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Author Archives: Alisa Hafkin
Feeling Stressed Versus Feeling Overwhelmed – Why It’s Important to Know the Difference
Stress has become a part of modern life. That’s not a good thing. The feeling of stress is your mind’s way of telling you something is not right. However, with all the demands of modern life, most people don’t stop … Continue reading
Posted in General Self Help, Stress Reduction
Tagged feeling overwhelmed, stress reduction, stress relief
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Emotional Abuse or Overreacting?
No one is perfect and no relationship is perfect. There will always be disagreements in a marriage or romantic relationship, and sometimes one will hurt the other. It’s really important in any relationship to assume the best of the other … Continue reading
Posted in Healthy Relationships
Tagged abusive partner, abusive relationships, emotional abuse, victim of abuse
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Are Politics Causing You Stress and Anxiety?
We are living in a stressful time. Concerns and disagreements about covid, vaccines, mass shootings, government actions, the accuracy of our elections, and the failing economy will cause stress and anxiety in almost all of us at one time or … Continue reading
Posted in Anxiety
Tagged anxiety, managing stress, politics, stress
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The Art of Doing Nothing
The American culture seems obsessed with work. Many of us feel guilty if we aren’t constantly doing something or accomplishing something. Even our “down time” is full of activity. What does it really mean to “do nothing” and how does … Continue reading
Posted in General Self Help
Tagged doing nothing, mental health, stress reduction, stress relief
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Finding New Friends and Connecting with People in the Big City (or Anywhere)
If you’re new to NYC, you may feel that finding new friends or connecting with people in your new hometown can be difficult. It’s not uncommon for people to feel isolated and lonely when they move to a new area, … Continue reading
Posted in General Self Help, Healthy Relationships
Tagged forming personal connections, making new friends, meeting new people, moving to a new city
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Dealing with Depression Through Volunteering and Service
Counselors and psychiatrists have known for years that volunteering and serving others can help improve mental health and decrease depression symptoms. There’s also a great deal of science to support this. Researchers at Exeter Medical School in England reviewed the … Continue reading
Posted in Depression, Uncategorized
Tagged depression, improving mental health, mental health, serving others, volunteer work
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Self-Help Tips and Counseling for Empty-Nesters
After decades of devoting yourselves to your children, the last child has left the roost – or at least is at college most of the year. This can be a challenging time for many couples. It’s a time to readjust … Continue reading
Posted in Couples Therapy
Tagged adjusting to empty nest, couples counseling, empty nest syndrome, empty nester
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Is Surrogacy the Right Option for You?
One of the areas of focus in my practice as a therapist is helping couples struggling with infertility. Many couples choose to go through medical procedures to help their own natural fertility kick in so that they can bear their … Continue reading
Posted in Infertility
Tagged adoption, infertility, surrogacy, surrogate mother
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“The Four Horsemen of the Marriage Apocalypse” and Their Antidotes
As a marriage counselor, I often see very similar patterns in troubled marriages. The great marriage researcher, Dr. John Gottman, grouped these patterns into four categories that he labeled “the four horsemen of the apocalypse” – that is, those behavior … Continue reading
Posted in Couples Therapy
Tagged four horsemen, John Gottman, marriage advice, marriage counseling, troubled marriage
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Understanding Frustration: Causes and Cures
We all experience frustration from time to time in our lives. It is a natural reaction when our efforts to attain a goal are thwarted in some way. The more important we deem the goal, or the more we are … Continue reading
Posted in General Self Help
Tagged coping with frustration, frustration, overcoming frustration
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