Get Out and Get Into Nature
I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know.
Getting out and getting into nature is critical for your mental health.
Unpacking Uncomfortable Emotions
Why So Melancholy?
It's more than a mood. It's a motivator. Melancholy is asking something of you.
Lament:
A Path For
Trauma Survivors
Your peace does not require their pardon.
Panic
Attacks
Would you believe me if I told you panic was a good thing?
Read on...
I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore
Anxiety demands your attention. It's well intentioned, but it can be all consuming. Want to learn some helpful tips and tricks?
Topics of Interest
Midlife Crises
Don't settle for a midlife crisis when you can have a midlife renaissance instead.
Stress
None of us are immune to stress and it's actually important for us to experience it. You've just got to know how to harness it.
Tahlequah's
Tour of Grief
Orca Tahlequah lost her calf and carried her around for 17 days and over 1,000 miles in the Salish Sea in 2018. Whales grieve, too.
Sleep
Understanding sleep as the foundation for mental health is an important step in wellness. Don't fall asleep reading this!
Relationships
What is Coregulation?
Humans are wired to self-regulate their emotions and to coregulate emotions for one another. Interdependency and boundaries are addressed, too.
Express Yourself
Use this template to say what you need to say so people will hear you: DEAR MAN.
Stop Chasing Perfect
As Billy Joel sings, you are lovable "Just the Way You Are." Perfectionism is not healthy. Stop chasing perfect.
Repair
Every relationship has its struggles. That's a given. The key is learning how to repair.
Embrace Playfulness
Vitality and connectedness are nurtured through joy mindset. How playfulness helps keep relationships together and improves mental health.
Narcissism Unpacked
It's all the buzz word on social media, but what is narcissism? How do you know if you're in a relationship with a narcissist?
Hoovering
Just when you think you're healing and moving forward, your ex tries to suck you back in to their orbit. Learn how to exit toxic relationships for good.
Breadcrumbing
Operant conditioning in relationships. If you get just enough attention to keep you hooked but not enough to have a healthy relationship, you may be experiencing breadcrumbing. You deserve the whole loaf, baby!
Ghostlighting
If someone is doing a disappearing act on you, yet insists that they are not, you might be a victim of ghostlighting.
Healing and Self Care
Caregiver Burnout
How to stay helpful as a helper without compromising too much of yourself.
People Pleasing
Reclaim your life by learning to stop paying for everyone else’s comfort with the currency of your own peace.
Window of Tolerance
How the nervous system tries to regulate us into an optimal zone for our emotional safety.
The Fallow
Every season has it's reason. There's a pause before growth: the fallow. It's the Season of Surrender.
Gera McGuire, MA, NCC, LMHC, is a specialized mental health counselor serving the Maple Valley and Enumclaw Plateau communities, as well as clients throughout Washington and Montana via telehealth. With advanced clinical training from the Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University, she provides evidence-based support for those navigating anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and the complexities of 'stuck' grief after a loss.
Disclaimer:
Above are topics of interest regarding mental health and wellness. These articles are written by Gera McGuire, MA, NCC, LMHC, trained at the Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University and are for informational purposes only, not a substitute for therapy. These articles are not meant to pathologize individuals, but to honor the sacred and often difficult spaces between us. Please check back as future articles are forthcoming.
If you believe that you or someone you care about has depression, anxiety, Prolonged Grief Disorder, or asking, "Why do I feel stuck in my grief?" please email Gera to schedule an appointment for individual counseling or family therapy. You are not alone.