At the Crossroads
Four Corners Counseling & Well-Being Blog
Serving Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland suburbs including Bethesda, Chevy Chase,
Kensington, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park.
What a session with an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist can look like
Your therapist asks you to slow down and focus your attention on the tension. Then they ask you if any images come to mind when you put your attention on this part of you. Nothing comes at first. Your therapist reminds you to slow down and see where your mind takes you. An image of yourself as a third grader starts to appear in your imagination. You remember one time when your teacher criticized you in front of the class for not doing your homework. You remember feeling worried in that moment, like you did something wrong and you need to do something to fix it.
The Paradox of Holidays, or How to Feel Better when You're Hiding in the Bathroom.
For all the emphasis on celebration and family bonding and traditions - which can be very nice, don’t get me wrong - there is often an undercurrent of mixed emotions.
Group Therapy Helps You Grow Into Who You’re Truly Meant to Be
Group therapy provides the opportunity to hear other people talk about their experience with issues you might also be going through. This can normalize what you’re struggling with, helping you feel less alone. Research shows that group therapy can be just as effective as individual therapy, particularly because they provide social support and reduce stigma, isolation, and feelings of alienation.
When in Doubt, Sleep!
I’ve been reading a book called Why We Sleep (2017) by the neuroscience and psychology professor Matthew Walker. His data and insights about how sleep impacts our health and well-being is motivating to me. I’ve definitely been giving myself more sleep opportunity (time spent in bed each night, ready to sleep) and I have noticed a daily improvement in my focus, energy and resilience. I like it! If sleep were a medication, Walker quips, we’d all want it.
Clinician Spotlight - Hetty Barnett
Four Corners Counseling & Well-Being has skilled, experienced, and compassionate therapists, and we want to share some of what makes them special!
‘How will I know it’s working?’ and other common questions about therapy
Here are some frequently asked questions about therapy and answers to help you better understand what you’re getting into.
Maybe you should talk to someone - How therapy helps
Talking to a trained professional who won’t judge you for what you’ve done or how you feel might be exactly what you need to get unstuck. Therapy is different from friendship. A therapist listens to your thoughts, feelings, and experiences without any requirement for you to listen to theirs. They also have no agenda—because they have no relationship with you outside of therapy sessions.
Clinician Spotlight - Allison Davis
Four Corners Counseling & Well-Being has skilled, experienced, and compassionate therapists, and we want to share some of what makes them special!