Author: madisonsquaremh
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Breaking the Stigma: Embracing Vulnerability in Mental Health
By: Nick Azzarelli, LMHC In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, the conversation around mental health has become more crucial than ever. Despite the progress made in understanding and addressing mental health issues, there persists a pervasive and damaging force: stigma. I’d like to use this blog as an attempt to shed light on the stigma…
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The Importance of Self-Identification in Hero Media
By: Nick Azzarelli, MHC First off, I’ll give credit where credit’s due; I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts on my drives recently, particularly Brené Brown’s: Unlocking Us. I stumbled upon the episode in which she speaks with Gabby Rivera, the very first Latina writer for Marvel Comics. You’ll learn shortly that I’m a…
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Why it’s Hard to Make Friends as an Adult & How to Do it Anyway
If there’s one theme I’ve noticed in my 10 years as a therapist working primarily with young adults, it’s that almost everyone wants to make new friends – and almost everyone finds it overwhelming & difficult to do. I’ve always been perplexed by the fact that there is such a common, universal desire to connect…
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9 Monthly Self-Reflection Prompts
Too often we get caught up in going through the motions only to later realize that we’re dissatisfied or unfulfilled in one or more parts of our lives. The beginning of a new month can be a good benchmark to use to touch base, reflect and identify what parts of our lives are or aren’t…
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5 Tips for Dealing With Your Inner Critic
We all have an ‘inner critic’ or an insecure, self-doubting part of ourselves. We also all have a confident, self-affirming part of ourselves. Depending on which part of ourselves we’re feeling more connected to in any given moment dictates what type of action we do or don’t take. For example, if we’re more connected to…
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5 Ways Individual Therapy Helps Us Address Relationship Issues
When it comes to addressing our relationship issues, we may be quick to assume that couples therapy, family therapy or other forms of group therapy are the best approach. However there is much value to be gained from going to individual therapy to address our relationship issues as well. When we make changes in our…
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When & How to Break Up With Your Therapist
The therapeutic relationship is a relationship like any other. And when we are people-pleasing, conflict-avoidant or we otherwise have difficulty expressing our needs, ending that relationship can be difficult to do. While there are no hard & fast rules about when to terminate the relationship with your therapist, the most important thing is to be…
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5 Tips for Connecting to Your Intuition
We often hear the advice to “trust our instincts”, but it can sometimes be a discouraging or confusing sentiment when we aren’t feeling connected to them or are having difficulty accessing what they are. If we are prone to anxiety or fear-based thinking, our cognitive mind can make us incredibly disconnected from our bodies, making…
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How to Set Boundaries at Work
We live in a culture that glorifies the hustle, achievement, perfectionism and beyond and many of us were raised with these ideals engrained in every fiber of our being. But spoiler alert: we can be a successful, high-achieving, amazing employee while ALSO setting boundaries at work. Setting boundaries is hard for many of us (in…
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Questions to Ask During an Online Therapy Consultation
Most therapists will offer a free, brief consultation call prior to booking a session. If you’re new to therapy, or even if you’re not, it can be difficult to know what questions to ask to gauge whether or not a therapist will be a good fit for you. While a lot of that determination will…
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5 Mentally Healthy Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day if You’re Single
Single, happy and thriving? Going through a break-up? Trying to find the right person? In dating limbo and not sure where you stand with someone? Ditch the pressure to couple up on February 14th and try doing one of these activities instead. Start a new journal, book or podcast Holidays, especially one focused on romantic…
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5 Tips for Your Online Therapy Sessions
1 – Find a private, quiet space for your online therapy session Whether you live alone or with other people, finding a private, quiet space is sometimes the hardest (but also the most important) part of having a successful online therapy session. This is because it’s difficult to be fully open or present if we…
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Faced With a Difficult Decision
Indecisiveness plagues all of us from time to time. Whether it’s a small decision like what to wear or what to eat for dinner or a big decision like where to move or which job to accept, we can become overwhelmed and even paralyzed by making a choice that impacts our future in any way.…
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6 Ways to Beat the Sunday Scaries
A lot of clients talk to us about the ‘Sunday Scaries’ – the anxiety & dread they feel about the upcoming work week, which is intensified in those who either aren’t happy in their career or who are feeling burned out. Both of these issues have become increasingly prominent throughout the pandemic. But what if…
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How to Stop Black-and-White Thinking
One of the most common symptoms people with anxiety or OCD experience is black-and-white thinking. But what is it, exactly? How can we identify it? Why do we do it? And, most importantly, how can we stop? Let’s break it down. What is black-and-white thinking? Black-and-white thinking is the tendency to view all situations in…