05 Jan 2022

BY: admin

Counseling

5 Bad Habits to Change in the New Year

Counseling for the LGBTQ Community in Denver, Colorado

As 2022 begins, many people find themselves resolving to do something new. However, it can be equally valuable to think about what not to do in the new year. While there is never a wrong time to change your life, the new year offers an inspiring starting point for us to make bigger changes and commit to new goals.

These five bad habits can help you enjoy a more peaceful, connected and rewarding 2022. If you think that getting over them is difficult, don’t worry. At Caring Heart Counseling, we’re always here to help you make meaningful changes in your life.

1. Overworking Yourself

No more skipping breaks, doing unpaid work or pushing yourself too hard. Your job should work for you just as much as you work for it; overworking may be a sign of perfectionism, anxiety or even an avoidance strategy for depression. Working too much can also cause serious health effects you don’t have to suffer. Rather than avoiding problems through your work, think about how a better balance could lead to a fuller life overall.

2. Giving in to Self-Doubt

Whether it’s not meeting new people or shutting down an idea, 2022 is the year to let go of self-doubt. Everyone feels insecure from time to time, but chronic self-doubt can keep you trapped somewhere you don’t want to be for years at a stretch. What ways is self-doubt stopping you from living the way you truly want?

3. Skipping Exercise

Exercise is great for mental health, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day to start. Make it a priority to move your body, connect with your environment and give yourself a break from screens. Routine exercise improves energy levels, can lower anxiety, ease depression, reduces stress and improves sleep, just to name a few benefits.

5. Delaying Your Own Happiness

How many times can you forgive someone only to get hurt again? A lot of us mistake forgiveness for new chances, but in reality, forgiveness is something we do for ourselves. Healing from trauma means letting go of hurt while asserting new boundaries that protect our emotional and mental well-being. If you have a tendency to let old friends, family and ex-partners into your life, only to wind up hurt again, this is the year to learn the blessing of healthy boundaries.

4. Giving People Too Many Chances

I’ll be happy when I have a better job. I’ll be happy when I find someone to be with. I’ll be happy when I finally move. While our goals can motivate us, they can also cause us to delay happiness and miss out on living in the here and now. Rather than putting happiness on a pedestal, consider learning mindfulness, practicing gratitude and finding contentment in the little things.

If you want to kickstart 2022 on a high note with a bit of help, Caring Heart Counseling is here for you. From making big changes to healing from the past, our skilled, compassionate counselors are eager to meet you. Please contact us today to schedule your next virtual therapy session.

Counseling for the LGBTQ Community in Denver Colorado (1) 17 Dec 2021

BY: admin

LGBTQ

Counseling for the LGBTQ Community in Denver, Colorado

Counseling for the LGBTQ Community in Denver, Colorado

As someone who identifies as LGBTQ, you deserve a therapist who understands the complex emotions and struggles you experience. The LGBTQ population is twice as likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. As therapists, we believe it is our duty to provide the highest quality of care, compassion and acceptance to anyone, especially those who are coping with unique challenges related to their sexual orientation and gender identities.

At Caring Heart Counseling, we provide LGBTQ counseling in Denver, Colorado, and its surrounding areas that accepts everyone for who they are and meets them exactly where they are in their personal journey.

Why We Need LGBTQ Therapy

While LGBTQ people deserve to be acknowledged for who they are, not who they love, we also believe their identities should be openly celebrated. Many people attempt to be inclusive by ignoring a person’s identity altogether, but this can feel just as harmful as discrimination.

If you are currently questioning, you may be secretly wondering how your orientation or gender could impact your career, family and relationship. While this is a highly personal matter , you don’t have to work through it alone.

Caring Heart Counseling offers confidential therapy for LGBTQ people at all walks of life and stages of self-discovery. Whether you are thinking about coming out to your family or want to transition as a transgender person, we are here to listen and support you.

LGBTQ Mental Health Challenges We Treat

There are so many unique challenges that an LGBTQ person faces; some of them leave lasting scars that may never fully be forgotten. That doesn’t mean you can heal, grow and find happiness as exactly who you are. Living the life you want, even if you don’t fully understand what that looks like yet, starts with acceptance.

Some of the issues LGBTQ people face need to be addressed from a perspective that understands the role your gender and sexuality play in your life. These include:

  • • Trauma from homophobia, transphobia, discrimination and abuse.
  • • Rejection from friends, family or peers.
  • • Homelessness and housing insecurity.
  • • Substance abuse as a coping mechanism for depression and anxiety.
  • • Thoughts of suicide and struggles with self-harm.
  • • Fear of judgment and lack of understanding.

Virtual marriage counseling helps couples meet their needs on their own time. We’ll work by your schedule, so you’re always able to attend therapy when it works for both of you. If you decide that our virtual sessions are beneficial, you can also always decide to transfer and see us in person, too.

Therapy for Everyone

We believe therapy should be accessible to everyone regardless of their employment status, income level or any other criteria. We currently accept Anthem BlueCross Blue Shield, Aetna and Medicaid insurance. That’s why we provide flexible payment options. Even if you don’t have insurance, we may be able to work out a payment arrangement that works for your budget.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, even if you’re worried you can’t afford therapy. We are here to work with you and get you the help you need.

We Are Here When You Need Us

Please contact us at Caring Heart Counseling to learn more about our Denver counseling services. We are happy to answer any questions you have and get to know you. If we are not the right fit, then we will do everything we can to help you find the perfect therapist for you.

Our job is to make sure you have a safe space to be seen, heard and validated for exactly who you are. Our LGBTQ therapy is open to everyone, and we are always just a call or message away.

Contact us now at 720.314.7378, or contact us to send us a message.

30 Sep 2021

BY: admin

Counseling / Virtual Counseling

Individual Counseling in Black Hawk, Colorado

Individual Counseling in Black Hawk, Colorado

Are you looking for a therapist near you? Caring Heart Counseling offers individual counseling and virtual counseling to residents in Denver and its surrounding areas, including Black Hawk, Colorado. Going to therapy can be scary. Maybe people have told you that you need counseling for years, but you have always rejected the idea.

In some cases, going to therapy may feel like admitting or confirming there’s something wrong with you. But therapy is not a place for judgement or condemnation. There is nothing wrong with who you are, but you may have struggles and challenges that counseling can help you overcome.

What Does Individual Counseling Mean in Psychology?

There are many types of therapy that counselors can use to help their clients. When therapy is given on a one-on-one basis, it is known as individual counseling. Individual counseling is the framework for all other types of therapy to be delivered. Whether it’s cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), individual counseling allows you to speak openly about your feelings without feeling judged or ashamed.

In therapy, counselors are there only to hear what you’re going through. You don’t have to make excuses, rationalize your thoughts or convince yourself that it’s not that big of a deal. Whether you are wrestling with a mental illness, like a gambling addiction, or need help learning to cope with stress and anxiety, we’re here for you.

Reasons to See a Therapist

There are many life events that can cause you to feel like you are in over your head. Maybe you have faced the same unhealthy patterns for years, and you’re tired of asking, “Why me?” You could also find yourself in a new situation that makes you stressed, overwhelmed or even depressed. The reasons to talk to a therapist are infinite, but there are some specific reasons why you might decide to reach out.

  1. • Gain self-awareness
  2. • Build confidence
  3. • Heal from trauma or learn to let go of the past
  4. • Focus on yourself
  5. • Discover real ways to grow and change as a person

Everyone’s goals are unique, and part of a therapist’s job is helping you identify and set objectives for your sessions. Together, you can work toward achieving the results you need to start living a more fulfilling life.

Virtual Counseling in Black Hawk, CO

Caring Heart Counseling offers virtual counseling services to residents throughout Black Hawk. Using a confidential counseling platform, you can connect with a therapist through video chat. Together, we can set goals that align with your values to help you feel better and overcome any challenges you’re facing.

There are many reasons why you may opt for a virtual counseling session; sometimes, transportation isn’t readily available, and there may be struggles you want to remain private from family and friends. Addictions, such as gambling, drinking and drug use, may cause someone to feel too ashamed or embarrassed to seek help in person.

Whatever you are going through, we’re here to listen. Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule an appointment.

30 Sep 2021

BY: admin

Counseling / Virtual Counseling

The Best of Denver Individual Counseling in Conifer, Colorado

The Best of Denver Individual Counseling in Conifer, Colorado

Conifer might be a mountain town, but that doesn’t have to limit your options when it comes to therapy. Our virtual counseling services are accessible to anyone with a stable internet connection. For 17 years, Caring Heart Counseling has offered therapy to individuals, couples and families in and around Denver.

Individual counseling can help you become more mindful, self-aware and overall happier as a person. It is not our job or place to tell you how to live life better. You’ve already made it this far, which is evidence enough that you can take care of yourself. But what if you could find ways to overcome challenges more easily? This means reducing stress, working through loss or grief and finding relief from any mental illnesses or symptoms that might be affecting your quality of life.

What Individual Counseling Can Do for You

Whether you want to become more productive, treat depression or simply talk to someone about your feelings, we are here for you. Everyone has their own reasons for going to therapy, and we believe that every reason to reach out is the right one.

Counseling can help you with clinical mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and addiction. It can also be a way to work on personal struggles such as low self-esteem, chronic stress, insomnia and procrastination.

Talking to loved ones can be helpful, but you might not get the response you need to make positive changes to your life. Your counselor, on the other hand, is an unbiased third-party who is solely interested in helping you. They can apply an outsider’s perspective to help you recognize unhelpful thoughts and behaviors friends and family are prone to overlook.

You may have some idea that therapy is a place where you’ll be judged, but that isn’t so. When we explore a topic more in-depth, it’s always done together and only with your consent. Above all else, therapy at CHC is deeply compassionate, understanding and supportive.

Virtual Counseling in Conifer

We offer virtual counseling to anyone who wants to connect with a therapist from the comfort of home. Commuting to the office may not be practical or possible for you, but that’s okay. In some cases, virtual counseling is less intimidating than an in-person visit. You may decide to test the waters and give virtual counseling a shot before transitioning to sessions at the office.

One of the reasons virtual counseling is so valuable is that it meets you wherever you are. Using a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform, our counselors schedule a video conference at a time that works for you. Just like we do in the office, our sessions are structured around goals and helping you address specific topics or struggles you’re concerned with.

Virtual counseling can be just as effective as in-person therapy. What matters most is your willingness to try and the trust you have with your therapist. Our services are accessible to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, cultural backgrounds and income levels. No matter where you are, where you’re from or what you may be dealing with, Caring Heart Counseling is here to support you.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at 720.314.7378, or click here to send us a message.

Mental Health Therapy for Loneliness (1) 30 Jun 2021

BY: admin

Friendships / Relationships

Mental Health Therapy for Loneliness

Mental Health Therapy for Loneliness

Someone can have many friends, know people everywhere they go and even be in a loving relationship and still feel lonely from time to time. Loneliness is often a sign that we need to reconnect with ourselves, especially if we already have an established support system in real life.

Sometimes, loneliness can also be a wake-up call that we’ve outgrown our current friend group or relationships. Ongoing feelings of loneliness can also be linked to mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety.

For some people, when they feel lonely, reaching out to a friend or family member helps the feeling pass. But if you struggle with feelings of loneliness most of the time and aren’t sure what to do, therapy can help.

Is There Therapy for Loneliness?

Therapy in and of itself can help combat loneliness as you are able to connect with your counselor. They listen to you, take interest in your feelings and help you begin to explore the role that loneliness has in your life and how it is affecting your well-being. In many cases, loneliness comes from self-isolation, which is a coping mechanism many people adopt when they’re suffering from other mental health symptoms.

Feeling lonely is complicated, and you may even feel guilty for your feelings if you have other people you could talk to. But loneliness has nothing to do with your love for your friends and family. Certain relationships in your life may simply be lacking in ways you need to feel fulfilled; you could also be going through a difficult period and not feel like anyone understands you.

Talk therapy explores loneliness to get to the underlying cause. How is it serving you, and what is it protecting you from? Sometimes, isolation and loneliness serve as barricades to connection when you are afraid of vulnerability or intimacy. Therapy helps you identify beliefs and behaviors that might be making your loneliness worse and replace them with healthy alternatives.

How to Cope With Loneliness

Loneliness can trigger other feelings too, including worthlessness, hopelessness and despair. For someone struggling with depression, loneliness can worsen their symptoms and even lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide. The most important thing to do is recognize you’re lonely and acknowledge that feeling. Rather than try to suppress or ignore it, think of loneliness as a messenger that you need to connect.

Engage in meaningful activities with others; if you are trying to make friends, then you may have to start with smaller engagements. Even smiling at the barista or drinking your coffee at the cafe around others can be helpful. It’s also important to look for new opportunities to meet people. You can do this in person and through online communities.

It’s also important to address how your beliefs affect your idea of loneliness. Someone with social anxiety likely sees themself as shy and awkward, which makes them less likely to socialize with other people. If you don’t trust easily or have a hard time getting close to others, then you may have habits that make forming relationships a challenge for you.

You May Feel Lonely, But You Are Not Alone

At Caring Heart Counseling, we are always here to listen and help. Reaching out to a therapist for the first time can be scary, but we are available to answer any questions you have. Contact us today and learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed therapists.

https://caringheartcounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Caring-Heart-Counseling-Denver-Counseling-Blog-What-is-EMDR-Therapy 05 Sep 2018

BY: admin

Counselor Blog / Specialties

What Is EMDR Therapy?

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy, or EMDR Therapy, is a psychotherapy used to treat troubling symptoms, like anxiety, guilt, anger, depression, panic, sleep disturbance, and flashbacks that are a result of traumatic experiences.

When a disturbing event occurs, it can get locked in the brain with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. EMDR seems to stimulate the information and allows the brain to reprocess the experience. This may be similar to what happens during REM or dream sleep. The rapid eye movements can help to reprocess the traumatic material; Your brain does the healing and you are the one in control.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR therapy uses eye movements to help you unlock certain memories and reprocess it so that it is no longer a sensitive memory for you. You are often asked to rate the memory on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is neutral and 10 is extremely disturbing. At each session, you will continue to use this scale throughout the EMDR process as one way to assess your progress. This is because EMDR allows your brain to heal itself, meaning that the processing and healing can continue between sessions. You may be in a different place at the next session than you were at the close of the previous session. We continue to process the memory until it is no longer bothersome to you.

How long does EMDR therapy take?

This depends on several factors including the nature of the problem being treated, the client’s history, and the client’s ability to tolerate high levels of disturbance. In some cases, one EMDR treatment session is enough. Usually, it takes weeks to months of treatment. When EMDR therapy is used appropriately it can significantly shorten the overall length of time in therapy.

If you are having nightmares or flashbacks, or are having trouble getting a disturbing picture out of your head, EMDR therapy may be able to help. Give us a call at 303-429-5099 or email info@experientm5.sg-host.com to learn more about EMDR Therapy can be effective for you.

20 Jun 2018

BY: admin

Counseling / Getting Help

How Do I Know When It’s Time to Get Help?

The truth is, all of us could use some counseling or therapy at some point in our lives. It just feels so comforting to us to have the experience of someone really “getting it.” We need an empathic and objective observer; someone who will tell us the truth and affirm us. We want to know that we are not alone and not crazy. It is so easy to feel isolated in this culture of ours.

So, how do we know when the time has come to find a counselor/therapist?

There are so many signals and so many reasons. Maybe life feels out of control and you are overwhelmed by anxiety and worry. Perhaps you are not where you thought you would be at this stage of life. You don’t feel motivated to do all the things you should be doing. I feel lost and alone. I don’t know what I value. You can’t let go of control. You are avoiding stuff. How do I navigate life as a parent? My relationship is not working like I thought it would; we want different things and we fight a lot. You’ve lost someone. I’m so hurt. You’re afraid. Why do I feel so sad? You’re angry. You stuff your emotions and then explode. My emotions feel really big and powerful and I can’t seem to calm myself down and stay in charge of what I say and do. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what I want in life. I know what I want, but I feel powerless to make it happen. You are self-critical; your own worst enemy. Shame overwhelms us. Life overwhelms us. We need to learn to cope, let go, accept, forgive, heal, move forward, and discover peace and maybe a little joy.

And there are many other reasons that people seek therapy.

Once upon a time, seeing a psychotherapist (then called an Analyst) was in vogue for the wealthy. Then, as the therapy world changed, counseling carried with it a lot of secrecy and shame – for the wealthy and for everyone else. I can do it on my own; solve my own problems. We don’t need a therapist butting into our lives! If others knew I was seeking help from a professional… well, what would they think? I’m so weak for having to pay for help; I should be able to do it on my own. In the last couple of decades, therapy and counseling have become much more acceptable and accessible. People, again, are happy to share that they are in therapy or have seen a counselor. This is good news!

There are so many good helping professionals in our city: Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists and Psychiatrists, along with any number of supporting professionals in the mental health community. And we are all here to support each other and the clients we serve.

Caring Heart Counseling is a truly gifted group of practicing professionals in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. We truly want what is best for our clients and we have clinicians on our team who are able to work with all of the issues listed above, and more. In the first session, you will get the sense that we really get you, we understand where you want to go, and we know how to help you get there. And if we are not the right fit for you, we happily refer to a number of other mental health professionals out there in the Denver counseling community. Because, the truth is, we are not the only good clinicians out there! And we want to help you find the best!

So, if anything in this blog resonates with you, take the first step. Call us at 303-429-5099 and we will get you on the right track for getting where you want to go. We can help you learn to cope, let go, accept, forgive, heal, move forward, and discover peace and maybe a little joy.