bus on the way to school. Shut down reactions in seemingly mundane social interactions. I am aware of some of the reasons — my very conservative, very evangelical upbringing served to reinforce the narrative that I was never doing (saying, … Read more
Aaron has already provided an excellent summary of why therapy works, but it’s interesting to ponder exactly what makes the clinical setting of a trained therapist and an anonymous client so special. Don’t empathetic friends, wise parents or experienced clergy provide the same sort of services for free? Why insist that the therapist and client … Read more
There are a few pieces of therapy that are inescapable — very very few people will go to therapy when things are going well, when they are high functioning and overall enjoying life (like “maintenance,” or “a check up” type of therapy). “Doing great” and “I’m in therapy” are a rare combination. Therapy, for the … Read more
Portland is considered one of the most post-Christian cities in the United States, which is one of the reasons it has been such a draw for younger people seeking to escape religious environments they’ve perceived as oppressive and toxic. But this exodus has been a national trend, as well – even before the pandemic devastated … Read more