Tag: <span>Counseling</span>

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Therapy • By Joel Schmidt 0 Comments

A Day in the Life of a Therapist (This Therapist)

Being a therapist sounds pretty easy, right?  I hear that sometimes.  How hard can it be to plop down in your chair, listen to someone talk for an hour, nod your head a few times, and maybe check in on how whatever it is they are talking about makes them feel every once in a while? Well, its really not quite that simple...unless you're just not a very involved or helpful therapist.  Don't get me wrong.  There's a lot to be said about the power of just being heard - in providing a nonjudgmental place for people to share their stories...their loss, their trauma, their suffering, their ups, and their downs....their wins and accomplishments...  I won't discount that for a moment....but for a therapist who really wants to help, it's not as simple as just listening.  It's about really actively listening. It's about trying to get a deep understanding of what's going on.  It's about helping people untangle their thoughts and understand the complexity of themselves.  It's about continuing to learn and to grow...It's about helping people "connect dots" with a deep level of curiosity and trying to figure out what it is that will help someone really heal...and that's hard work that takes about every ounce of energy and attention available.  That, and outside of that sacred 50 minutes, there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that many people who are not therapists aren't aware of. The time you reserve and pay for often extends far beyond the hour we spend together.  

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tampa, counselor near me, therapist near me
Therapy • • • • By Joel Schmidt 0 Comments

Finding a Therapist in Tampa – Considerations & what to Look for

If you're looking for a Counselor in Tampa - or anywhere for that matter - it can be hard to know where to start.  It's an overwhelming task.   Look up therapists near me in the Tampa Bay area on  Psychology Today directory and you'll get close to ONE THOUSAND results.  Because there's a lot of filtering to be done, it can be helpful to get clear on a few things and to know what you're looking for before you begin.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself and to answer to help you get started.

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Therapy • • By Joel Schmidt 0 Comments

Looking for Advice? You might be Disappointed.

I remember being corrected very quickly on the first day of my first graduate-level Intro to Counseling Course – back when I was a wee-little aspiring Therapist – when I used the word “advice” to refer to something that might be offered to a client during a therapy session.  “We don’t give advice”, I was told by my professor.  She then went on to explain all of the reasons why…I got it…but it prompted a huge shift in the ideas I had about therapy and how it is we go about promoting and facilitating change in the lives of others.  Read more

tampa therapist, carrollwood counselor, get unstuck
Self-improvement Therapy • • • • • • • By Joel Schmidt 0 Comments

Why we get Stuck – And Steps to Getting “Unstuck”

Are you feeling stuck?  If so, you know it’s a frustrating feeling.  Whether in the context of a relationship, a career, or the mundane routine of day-to-day life, it comes along with wanting change – or wanting more.  You might feel like you’re on the treadmill of life – moving along, but not really getting anywhere.  Other times, it feels more like facing a multi-pronged fork in the road – being faced with several options or possible decisions to make, but with no idea as to which you should choose.  The fear of picking the wrong one can lead to no action at all.  Regardless of what it is that has you stuck, feeling stuck is actually a good thing and can lead to positive change if you’re willing to do something about it.  After all, you only feel stuck because you’re at a place in your life where you know something has to be done.  Although it won’t be easy, with some reflection and readiness for change, you can get unstuck. Read more

Self-improvement • • By Joel Schmidt 0 Comments

Well-Adjusted People Benefit from Therapy, too

 

Although a lot has been done in recent years to decrease the stigma associated with therapy, seeking a professional for mental health – or “mental help” – still comes along with a good deal of assumptions.  One of them being that therapy is for people who really need it; the broken, sad, helpless, or mentally ill.  In reality, there are a ton of well-adjusted and happy people in therapy.  These tend to be the kind of people who really understand the benefit of good therapy – the value and even higher quality of life that can come along with the kind of self-growth that takes place in the therapeutic setting. Below are a five reasons to seek therapy – even if everything in life is generally good. Read more

19 Alcohol Moderation Tools, Tips, and Strategies

Have you noticed an increase in your drinking? Has it started to cause issues with your health, work, school, or relationships? …

Understanding Anxiety, Treatment for it, and how to Support: A Resource for Family and Friends

If you're reading this it's probably because someone you know and care about has been struggling with some kind of disordered …

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How to Spot Questionable Therapy

I recently started listening to a new podcast called "Very Bad Therapy".  I just started, but the hosts (clinical counselors), …