Long Island Counseling Blog

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Learn About Personality Disorders

April 23, 2018

Personality disorders can be incredibly debilitating for those that suffer from mental illness. This type of disorder can cause undue stress to both friends and family members and can be harmful to the individual’s interpersonal relationships. However, many people that experience some sort of a personality disorder do not seek treatment. This is very troubling,…

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Coping with Postpartum Depression

April 18, 2018

After giving birth, many mothers experience am mental health condition known as postpartum depression. This can be incredibly debilitating, given the newfound responsibilities that come with being a mother, as well as the significant hormonal changes that occur after giving birth. In fact, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), “as many…

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ARE YOU PRETENDING? False Self or Real Self?

January 25, 2018

A false self develops to accommodate the unspoken needs of a parent who’s continued love and support are connected to the child’s ongoing accommodations.  A false self persists in the child long after the parent’s mandate is relevant and long after the child has grown.  Tragically, a false self interferes with living an authentic and…

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PSYCHOANALYSIS: Healing and Understanding

January 11, 2018

The problem with psychoanalysis is that it defies easy definition.  We start with Freud who privileged a segmented mind at war with itself, and move through more than 100 years of theory and practice to arrive at the present. Today, psychoanalysis is a very broadly practiced treatment modality.  At its most cutting edge, Freud’s main…

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WHY SOME MARRIAGES FAIL: Repairing Past Injuries

December 27, 2017

Marriages fail.  In fact, the American Psychological Association tells us that 40-50 percent of all marriages end in divorce.  Why?  Here’s an explanation .  .  . I want to try to write here about the unlikely union of Joe, the only child of middle-class parents and the object of his father’s distain for much of…

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Personality Disorders Explained

December 22, 2017

Mental disorders can significantly impact an individual’s day-to-day life in such a way that it can be difficult to complete simple everyday tasks. This can be incredibly frustrating, and can cause individuals to have a false sense of the world around them. Although personality disorders tend to develop in the early teenage and adult years,…

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PERSPECTIVE: A Different Point of View

November 28, 2017

Why do partners argue?  What’s at the heart of anger?  When it comes to perspective, we can say that when a person’s perspective is felt to be disregarded, it causes resentment.  When difference is not recognized, it, too, causes anger.  Too much of this sort of relating can lead a person to feel they’re in…

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BLAME: Preserving Power and Self-Esteem

November 10, 2017

Blame is different from holding someone responsible.  Blame has a punitive quality, designed to do more than identify and hold someone responsible.  Blame looks to inflict pain. BLAME vs. RESPONSIBILITY:  Blaming someone very often carries with it the wish to make them feel bad.  As I wrote above, this added component distinguishes blame from simply…

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MEDITATION & ANXIETY: How to Approach It?

November 8, 2017

Learning to bring the anxious, chaotic mind under control with mindfulness training may be a large part of successful anxiety treatment and a large part of any therapy for anxiety.   A good anxiety therapist should have a solid working knowledge of mindfulness training. DOES THE IDEA OF MINDFULNESS MAKE YOU ANXIOUS?  You may feel even…

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ANXIETY: Bringing the Chaotic Mind Under Control

November 3, 2017

Are you living with anxiety?  Do you fear what’s around the next corner?  Is anxiety affecting your quality of life, your sleep, work, or your relationships? MEDICATION?  Do you take medication to manage your anxiety?  Xanax? Klonopin? Buspar? Zoloft? Paxil? Lexapro? Anafranil?  Are they wreaking havoc with your libido—killing your sex drive?  Do they impact…

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