Blog – Page 10 – Therapeutic Center For Hope

18Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Dating 101: Your Guide to Getting Back into the Scene

Getting back into the dating game can be intimidating. Between feeling awkward, not knowing how the other person feels, and the all-around stress of the vulnerability you put yourself through by dating, it can all be enough to send someone running for the hills and wanting to give up on dating all together. If this post is already stressing you out, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief because I have some good news: dating doesn’t have to be like that. Dating can be fun and enjoyable regardless of the other less enjoyable factors. Here are a few tips that may make navigating the dating life a little bit easier for you. Know Yourself First. This tip should be your first priority, as it will help lay the foundation…

14Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Domestic Abuse and Violence: What The Eyes Can’t See, The Heart Can Feel

Blog, Events, Relationship, Therapy

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that in the US, 33.3% of women and 25% of men have been victims of some sort of abuse in an intimate relationship at some point in their life. This means that 1 in 3 women we have met in our life has been affected by domestic abuse and 1 in 4 men we know has been victimized in an intimate relationship. Although, this may be a disturbing statistic, we have the power and the means to influence and change this madness. How do we begin? We start with knowing the signs. They are not always immediately visible and because we always look for the best in our partners, we often brush it aside when they are consistently appearing. It is also important…

12Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Your Guide to Overcoming Anxiety Attacks

Therapy, Tips

Anxiety and stress. These are words we often use when we face unfamiliar situations in our live. Be it at work, school, or in relationships. They are unwanted burdens that begins by ignoring the mounting stress. As the stress accumulates, it transforms into the feeling of being overwhelmed, and into anxiety. At this stage, we might experience something called an anxiety attack where all of our fears and anxieties abruptly takes over, and overwhelm us. The onset of an attack is recognizable through increased heart rate, sweating, tense muscles, and difficulty of breathing. An anxiety attack is an event that sends a tremendous shock and disrupts us emotionally, mentally, and sometimes physically. Fortunately, there are ways that will help you deal with an anxiety attacks. So lets delve into not…

07Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Re:Fresh Your Relationship

Blog, Relationship, Tips

Always keep in mind, we each have a love language and a style of communication. For many it’s physical affection and for others it could be verbal affirmations of love, gift giving, or simply time spent with one another. Identify both yours and your partners love language and use it to keep your relationship fulfilled. If you know the way you show love is to spend quality time, make sure your partner knows that you place value on spending time so they can make sure your needs are met, instead of assuming they just know you well enough to understand your needs. If your partner’s love language is gift giving, make sure you show appreciation for everything they give to you, even if it’s as simple as a new pair…

05Oct 2016 by alexiamcleod

Hurricane Safety Tips

Blog, Tips

As the first predicted hurricane of the season approaches this week, South Florida has started going into a frenzy in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Stores can barely keep up with water and canned food sales and hurricane shutters are beginning to go up. As unpredictable as bad weather can be this time of year, it is key to have a game plan and keep our stress level normal as we try to carry on with our everyday activities. The key to remaining hurricane ready is all about maintaining order. Stay up to date. Staying in the know wont be hard with hurricane Matthew. It seems every news station and radio broadcast has not only the latest update on Matthew’s progress through the Caribbean, but also their own opinions on whether…

29Sep 2016 by alexiamcleod

Adapting Yourself into Single Parenthood

Blog, Parenting, Tips

Breakups takes a lot out of you. It takes all of your energy just to cope with the emotions and it takes a lot of your resources trying to reclaim your life and prepare for a future that is so different than what you imagined. Therefore it is only natural to feel overwhelmed when you are adapting into a future as a single parent. Odds are that you did not plan for this to happen, and this one question will keep coming up:"Where do I go from here? To begin, it is necessary to know that going into the realm of single parenthood means one thing: 24hrs is not enough and in the midst of all the craziness that welcomes you, here are a few important things to remember as…

16Sep 2016 by alexiamcleod

Adoption, Blog, Tips

The concept of conducting a home study prior to adoption in the United States dates back to the turn of the 20th century when orphans were placed on trains that took them out of the industrialized city and into rural areas of the country where they would be cared for by foster families who ensured that children escaped living in dirty, impoverished conditions. “Child-carers” or, what we refer to today as caseworkers, were responsible not only for ensuring that the families taking in children were equipped with money, food and space for a child but also that they were kind and loving people that would benefit a child otherwise destined to live on the streets of America’s overpopulated cities. In the 1950’s the government established “minimal standards” for homes taking…

10Aug 2016 by alexiamcleod

“Bitter, Party of One”

Blog, divorce, Tips

Divorce is a very demanding journey often accompanied by expressions such as "devastation", "bitter", "failure", "ruin", and "grief" without giving us the room to breathe. In addition, the process of transitioning out of it is equally taxing. In order to talk about how you can start the transition process, I have invited a trusted colleague, Mary Owens - an experienced and trusted professional in the social-work and life-transition fields with years of hands on experience - to share her own journey of transitioning from being a bitter, party of one into an independent, free woman. Shedding the “Bitter, Party of One" The year following my divorce I spent my time working 70+ hours a week and isolating myself at home with my cats and a bottle of wine. My…

20Jul 2016 by alexiamcleod

Reclaim Your Self from Codependency

Blog, Health, Therapy, Tips

The term Codependent originated in the 1970’s and has been in use for over 40 years. While countless of individuals might have heard and used the word codependent many times in their lifespan, many still do not know the exact truth about what it means. To start, it should be understood that codependence may not entirely be a vice as individuals with this behavior tend to put the need of others above their own which, however, can become very problematic if it is not kept in check. As humans, we will always reach out to others to fill some our emotional needs such as companionship, love, and acceptance. The need becomes a vice when one grows to be overly reliant on another person to meet his/her own emotional needs. It…

18Jul 2016 by alexiamcleod

Who Is On Your Team?

Blog, Business, Tips

In the words of Dave Kerpen “The difference between success and failure is a great team.” No matter how smart, talented driven or passionate you are, you could not reach your best alone, as one can only reach a certain level on his/her own. It is GREAT to be a part of something and those who succeed did so because of the teammates who work alongside them. They were able to attract individuals who complement each other, creating an efficient and effective team. Being on a successful team depends on who is coaching you up. Whether it is business or personal life, having the right people in your corner brings only growth. It is often said that the people in your circle show who you are which is not always…