Throughout my life, I have turned to writing and stories as a source of respite, wisdom, and comfort. Since I was a teen, I have kept a journal/diary named Gerty where I would write all the things down that I thought were true. I had a voice that would chime through, sometimes as kindness or...
By Bianka Hardin, Psy. D. During Black History Month, it is imperative to honor and pay tribute to the trailblazers who have significantly shaped the landscape of psychology. We have profound gratitude for their pioneering contributions. Their intellectual courage and dedication have not only paved the way for advancements in our understanding of the human...
Last December, we stumbled across an online post put up by the Cleveland Clinic that told us something not so surprising. The article asserted that the act of giving is good for your health. Getting into the holiday groove, those of us at Centered Therapy Chicago (CTC) thought it would be helpful to think more...
A New Approach to High Pressured and Stressful Holidays: Tips For Keeping Your Cool and Supporting Yourself During the Holidays This blog is for folks who want to spend time with family this holiday season and be intentional about breaking intergenerational patterns of family emotional dysfunction. Picture this – you came to therapy with a...
We’re coming out of summer and moving into fall, a time often associated with transition, grief, and evolution. As we begin to think about hibernation season, we find ourselves asking about our own sense of connection and disconnection. These are topics we discuss with clients every day, but also navigate them ourselves in our day...
This blog is part 4 of 4 and was written by Hina Wain, a therapist in training who interned at Centered Therapy Chicago this past year. Part 4: Why is self-compassion worth it? Research has found that practicing self-compassion has been associated with decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress with increased life satisfaction...
This blog is part 3 of 4 and was written by Hina Wain, a therapist in training who interned at Centered Therapy Chicago this past year. What does self-compassion look like across cultures? Self-compassion may be in part informed by one’s culture, group norms, values, and practices. Generally speaking, Asian cultures are described as collectivist...
This blog was written by Hina Wain, a therapist in training who interned at Centered Therapy Chicago this past year. Part 2: Self-Compassion and Radical Bravery There is a common misconception that self-compassion is simply “making excuses” for passivity, complacency, or avoidance of responsibility. There may be a tendency to reject the kindness directed at...
This blog was written by Hina Wain, a therapist in training who interned at Centered Therapy Chicago this past year. As a South Asian in North America, I have always been curious about the meeting of Eastern ideas and Western inquiry. May, as you may know, has been named as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and...
by Samantha Brooks & Michelle Barichello The past two years have been a time of change, challenges, and transformation. As we’ve entered 2022, many had hoped we were in a “post-pandemic” era, but we are very much still in the midst of this global pandemic. It’s been a time of collective trauma throughout the world, and...