Blog - Laura Giles, LCSW - Page 10
133
blog,paged,paged-10,cabin-core-1.0.2,everest-forms-no-js,select-child-theme-ver-1.0.0,select-theme-ver-3.3,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,vertical_menu_enabled, vertical_menu_width_290,smooth_scroll,side_menu_slide_from_right,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.4.1,vc_responsive
 

Laura Giles, LCSW

How to Make Every Date a Success

Posted on May 31, 2020
in relationship
by Laura
0 Comments

There is one thing you need to make every date a success. It’s not manners, grooming, a hot body, timeliness, nice clothes, or straight teeth. It’s authenticity. Here is how this can help. You Know Right Away Whether or Not it’s Clicking If you are focused on authenticity vs. “Does she like me?”, you are going to be more present in your body. So, it’s not about whether someone likes you, but whether it’s a match for both of you. Your body will tell you if you’re digging the other person. Your body will also tell you if they like you. There is no guessing if you’re present. This is a great time saver. If you eliminate people who are not a great match on the first date, that’s a success! You...

Read More

Are You Vulnerable to Having An Affair?

Posted on May 31, 2020
in relationship
by Laura
0 Comments

Are you vulnerable to an affair? Any relationship can suffer from infidelity, but there are some factors that make cheating more likely. Let’s take a look at what they are. Marriage vs. Cohabitating Did you know that a study by Pepper Schwartz and Philip Blumstein showed that long term married people are less likely to cheat than long term cohabitating couples? That’s right. The saying that marriage is just a piece of paper isn’t all that accurate. Those who value trust and commitment are less likely to violate their values. When there is no commitment ritual, there may be no emotional commitment either. Does One of You Deal with Stress Through Sex? If one of the people in a partnership deals with stress through sex, this could spell trouble. Perhaps this is where the...

Read More

When You’re Feeling Like “I Didn’t Sign Up For This!”

Posted on May 31, 2020
in coping
by Laura
0 Comments

There may be times in our lives when we throw up our hands and say, “I didn’t sign on for this!” It’s normal to have a pity party when things don’t go as planned. When the pouting is done, there are three things you can do. Deal with it anyway, walk away, or blame and complain. So what types of things can make us say, “I didn’t sign up for this”? Here are some examples. your child is born with special needsyour partner leaves youdomestic violenceyou or your partner contracts a debilitating illnessyou or your partner gains a lot of weightnatural disaster strikesyou get firedyou or your partner has a mental breakdowninfidelityyour child causes expensive damage to someone else's propertyyou or your partner goes to jailaddiction Nobody willingly signs up for these things....

Read More

Loving People Who Are Hard to Love

Posted on May 31, 2020
in relationship
by Laura
0 Comments

If you read a lot of my blog posts, you see a lot of “Let it go,” “You gotta have healthy boundaries,” and “You’re responsible for what shows up in your life” types of posts. It may give the impression that if something or someone isn’t working for you, it’s time to cut it loose. Before you do, consider that sometimes those who are hard to love are the ones who need it the most. It’s not your job to save anyone. You have no obligation to put yourself in a position to be used or betrayed. But if you have the strength and patience to give a little of yourself, you may be the thing that turns someone’s life around. How? See the Beauty Beyond the Brokenness Hurt people hurt people. When someone shows up...

Read More

Exploring the Masculine Archetypes

Posted on May 31, 2020
in problem solving
by Laura
0 Comments

There is a disturbing amount of unhealthy information out there about what it means to be a man. I recently saw an article that essentially described American males as emotionless, lonely, tough, disposable robots. I took it as a wake up call to recognize the humanity inside and release some of the pressure put upon men. It struck me as being pretty brutal. Perhaps this stereotype exists is because we live in an age where we don’t cultivate healthy males. Many households are fatherless due to death or absence. The absence is most often due to incarceration, abandonment, working long hours, or emotional estrangement. So fathers are not rearing healthy males. Mothers may either encourage unhealthy male stereotypes or make our boys into pseudo women. Or worse yet, our young males are molded by pop culture. Consequently...

Read More
compassion

Practice Compassion

Posted on May 30, 2020
in relationship
by Laura
0 Comments

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. It’s always effective to practice compassion when we encounter someone who is suffering. It heals wounds and spreads love. In the space of all that, humanity thrives. When You Judge Yourself, Practice Compassion Pema Chodron said, “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.” It’s easy to beat yourself up for failing, not being perfect, or doing things that others laugh at or scorn you for. Don’t. Accept your flaws, your humanity, and practice loving kindness for yourself. Without mistakes and pain, we would not grow. Sometimes the biggest failures are blessings in disguise. If you hide from them, you can’t learn from them. When you let...

Read More

Trends in Mental Health in 2018

Posted on May 30, 2020
in emotions
by Laura
0 Comments

Everything is always evolving. There are even trends in mental health. Here are some of the things I am seeing in my practice. Suicide is On The Rise It used to be that a therapist could go her whole career without having a suicide. If her clientele was low risk, she might not even have to deal with suicidal ideation. Suicide is now the 10th leading cause for death in America. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide has increased for all age groups since 2001. If you are having suicidal thoughts, reach out to someone. Many people left behind say that they had no idea their loved one was at risk. Ketamine may help you get over the hump and stabilize you so that you can get on with your life. Clean Food...

Read More

Numbness, Dissociation and Feelings

Posted on May 30, 2020
in coping, emotions
by Laura
0 Comments

Do you feel asleep at the wheel? Do you miss subtle cues about what’s true or how people feel that other people seem to “just know?” Are you feeling numb, depressed, or just not here? Maybe it’s because you’re numb or dissociated. You can’t have a full, vibrant life if you are not in your body. You can’t feel if you’re not embodied. How would you know if this is you? Numbness Numbness feels like the absence of sensation. You’re in your body, but it’s not really responding to stimulus. Perhaps you’re at your birthday party. All your friends are there. There is great food, music, and company – all the things that would normally make you happy. Yet, you’re not really feeling anything. You’re not even all that interested in being here. That’s...

Read More

Why Two People Can’t Be in Crisis At the Same Time

Posted on May 28, 2020
in relationship
by Laura
0 Comments

Two people can’t be in crisis at the same time because crisis is about survival. When you are struggling for survival, you are worried about your own needs. You can’t be there for someone else no matter how much you really want to be. You won’t hear them when their crying.You won’t see them when they're sad. Even if they ask directly and specifically for what they want, it can feel like they are speaking a foreign language. What happens is each person ends up feeling left out and forgotten. Another thing that happens is that they end up unknowingly triggering each other. When one is emotional, the other may feel his emotion rising in response. When he responds by doing something to keep himself safe, it triggers insecurity in the...

Read More