Therapist Palatine, IL

Therapist Palatine, IL

A Therapist Palatine, IL Trusts for Chronic Illness

People have problems. The world is stressful, and everyday life can be somewhat overwhelming, even for the most put-together person. When the stress becomes too overbearing, it may be a sign that you should talk to a licensed therapist to discuss your issues. Not addressing your issues can cause you to experience mental struggles, which can turn into deeper problems. You may develop depression or anxiety – or both. You have considered speaking to a therapist, but don’t know what you would glean from the experience. Talk therapy seems like it might be a waste of time and money at this point, and you aren’t sure if you want to go through it. Before you decide on a hard pass, check out why a Palatine, Illinois therapist can help you improve your life.

Issues Abound

There will always be issues that need addressing, and talking with a trained therapist in Palatine, IL can give you much more satisfaction than your weekly rants with your best friend. Everyone goes through tough times. During times when you feel like you are dealing with too many issues that you are unable to solve on your own, you can go to a therapist who will listen to you without judgment. You are free to express yourself and your struggles to a therapist and they will be there to help you navigate your issues one session at a time. When you see a therapist or counselor, you can be reassured knowing that you have access to a safe environment. Counselors are armed with the knowledge and the tools to help you get through some of life’s toughest challenges, including:

• Recurring depression or anxiety
• Self-sabotaging behavior
• Life crisis
• Stress and anxiety

All sessions with a therapist are confidential. Instead of just listening and agreeing with your reasons, like a friend, a Palatine, IL therapist will be able to redirect your thoughts and get you to recognize recurrent themes and patterns. They will listen to you carefully and assess what you are going through. The things you learn about yourself after attending therapy sessions can enable you to recognize patterns in your own thinking and behavior. A therapist will be committed to helping you find solutions so you can apply them to your behavior and thinking. Once you make a breakthrough and get to the source of the issues, you may be able to start moving forward and fixing them with the knowledge imparted from the therapist.

Trust and Therapy

Getting comfortable with a therapist, especially when it is your first ever session, will not be immediate. It may take some time to find a therapist that you have the right rapport with to honestly express yourself and the feelings you are going through. It is natural to go through several sessions or even multiple therapists before you establish a connection and sense of trust with them. If you feel that you aren’t able to trust a therapist right away, it is natural. Trust can’t be forced, so it will take time.

Having reasonable expectations when you are first starting therapy is important. When baring your soul to a therapist, you need to feel comfortable that what is said will not go beyond the room. You may wind up exploring some pretty heavy and emotionally-charged issues that go back years and years. In doing so, you need to feel comfortable revealing things like trauma so you can work through the event and the subsequent development of the defense mechanism that was built around it.

Trust is a crucial factor in talk therapy. If you don’t feel like you have a trustworthy therapist, you should not give up on talking it out. Sometimes, a therapist and a patient may not be the best match, and it is not necessarily anyone’s fault. A therapist may just not be as experienced with certain areas that a part If you find that you are not making progress with one therapist, you should not force and move on to another one who may be a better fit. You should, instead, find another therapist with whom you feel more comfortable.

Results of Talking

If you stay the course and work hard to get through to the root cause of the things that are currently plaguing you, it may wind up being the best investment you’ve made. It will be challenging, and there may be times when it can feel like it is not having an effect in your life, but talk therapy can lead to highly rewarding results. The time you invest in talk therapy sessions will pay off. Talk therapy can be extremely successful, but only if you are willing to be honest with yourself and your therapist. Hiding information or misrepresenting your situation will only delay your progress. It will not likely happen overnight, but throughout the sessions and over time, you may experience a feeling of understanding and ultimately, peace. You may learn the skills required to overcome these issues now and in the future.

As with many things, any kind of therapy and intervention when you are going through a mental health crisis is critical. Getting the help you need at the right time will allow you to begin your recovery faster and help prevent your issues from worsening. A therapist Palatine, IL patients trust, however, may be able to help you in ways you didn’t think possible before you started.

3 Signs Your Child Needs Counseling

Parenting is a challenge under the best of circumstances, so when a child starts to struggle in some area, parents can really feel at a loss. Our team at Lotus Wellness Center can help. Understanding the signs that your child might in be need of a therapist in Palatine, IL, is the first step.

1. Uncontrollable Anger

All kids get angry. Sometimes kids even get angry over irrational things. There is a real difference, however, between a child getting angry occasionally, and a child experiencing chronic, uncontrollable anger. Ask yourself the following questions concerning your child’s anger:

• Is my child angry most days?
• Does my child show violent behavior when angry?
• Does my child struggle to calm back down after being upset?

If you answered yes to these questions, your child may be struggling with anger issues. It is important to seek help for such problems. Untreated issues with temper can result in children hurting themselves or someone else.

2. A Recent Trauma

Trauma is also a reason to seek a therapist in Palatine, IL. When children experience trauma, they are often very confused about how to deal with the emotions that they start experiencing. When they do not know how to process those emotions they can start to manifest in other ways. A child may show some of the following symptoms:

• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble eating
• Behavioral issues
• Regression
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Separation issues

A therapist will be able to talk with children and help them deal with the thoughts and feelings they are having after the trauma in an appropriate way.

3. Mental Health or Developmental Issues 

A therapist can also be very helpful if your child is dealing with diagnosed or suspected mental health issues or learning issues. These could include but are not limited to:

• ADHD
• Dyslexia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating disorders

It is very important that you and your child know that seeking counseling services is not a shameful or weird thing. Seeing a counselor for mental health issues is exactly the same as going to the doctor for regular health issues. A counselor or a therapist is trained to help children and their families understand their emotions. They are also here to help everyone learn how to develop good strategies for dealing with life’s challenges.

You can set the example for your child concerning mental health. Be sure to share with your child how helpful a therapist in Palatine, IL, can be.

8 Tips for Coping with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Get the Facts About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

The most crucial part of dealing with your OCD is learning everything you can about it. Your OCD is a chronic illness; there is no cure. However, you can practice day-to-day management of its symptoms. Your therapist in Palatine, IL, from the Lotus Wellness Center may suggest some coping techniques for your OCD.

Try Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is a way to help manage compulsions. You’ll start by exposing yourself to a situation that triggers obsessive thoughts, then delay engaging in your compulsion. Each time you expose yourself to that situation, delay a little bit longer than you did the last time.

Learn To Cope With Stress

OCD and stress go together, but not all stress coping mechanisms are helpful for OCD. Some may even make your OCD worse. Some helpful stress-management techniques your therapist in Palatine, IL, might suggest are the simplest:

• Getting enough sleep
• Exercising
• Meditating
• Eating a healthy diet
• Sticking with your treatment plan

Refocus Your Attention

If you’re experiencing OCD symptoms, one method of coping is to refocus your attention. This could be done physically by moving around, exercising, going for a walk or playing with a fidget toy. It may also be done mentally by naming every animal you can think of, listing everything you see, reciting the lyrics to your favorite songs or listing the alphabet backward.

Manage Your Anxiety

One way to manage your anxiety is to imagine the worst-case scenario, determine how likely it is that things will work out that way and decide how you could cope if that scenario was to play out. Your therapist in Palatine, IL, at Lotus Wellness Center can help you determine the likelihood of your worst-case scenarios coming true.

Reward Yourself for Success

Every time you have an obsessive thought and don’t follow through with your compulsion is a victory. You should celebrate each win, large or small. Rewards could include a new book, a Netflix binge session, your favorite delivery dinner or your favorite dessert.

Remind Yourself of the Facts

Spiraling into a tornado of self-recrimination and blame for your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors is like blaming your disabled friend for needing to use a wheelchair. Remember that you’re managing your disease’s symptoms the best you can with the help of your therapist in Palatine, IL.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

Techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation can help you relax and alleviate some of your stress-related OCD symptoms. Figure out which relaxation methods work best for you, and practice them several times a day.

Things To Consider When Seeking a Therapist

For most adults, life can be stressful at times. However, sometimes it may go beyond the regular amount of stress. In this case, it can be a good idea to seek out extra help.

For some, managing their stress and other concerns on their own may be possible, while for others, seeking help from someone like a therapist in Palatine, IL may be a better option. No matter what will work best for you, here are some things to consider when seeking out a therapist.

1. Know What You’re Looking For

When you are looking to find the right therapist in Palatine, IL one of the best things you can do is make sure that you know what you are looking for. Many may know that they need a therapist to start getting their emotional health on the right track, but they may not truly understand what they are looking for or what they want in a therapist. This can lead to having less positive outcomes, and ultimately not getting the right kind of help.

2. Find Someone You Can Trust

Something else that’s key when trying to find the right therapist in Palatine, IL is finding someone that you feel you can truly trust. Trust is key when it comes to discussing your emotions, and personal thoughts. If you don’t trust your therapist, you may find it difficult to open up to them properly, and you may struggle to truly make progress when it comes to managing your emotions and stress or getting certain mental health conditions under control.

3. Understand the Benefits

Along with finding someone that you feel safe with, it is also beneficial for you to fully understand the benefits of finding a quality therapist in Palatine, IL to work with. A therapist can not only help you find ways to better manage stress or to work through your emotional issues, but they can also be great for managing more long-term mental health concerns, as well. From conditions like depression to bipolar disorder, there are many different conditions that a quality therapist can assist you in managing and improving over time.

Taking charge of your mental health can be challenging at times, especially if you aren’t sure where to start. The good news is, though, that there are steps you can take to improve your situation, and often finding the right therapist is one of them.

A Therapist Palatine, IL Trusts for Chronic Illness

You may need help from a Palatine, IL therapist if you are suffering from a chronic illness or from bipolar disorder. Has chronic pain or illness left you feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, depressed, or confused? Are you struggling with the ability to cope with the illness? Perhaps you are scared about how your future, and that of your loved ones, might be impacted? If you answered yes to any of the above, it may be the right time to contact a therapist Palatine, IL residents rely on from Lotus Wellness Center. A certified and trained therapist can assess your mental health and discuss strategies that you can implement in your life. By helping you redirect your thinking, recognizing your triggers and giving you the tools to help you cope with your disorder, a skilled talk therapist can help you be more in control of your life.

This is YOUR Invitation to Begin to Accept, Heal, and Build a Powerful Relationship with YOURSELF.

Whether you were in an accident and have suffered a permanent injury, have chronic pain, or have been diagnosed with an illness or disease, you might be experiencing a number of feelings ranging from guilt, shock, fear, anger, or worry. Your personal, professional, and intimate relationships could be strained leaving you to feel isolated and alone. Recognizing that you are struggling and seeking help can allow you to make the necessary changes in your life. Although you might be dealing with a unique set of circumstances, and challenges that go along with them, you are not alone.

Therapy sessions for chronic illness or pain give you a special time and place to be with everything you are dealing with. You will be guided by a caring, supportive therapist serving Palatine, IL who will help you to manage your condition, cope with your symptoms, find relief, and build a confident sense of identity and a new relationship with yourself.

Your therapist in Palatine, IL will help you to disidentify with deeply rooted negative thought patterns and emotions that could be hindering you from the life you deserve. You will learn to develop healthy coping skills and establish inner peace as you incorporate your chronic condition into your  life. Therapy sessions offer you a safe place to explore and address the causes of your stress and anxiety and take a close look at how your life has changed since the accident or diagnosis. This important process will show you how to nurture your physical and emotional wellbeing.

Ultimately while you might not be able to escape all together what you are going through, it may be possible to feel joy, happiness, and peace.

Therapy sessions may help you to find support with:

• Living a joyful life with health challenges
• Creating a blooming relationship with loved ones
• Develop kindness towards yourself
• Manage energy levels
• Manage symptoms of the illness
• Process challenging emotions
• Navigate medical appointments
• Learn how to ask and receive help from others

At Lotus Wellness Center, a chronic illness or pain therapist’s approach is nonjudgmental, compassionate, warm, and even humorous. Each session may be a little different, and may focus on a specific topic or objective. Sometimes, you may find yourself upset or sad and other times you might be laughing. Whatever you are going through, your Palatine, IL therapist will be there for you.

If you are ever having difficulty leaving home, we may be able to connect via phone or online for a session.

Chronic Illnesses or Conditions We Have Worked With

Our therapist in Palatine, IL have worked with clients who have been coping with:

• Cancer
• Terminal illness
• Multiple sclerosis
• Infertility
• Loss of limb
• Parkinsons
• ALS
• Dementia of a loved one
• + More

Are You Ready to Explore Your Options?

If you would like to know more about working with a therapist Palatine, IL trusts and how sessions may help you to address, cope with, and accept a chronic illness or condition, please call Lotus Wellness Center today!

A Therapist Palatine, IL Trusts For Bipolar Disorder at Lotus Wellness Center!

Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, also referred to as manic depression. This condition is a form of depression that leaves patients dealing with mood swings where they go from feeling very depressed and then go into a manic period where they exhibit intense energy. When you are dealing with these kinds of feelings, you need help from a Palatine, Illinois therapist from Lotus Wellness Center.

Manic episodes are usually marked by high energy levels and feelings of euphoria. But in a matter of moments, these feelings can become too intense for the patient and they are left with feelings of frustration and the inability to focus. Some patients even suffer hallucinations or psychotic episodes.

It is not uncommon for people with bipolar disorder to be diagnosed with some other type of depression. It is difficult to know a person is suffering from bipolar disorder without seeing the patient in a manic phase. Compounding that is that it is unlikely that the patient will seek help when they are in the middle of a manic episode because they are feeling happy and productive.

Some of the more common symptoms of being in a manic episode include the following:

•      Engaging in risky behaviors, such as gambling or extramarital affairs
•      Feelings of anxiety
•      Feelings of overconfidence
•      Feelings of restlessness
•      Limited need for sleep
•      Speaking very quickly

Some of the more common symptoms of being in a depressive episode include the following:

•      Changes in appetite
•      Feelings of sadness for no apparent reason that last for a long time
•      Insomnia
•      Lack of interest in usual activities or hobbies
•      Severe exhaustion
•      Sleeping too much
•      Suicidal thoughts
•      Withdrawal from family and friends

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

Although it is not understood completely what causes bipolar disorder, there are some indicators that a person may be more likely to develop the disorder. One of those indicators is a genetic link, if they have a close family member who has been diagnosed or struggled with similar symptoms.

Other possible causes include the use of alcohol or drugs, traumatic events, or stress. Women can develop the disorder while they are pregnant or after they give birth.

And lastly, if an individual suffers from a psychological disorder or chronic physical health conditions, this can cause their bipolar symptoms to become more intense.

Treatment Options

Although there is no current cure for bipolar disorder, it is possible to manage the condition. Treatments can be adjusted based on where the patient is at, whether short-term to deal with current mania or depression, or long-term to help prevent these major mood swings. Treatment options include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Patients can also find relief with CBT. This is a type of therapy that helps the patient to recognize the negative behaviors and replace them with more positive ones.

• Family Therapy: Not only is it difficult for the patient who has bipolar disorder, but the condition can also affect their family. There can be a lot of stress for family members and the patient does not always realize the impact their mood swings have on their loved ones. Family therapy can help both the patient and their family learn how to understand each other and effectively communicate with each other.

If you or a loved one is suffering from bipolar disorder, a clinical psychologist from Lotus Wellness Center can help. Call our office to speak with a Palatine, IL therapist now.

9 Signs Your Marriage Needs Therapeutic Intervention

A successful marriage takes effort. Even though the two of you married in the hope of living happily ever after, chances of that happening depends on many things. You want your marital partner to be your lifelong companion, but real life doesn’t always live up to your expectations.

So, all the plans and hopes you had for your marriage may seem to collapse and fail. Perhaps, you don’t want to give up yet and want to try to save the relationship. In that event, you may need professional therapeutic intervention. Lotus Wellness Center, a knowledgeable and experienced couples counseling firm, can help the two of you open a dialogue in a safe space and guide you in a final attempt to save your marriage.

Marriages fail for a wide variety of reasons, but here are a few of the most common things that contribute to marriage breakups.

Negativity

When your interactions with your spouse are spiteful, disrespectful, and harmful, productive interactions are a challenge. If you two argue or bicker continually, toxicity can invade your marriage, and it may become a breeding ground for bitterness.

Infidelity

Cheating is a betrayal that can be forgiven. But for it to happen, you need to work together to rebuild trust and put it behind you.

Physically intimacy

Physical intimacy is not only about sex. It’s also about strengthening your physical connection to one another by touching, hugging, holding hands, cuddling, kissing, and more. Human beings thrive on touch, and this physical contact helps two people communicate at a deeper emotional level.

Lack of communication

Perhaps life with your partner lacks sharing feelings, ideas, concerns, and daily experiences with each other. Communication is critical to married partners strengthening their bond and level of understanding each other.

Lost interest

Perhaps one or both of you doesn’t share anything and shows a lack of interest to do so. When efforts are not made to take an interest in another, it’s likely leading to the two of you growing apart.

Addictions

Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a common challenge for marriages, just like any other relationship. If the addicted person is unwilling to change their ways, or the other partner enables the addiction, life together can become hard to manage.

Money issues

Couples often fight about money. It is a major point of contention in marriages. Being financially stable can make a break a healthy family situation. When partners do not cooperate about how and when money is spent, problems often follow.

Dishonesty

Lies, once discovered, can cause a breach of trust in a marriage. Honesty is not always easy and sometimes demands that you reveal things to your spouse that you would rather keep hidden. Even little white lies can become a deal-breaker if they are told continually.

Overworking 

Sometimes partners honor their work commitments over their marriage commitments. If it’s done once in a while when a deadline is approaching, or a spouse has a big project on their plate, or one’s work is usually hectic, it’s understandable. However, if a spouse makes work the priority over the marriage, then the bigger picture of why this is happening needs to be addressed.

You and your partner may want to attend couples’ counseling sessions to attempt to resolve these or other issues that are preventing your marriage from growing and thriving. Indeed, there is a lot at stake. If you want to get the therapeutic intervention your marriage needs to survive, contact Lotus Wellness Center to schedule an appointment.

You might feel very frustrated, confused, and hopeless when you talk to your partner about seeing a Therapist In Palatine, IL at Lotus Wellness Center, and they outright refuse to give it a second thought. You might have tried to address issues in the relationship, read self-help books, talked about the problems with close friends, and continued to get into fights with your partner anyway. Now perhaps you have decided you would like to give couples counseling a try. Maybe you brought the idea up with your partner, who then got upset and refuses to go.

First and foremost, as an IL Therapist In Palatine may explain, you cannot force someone to do something they don’t want to do. Even if you lay out ultimatums, your partner may feel forced and be less inclined to remain open to the idea of couples counseling. The best way to fix this problem is to understand why your partner is not keen on couples counseling.

There are many different reasons for not wanting to go to couples counseling sessions; however, the following are the most common:

• They are afraid the therapist will blame them for the problems in the relationship.
• They are worried that you and the therapist will gang up on them.
• They are convinced that only you need help.
• They believe you are the reason there are problems in the relationship.
• They don’t want to face the pain that may arise in the sessions.
• They feel there are no issues and couples counseling won’t help.
• They worry that couples counseling will only encourage you to end the relationship

Addressing these Concerns
We acknowledge that going to a couples counseling session with a Palatine Therapist at Lotus Wellness Center takes strength and determination, and anything that involves these actions may come along with some doubt or nervousness. There is a tactic to help address these barriers that may be holding you or your partner back from working through the problems in your relationship:

Take some time to sit down and talk about what you can get out of couples counseling, how the sessions may help you both to be better partners, and why you would like your partner to participate in the sessions.

During this conversation, remember that it isn’t about blame, and that you are just two people involved in a committed relationship who want to make it work. With this in mind, it is important to note that each one of you may be contributing to the problems in a certain way – through patterns that you might not even realize you had. For example, we may discuss during couples counseling in Palatine, IL that your partner might be communicating with you in a negative way that makes you feel unheard. How you respond to his or her behavior may also not be healthy or conducive to the dialogue.

An Illinois Therapist can help both of you learn and utilize tools that will assist in improving your behavior and the relationship as a whole. Tell your partner how much the relationship means to you and that you would like to make it better. Make sure your partner understands how important it is to have them be a part of this.

Bare in mind that this discussion should not be revolving around blaming or taking responsibility for one anothers’ behaviors. Rather it should involve you explain to your partner that you are open and willing to change things for the better. If your partner still refuses to go to couples counseling, you can always go to individual counseling sessions to start. To learn more, call a Therapist in Palatine, IL at Lotus Wellness Center as soon as at least one of you is ready.