Can Counseling Save My Marriage?

Learn what makes couples counseling beneficial.

If you’re going through a rough patch in your relationship, and need someone to help you better communicate your needs to your partner, couples counseling is for you. Devoting a dedicated amount of time each week to sit down with a counselor and your spouse to work on your marriage can be precisely what saves it. If you can’t make headway on your own with your partner, and fear that the end is near, a visit to Heart-Centered Counseling for marriage counseling is a step in the right direction.

What Couples Counseling Provides

First, you’ll want to find a therapist that works well with you. If you call Heart-Centered Counseling, for example, we’ll identify your struggles with your assistance so we’re able to find the professional who best meets your needs as a couple. We’ll find a therapist with whom you’ll feel comfortable opening up to and being honest, so that you can share what’s truly troubling you.

Next, you’ll receive the benefit of having a dedicated listener who understands your struggles and meets you where you’re at emotionally. Your marriage counselor will help you gain new perspectives when it comes to your relationship. They’ll help you come to an understanding of how important it is to communicate unmet needs and unresolved feelings, and how struggling to do this has allowed silent barriers to build. The counselor will also formulate a solution that benefits you as a couple.

Taking as much time as needed to strengthen your marriage through counseling is next. Our counselors are never in a rush to send you on your way. Instead, they follow your lead and only feel their job is done when together you decide it is.

How to Show Interest in Couples Counseling

If couples counseling interests you, the easiest way to learn more about it is to set up a free initial consultation with Heart-Centered Counselors. That way, you can familiarize yourself with the process and introduce yourself to your counselor. The relationship you build with your therapist is among the most important tools you’ll have access to during your journey. That’s why it’s important to choose your therapist wisely.

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Four Keys to Healthy Communication in Relationships

So, you want to be able to communicate more effectively? For healthy communication, you need to learn what it takes to be an active listener and better communicator.  

Communication is one of the most important things in any relationship. You can easily improve the quality of your interactions with other people by practicing active listening and learning how to effectively communicate your needs in ways that others understand and honor.

Healthy Communication Consists of These Four Principles

There are four essential things that make communication healthy in relationships. Understanding the importance of each helps develop your skills as a good communicator. Refer to this list anytime you have questions about the communication process in the relationships you have.

1. Maintain eye contact with the person you want to communicate with.
   • That way, there isn’t any doubt that you’re speaking to them directly. If you’ve got their undivided attention, ask them to listen and then speak.
2. Be direct and honest, but speak kindly.
   • Don’t be scared to get to the point of the matter, so you’re able to address the issue. But, as best as possible, use gentle words and a gentle tone to avoid defensiveness.
3. Ask for confirmation that the person understands what is being said or asked of them.
   • If the person isn’t giving you verbal or non-verbal feedback, ask them directly how well they understood what you said. In the event that they didn’t, try sharing it using different (but still gentle) words. Be patient!
4. Do the same thing when they’re the speaker.
   • Exercise good communication skills by making eye contact with the person speaking to you, letting them know that you understand what they’re saying, and keeping the issue at hand.

These four keys help develop and promote healthier communications in relationships. It’s important that you understand your role when it comes to communicating well. In many cases, you’ll be able to voice your concerns and also feel as if you’ve been listened to and had your wishes honored.

Heart-Centered Counseling Services Help You Become a Better Communicator

Regular counseling services help strengthen your communication skills. To learn more about what Heart-Centered Counselors has to offer you, your partner, and/or your family, contact us today for a free consultation. You’ll get to meet with one of our licensed counselors either in-person or virtually and practice being a better communicator.

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If I Have Anxiety, Do I Need Therapy?

If you have anxiety, you’re not alone. Many Americans feel overwhelmed and anxious at times. If you’re experiencing persistent anxiety and feel you may have an anxiety disorder, therapy is one option that can help you better manage the symptoms that you’re experiencing, and even find long-term relief.

How Therapy Benefits People with Anxiety

Therapy is very beneficial for people with anxiety because it provides them with structure and relational support. Here are some advantages of seeking professional counseling services as an anxious person:

• Learn what thoughts contribute to anxiety. By providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, therapists are able to give their patients a new perspective. The anxious person understands what triggers them and how the thoughts and feelings that they’re experiencing make them anxious. By changing how they perceive the situation (and themselves), patients are able to feel differently and therefore lessen the amount of anxiety that they experience.
• Have a safe space to speak without fear of judgment. People often feel as though they don’t have anyone they can talk to about the things that are troubling them. Being in a safe space with someone helps the patient be honest about what they’re feeling. They don’t have to put on a front because they’re speaking to a therapist who can help them with their issues.

Working with therapy services to redirect feelings of anxiousness is helpful. Heart- Centered Counselors can help with anxiety therapy. You can meet with a therapist in-person or via the internet, whichever works better for you.

Anxiety doesn’t need to rule your life

With anxiety counseling, you can get past feelings of anxiousness by learning how to deal with them in productive and helpful ways. You’ll learn how to deal with the feelings that come up which makes a world of difference in how you react.

Therapy helps validate the anxiety that you’re feeling and gives you healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the nervousness and uncertainty that may be consuming you.

Contact us for more info: (970) 310-3406

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Why Many Couples Wait Too Long to Go to Marriage Counseling

Sometimes, fear of judgment —  or misinformation about how couples therapy works — can cause individuals to postpone marriage counseling.

Sometimes, people see marriage counseling only as a last resort before a divorce. They’re not aware of the benefits that therapy with a licensed counselor can provide. Perhaps the lack of transportation has gotten in the way and couples don’t realize that tele-therapy sessions exist with our marriage counselors. It could be that the couple is simply holding on to the hope that the relationship will fix itself. It’s also possible that a couple has received well-intended but ill-informed advice from family or friends who have their own anxieties about marriage counseling. And still, sometimes, there’s an unwillingness to agree to counseling by one person in the relationship, fearing they’ll be identified as the “bad partner”.

All of these things create barriers to healing. That’s why it’s important for couples to understand that there is no shame in asking for help with their relationship. In fact, it says a lot about a couple when they believe their marriage is worth saving, despite how bad things have become.

Where to Seek Information About Marriage Counseling

There are many ways you can learn more about therapy. The first is the Heart Centered Counseling website. We provide detailed information about the marriage counseling process, counselors, and different service delivery models (e.g. tele-therapy and face-to-face therapy).

Perhaps the best way to learn is to try. You can always schedule a free consultation with a Heart Centered Counseling counselor. We think it’s a step in the right direction because it’ll help you understand our approach to marriage counseling and get a feel for how it works.

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The Benefits of Marriage Counseling

Marriage counseling is advantageous for any couple. Rather than rely on their old ways of communicating, deflecting responsibility, and blaming their spouses for their shortcomings, couples are able to practice better communication skills including active listening which helps them identify their partner’s needs, wishes, and desires. The right therapist gets couples out of their defensiveness and speaking effectively.

Here are some of the benefits marriage counseling offers:

• Better ways to communicate with one another. If your current approach isn’t working for you as a couple, you’ll find that marriage counseling encourages good communication, helping both parties participate by being both a speaker and a listener. The marriage counselor serves as an empathic guide by improving old ways of communicating, providing new and healthier approaches to implement in everyday exchanges.

 

• Disagreeing in a way that doesn’t disrespect your partner or their beliefs. A difference doesn’t need to be life or death for a couple. Once you’ve learned how to communicate more effectively, you’ll understand that there is no harm in healthy conflict. You can feel the way that you do, have your partner disagree with you, and still communicate in a way that values one another.

 

• Stating your needs clearly and openly. You are not a mind reader nor is your spouse. Good communication is clear and invites discussion. When you tell your significant other what you need and they respond with acknowledgment, you’ve made serious headway thanks to the marriage counseling you’ve received.

To benefit from all that marriage counseling has to offer you as a couple, consider scheduling a couples therapy session with Heart-Centered Counselors. We have offices in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Littleton for you to visit at your convenience. We also offer tele-health services via the Internet if traveling to one of our physical locations is difficult for you. If it is the first time you’ve met with us, enjoy a free consultation where we are best able to assess your needs as a couple.

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Why Psychiatry and Psychiatric Medication Management are Important

Receiving the help that a patient needs is crucial.

Individual and couples counseling have noted benefits. Heart-Centered Counselors prides itself on being the type of counseling and therapy provider that people count on. We provide care, compassion, and help at all of our Colorado facilities, as well as through our Tele-Mental Health services online which offer a chance to talk to a therapist without driving to our physical locations in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, or Littleton. Psychiatry services are also available in person and through our tele-health options for clients needing psychiatric care.

Why Do I Need to See a Psychiatrist?

You may ask, “Why do I need to see a psychiatrist if I’m already going to therapy?” The answer varies but, in some cases, it’s not enough to talk about the things that are troubling you with a therapist. Medication is occasionally needed to adjust your brain chemistry and to help you function optimally. That is why psychiatry may be necessary.

Being prescribed the right psychiatric medication can make a real difference in your life.

Our NPs Help You Set Up a Med Management Routine

Developing a routine based on the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or NP’s recommendations is essential because it provides you the opportunity to correct any imbalances you have in your brain chemistry. Medications are prescribed after consulting with the psychiatric team at Heart-Center Counseling. The NP takes detailed notes about your medical history, the medications you’ve been prescribed by your primary care physician, and the different physical and psychological conditions you’ve been diagnosed with. Only then does the psychiatric provider decide on the best medication for you.

Therapy complements the psychiatric program. We provide the tools and services needed to overcome mental health concerns so that you can live a life that is authentic for you. Learn more about our services as well as psychiatric medication management by visiting us online or contacting us by phone or email today.

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When Is It Time to See a Counselor?

Counseling can yield positive, life-affirming results.

Talk therapy has distinct benefits that last over time. In fact, seeing a counselor allows you to work through your problems effectively and develop the skills needed to deal with future issues with greater ease. If you’ve considered individual or couples counseling, know that you’re in good company. Many successful personalities see a counselor on a regular basis as part of their own self-care routine.

Go With Your Gut

So, when is the right time to see a counselor? Oftentimes, the answer is “Now.” If your gut tells you that things won’t improve without help, you’re more than ready to seek counseling services. If you feel you’d like to be joined by someone in your family, convincing your spouse or other family members to agree to therapy can sometimes be more difficult, but well worth the effort.

If trying to work things out on your own hasn’t gotten you where you’d like to be in life, it’s time to explore counseling and its many benefits. Having someone who isn’t involved in the situation to talk to helps. Knowing that the professional is a caring party and equipped to provide you with sound tools and techniques to relieve stress, heal from traumas, and become a better communicator is essential to your growth as a person and/or couple.

What Makes Our Counselors the Right Professionals to Work With?

Heart-Centered Counselors makes it easy for you to receive counseling services whenever you need them. Whether it is in person at one of our many locations throughout Colorado or through our Tele-Mental Health services online, one thing is certain. You’ll have our undivided attention as well as access to a professional counselor with knowledge and experience that helps you through your difficulties.

We offer a free initial consultation so you can see if our services are right for you. Taking the steps to secure professional counseling is easy when you have the Heart-Centered Counseling team ready to assist you in every way we possibly can. Contact us at 970-498-0709 or by emailing help@heartcenteredcounselors.com today.

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The Importance of Getting What You Want and the Importance of Valuing What You Have

Developing a sense of gratitude helps you see the gifts that you already have.

Your wants and needs change. That’s because you’re growing as a person. As new opportunities and experiences present themselves, you’re faced with decisions about what to do next.

How to Get What You Want

There will be times that you’ll need to ask for the things that you want. This may be the case with, for example, salary raises or workplace promotions. According to Psychology Today author Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., there are many things you can do to help others see the value in giving you what you’ve asked for.

The first thing to do is to make sure that your request is reasonable. That way, you have a much better chance of getting a “yes”. Also, give a single, solid reason for the request. That way, you’re making your request clearly and succinctly.

Knowing why you want what you want helps you summon up the courage to ask for it. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider the needs of the other party and make the request in a way that’s respectful of them as well. Successful requests often involve kindness, helping the other person feel that your request is valuable to the both of you.

Being honest and sincere can help you get what you want. No matter how urgent the situation may be in your mind, it’s important to ask in a way that’s clear and allows the other person time to find an answer that’s true to them as well.

Appreciating What You Have

When you value what you have, it’s easier to get what you want. An attitude of appreciation helps others feel that you value them and that your wants are an extension of your appreciation. That helps people feel good about saying “yes” to you.

Schedule a session with a caring counselor today.

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How Being Gentle with Yourself Changes You (And How You Feel About Yourself)

Self-compassion is among the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

Being harsh with yourself is, well, hard on yourself: It hinders growth and causes self-esteem issues. When you’re constantly belittling your progress or comparing yourself to the other people around you, there is little to no satisfaction or joy. You’ll struggle to move forward because the mistakes of your past imprison you.

Here is how being gentle with yourself changes you and the way you feel about yourself:

• It makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Instead of focusing strictly on the negative, you’re able to see your positives as well. You’re able to look on the bright side, identify the things you did right, and work on the things that you did wrong.
• It allows you to honor the person you are in the moment and determine the course of action you want to take in the future. Instead of getting lost in what you don’t want, you can zone in on what you do want. You’ll increase the likelihood of succeeding at something you have knowledge of or are passionate about. And, as you slowly create success, you won’t feel the need to beat yourself up because you didn’t do something perfectly.
• It allows you to fully learn the lessons that you need to be aware of for the future. When you immediately launch into berating and criticizing your performance, you’re not able to see the situation objectively. You’re not sure what steps to take next because you “screwed up so bad”. By stepping back from the situation and observing it with gentleness, you’re able to understand what happened and how to make things better (once the initial upset has worn off).

If you’ve been hard on yourself in the past for making mistakes, work slowly and gently with yourself. While negative self-talk is damaging, it takes time to change, and kindness toward yourself is key. Be kind with yourself, as kindness requires tremendous courage.

In any situation life presents to us, it can work out well or be the complete opposite. Learning to be kind toward yourself, even with your mistakes, makes the situation a meaningful one. And treating yourself the way you would a loved one or cherished friend helps boost your self-esteem. It motivates you to keep going, while keeping your joy intact.

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How to Work Through Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness

Isolation occurs when a person feels distanced from others either physically or emotionally. It often sparks feelings of loneliness which can cause anxiety and depression. Sometimes, when social relationships don’t exist in a person’s life, he or she may feel as though they’re not worthy.

If feelings persist over an extended length of time, it’s important to have healthy coping mechanisms available to help get past the sadness and disappointment that they may be feeling. If you need a productive way to work through feelings of isolation and loneliness, the following list of suggestions is a good place to start.

Give your inner critic a second thought

If you feel as though you’re the only one experiencing what you’re feeling or that you’re different from other people, try to remind yourself that you’re not alone in what you’re going through. Every human being craves validation and connection. Although your personality and individual needs are unique, many people share the same feelings that you do. The next time your inner critic decides to take over and tell you that no one will understand, gently challenge your thinking.

Be overly kind to yourself

When feelings of isolation and loneliness come up, respond with compassion. After all, denying pain or suffering doesn’t allow you to heal. Instead, recognize the feelings that you’re having and try to bring kindness and empathy toward yourself.  If the distance you’re feeling is geographic in nature, reach out to someone you care about by phone, email, text message, or a good old-fashioned letter. Let them know that you’re thinking of them and invite them to stay in touch with you regularly.

If you find yourself isolated due to low self-esteem or previous experiences with abandonment and want some empathy and support, contact Heart-Centered Counselors. We’re here to help you work through your issues so you feel valued, supported, and able to overcome life’s struggles.

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How to Find your Calm Place When You Get Angry or Anxious

Anger and anxiety sometimes occur when people feel they’re losing control. If left to grow, the feelings can encroach upon a person’s life and negatively affect their ability to function well.

Here are some of the things you can do to find a sense of calm when you’re angry or anxious:

Sit quietly with your feelings

Give them a chance to come up without judgment. Don’t think of a quick-fix solution to getting past them. Instead, remain neutral and observe the physical sensations occurring in your body. Are there areas that feel tense? What emotion feels the strongest at the moment? Whatever you find, bring a gentleness and care to.

Focus on your breathing

A technique that helps minimize physiological symptoms of stress and anxiety is deep breathing. It helps you to slow down, open up your airways, and inhale/exhale with complete focus on the length of your breath.

Ask yourself why you’re reacting anxiously or angrily

Have you faced a similar experience before? Is something or someone triggering the response from you? What is the worst thing that could happen? What are ways you could deal with the problem if it worsened?

See if you discover irrational thoughts, and, if you do, give the rational mind a chance to weigh in on the subject. By not acting in the heat of the moment, your brain has a chance to catch up with your body and respond accordingly.

Picture the tension melting away

Visualize a place where you feel calm and safe. Keep a mental picture of the dream location in your mind. Imagine that in order to fully appreciate the moment, you bring feelings of gentleness and tenderness to the anxiety or anger that you’re feeling. Take a few deep breaths and imagine the tension being released from your muscles completely.

If the stress-relieving tips listed above don’t work, you might want to explore meeting with a therapist. Scheduling an appointment for a face-to-face visit or tele-therapy session with Heart-Centered Counselors helps. Being able to talk about difficult emotions allows you to see their value and learn ways to cope with them that bring real relief.

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Heart Centered Counselors Announces the Opening of New Littleton, Colorado Counseling Office

Littleton, United States – Today’s lifestyles are busy and hectic and yet life still goes on filled with challenges, heartbreak, and trying circumstances. As a result, people often need help in coping with all life’s complications and crises. Whether facing depression, grief, anxiety, or any type of emotional distress, the professional, caring counselors at Heart Centered Counseling are available to help their clients navigate life’s overwhelming and often seemingly out of control circumstances.

 

At http://heartcenteredcounselors.com/littleton/ individuals, couples, and families can find the leading counselors, therapists, and psychologists in Colorado as evidenced by their incredible reviews on Google and Facebook. And for those who are hurting, help is available now, when you need it. The team at Heart Centered Counselors deliver the care and expertise needed to bring healing, wholeness, and wellness to those they serve. There are multiple counselors on staff, each promising expertise, knowledge, and care in individual, couples, child, or family therapy.

 

Heart Centered Counselors work to match each client with the ideal practitioner to address every individual’s specific needs. With warm, caring support, each client is guided through the pain, sadness, or anger related to depression, anxiety, marital issues, or strife to reach a life of health and wellness. Help is available immediately, connecting clients with practitioner’s the same day the call at convenient hours Monday through Saturday.

 

“We’ll start by offering you relief today. Our knowledgeable, non-judgmental counselors will teach you skills that will help settle your emotions and calm your life — whatever life has thrown your way, and whatever life throws your way in the future. And if you hang in here for a few sessions, our counselors can also guide you through a process of healing from hurts and pains you’ve been carrying around for years. If this sounds like something you’d like to try, give us a call. We’d love to hear from you. Your initial consult is always free. We also accept every health insurance we can, and we work hard to make sure cost doesn’t keep you from getting the help you deserve.” – Heart Centered Counselors

 

About Heart Centered Counselors: Heart Centered Counselors Littleton delivers caring support to all ages and stages – children, teens, adults, couples, and families. The goal of the counselors is to aid people who are struggling with hard times and difficult emotions. Comprehensive therapy is available at hours convenient to clients’ busy lifestyles.

 

For more information, please visit: http://heartcenteredcounselors.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Dr. Carl Nassar

Email: help@heartcenteredcounselors.com

Organization: Heart Centered Counselors

Address: 5911 S Middlefield Rd, Suite 100, Littleton, CO 80123

Phone: (303) 913-3398

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Tele-Psychiatry and How It Can Help You

Remote Psychiatry Services Can Help Patients Overcome Challenges to Healing

Technology has changed our world in a wide range of meaningful ways. Our methods of working, playing, and communicating have all been changed by social media, smartphones, email, and mobile apps, for example.

These changes have had both positive and negative effects. For example, while they have brought us closer together because of their convenient way of facilitating communication, they have also encouraged people to spend more time behind screens rather than face to face.

In some ways, this technology has undoubtedly had a positive effect is in the healthcare field. Professionals can communicate and share information more freely, patients can research their conditions and treatment options more easily, and healthcare can even be practiced remotely in some circumstances. Tele-psychiatry is an excellent example of this.

The Logistical Benefits of Tele-psychiatry

Certain patients living in remote or rural areas might find a visit to their nearest psychologist or counselor’s office to be challenging. Even people living in more heavily populated areas can sometimes experience difficulties due to busy schedules or other unique circumstances. This is one of the most important reasons why tele-psychiatry has been so helpful to so many diverse groups of people.

Tele-psychiatry Can Contribute to Patient Comfort and Ease

The desire to work with a tele-psychiatrist rather than pursuing traditional options is not always due to logistical issues. Sadly, mental health is still sometimes regarded as a taboo in our society, and although we eagerly await the day when this is no longer the case, we also make an effort to assist patients who feel too shy or embarrassed to attend conventional psychiatric offices.

Is Tele-psychiatry Right for You?

If you have finished this article yet still feel unsure of the answer, we’d love to discuss your thoughts and feelings to find the best solution for you as an individual. Contact Heart Centered Counselors to learn more. We offer both in-person psychiatry and tele-psychiatry.

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