This blog is part of a three-part series by Dr. Bianka Hardin “We can be imperfect together and still grow.” Part 1 — Twelve Years of Change, Growth, and Gratitude When I launched Centered Therapy Chicago in 2014, my vision was simple and profound: build a community of therapists who are relational, compassionate, trauma-informed, and...
During the holidays, it can be so busy that we can go into automatic pilot and forget about self-care and the true meaning of the holidays. Here are a few tips to help you stay focused and practice good self-care. Be Intentional During the holidays, it’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of...
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...
After a year and a half of living under lockdown and social restrictions, people are clamoring to leave their homes and interact. According to the CDC, as of June 18th of this year, 57.2% of all Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Many businesses are lifting their Covid restrictions, and with summer...
Everyday we are bombarded on social media, news channels, and television with stories of community violence, mass shootings, sexual assault and more. It’s hard not to feel distressed by these current events. Daily exposure to traumatic events can have a cumulative effect on us, even when we are not directly exposed to the event. This...
Parenting is the hardest job there is. It is unrealistic to think and expect that we, as parents, are always emotionally regulated! Life is complicated and stressful. Yet, research supports the idea that the more emotionally regulated the parent or caregiver is, the healthier the “climate” is in the family. Self-regulation is the ability to modulate the...
“Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing: We are not alone.” ~ Brene Brown October is breast cancer awareness month. According to the American Cancer Society around 39% of Americans will have a...
By Dana Thomas, Ed.S, CPDCE, CPDPE There are no perfect children and there are no perfect parents. Each day, we do our best to parent our children, and some days are better than others. One aspect of parenting that makes it especially challenging, is that there is no “one size fits all” solution. Each parent...
By Gabi Granoff, PsyD In my work as a therapist I have had the honor of working with children and families who are managing parental divorce. Parents frequently ask how they can protect their children from the negative effects of divorce that sometimes seem inevitable. In fact, research tells us that the effects of divorce...